Reality and the digital world are coming together. Cheap sensors, combined with the Internet of Things and big data processing, allow a company to monitor equipment, product, environment, and more. The end result is instant reaction at the point of interaction.

This is a radical change in how business operates, according to Suresh Acharya (pictured), head of JDA Labs at JDA Software Group Inc.

“What is changing dramatically is the fact all of this is being digitized,” said Acharya. He spoke to John Furrier (@furrier), host of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE’s mobile live-streaming studio, at the South by Southwest conference in Austin. (*Disclosure below). Furrier and Acharya discussed automation, the power of sensors and supply chains.

Going digital in the warehouse

Acharya questioned the link between machine learning and inventory control, asking how a business can use this technology in the store or in the warehouse. It’s hard to digitize a business, but with sensors and real-time tracking, a company can wield much more control over their supply chain, he explained.

“It’s more a journey than something that will happen overnight,” Acharya said.

However, digital business opens up new possibilities. If a product becomes unexpectedly popular, the store could adjust its supply to keep that product on the shelf. Likewise, that same store will know when a product isn’t selling, so they can back off on promoting and stocking those goods, he added.

Another feature of this digital business is inventory tracking. In the real world, most companies don’t really know where their inventory is or what it’s doing. Sensors, precisely tracking products in real-time, can take business to a whole new level of visibility, Acharya stated.

This area of AI and machine learning shows endless potential, because not only is machine learning exploding, but so is the demand for sensors to feed it, he explained.

“Where we’re going is tremendous in terms of operational efficiency and just making our lives better,” Acharya concluded.

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the South by SouthWest (SXSW). (*Disclosure: Intel sponsors some SXSW segments on SiliconANGLE Media’s theCUBE. Neither Intel nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)   

Photo: SiliconANGLE