How smart bins are improving industrial supply chains

Walk into any of the most high-tech manufacturing facilities, distribution centres or warehouses, and you’re likely to find a bin arrangement that feels out of place and dated. Bins, arranged in rows that are stacked on top of each other, hold all the vital parts and supplies that keep the business moving – fasteners, tools, tape, wiring, personal protective equipment and anything else that can be imagined.

But even as the supply chains for other parts of these operations have become more modern and advanced, bins are often stuck in the past. Many bin arrangements offer no visibility into the flow of materials at any given moment, which leads to a cascading series of impacts that hurts the bottom line...