At last month’s SAS Virtual Global Forum, software company SAS showed how its IoT analytics target cold-chain logistics, flood prediction, energy forecasting and livestock wellness difficulties.

Connected sensors can make a big difference in solving global problems, helping safely deliver temperature-sensitive Covid vaccines, analyse crop data to deliver higher-quality food, improve energy forecasting to reduce utility bills, and protect people and property from dangerous flooding.

SAS and its IoT ecosystem partners apply IoT analytics so organisations can face these challenges with precision and confidence.

Experts say the market need for analytics such as these is strong and growing. According to a 2019 study by Iqvia Institute for Human Data Science, failures in temperature-controlled logistics – such as those required for storing and transporting the Covid vaccine – result in $35bn in annual biopharma losses. Iqvia anticipates cold-chain logistics will account for nearly a quarter of pharmaceutical companies’ R&D budgets in 2021 and beyond.

Analysts studying agriculture technology trends in an IDC report anticipated that, by 2026, three-quarters of livestock farmers will use wearables to provide real-time information about animal health and activity levels. This will improve profits and operational efficiency. The experts also expect 35% of farmers will use drones to monitor and manage field crops and animals to reduce labour costs and manage more acreage.

Jason Mann, vice president of IoT at North Carolina-based SAS, said IoT analytics helped companies harness the complex system of cold-chain logistics for biologics, including high-value pharmaceuticals, vaccines and gene therapy products. It helps companies increase efficiency, align demand and reduce waste and fraud.

“We work with key partners including Microsoft Azure and Stress Engineering to apply customisable SAS analytics to cold-chain logistics integrity challenges,” said Mann. “SAS uses data and analytics in the cloud to help protect the efficacy of temperature-sensitive medications while simultaneously addressing security and regulatory mandates. And applying SAS to the complexities of precision agriculture helps field crop and livestock farming organisations enhance quality and maximise yield so the world’s food supply is safe and abundant.”

Mann pointed to SAS’s IoT partner ecosystem for bringing these to the marketplace.

“The involvement of partners like Ernst & Young, Semtech, DunavNet and a host of universities and colleges makes it all possible,” he said.

For example, Plantaze is a Montenegrin company that owns Europe’s largest single complex vineyard, covering 5600 acres. The company produces more than 20 million kilograms of grapes and approximately 15 million bottles of wine annually. It uses SAS analytics deployed by DunavNet and the University of Donja Gorica to monitor the presence of grape moths, which can cause significant problems.

“The SAS analytics built into the DunavNet AgroNet have helped us move our operation into the digital future,” said Vesna Maraš, director of the development sector at Plantaze. “Monitoring plant health and pests is key, but so is modernising our entire viticulture and winemaking process.”

By using data streaming from sensors integrated with the LoRaWan standard on livestock or smart drones surveying field crops, SAS analytics also help farmers protect crops, increase yields and meet customer demand.

For energy companies, utilities and smart cities dealing with brownouts, blackouts and the integration of distributed energy resources such as wind and solar, SAS applies its analytics to smart grid data. This helps utilities make effective decisions at all levels with a range of automation, scalability, statistical sophistication and transparency. SAS also helps utilities communicate better with consumers about improving energy efficiency and reducing bills.

For cities and municipalities such as the town of Cary in North Carolina, working to predict and alert citizens about dangerous flood waters, SAS helps by analysing data streaming from connected sensors on creek banks, streets and bridges.