When Things Themselves Show What’s Needed: IoT Helps Businesses Make Better Decisions

June 16, 2026

Increasing sales by tens of percent, reducing complaints by one-fifth, or cutting energy consumption in beer dispensing by nearly a third while also improving its taste. All of this is enabled by the Internet of Things. “IoT provides the data needed to solve virtually any business problem,” says Petr Blabla, head of Adastra Lab.

What actually happens to plastic bottles thrown into yellow recycling bins? Nearly one-fifth make it to recycling centers, and almost 40 percent end up at collection yards and sorting facilities. But almost 12 percent of PET bottles go directly to landfills, while another four percent end up elsewhere — in fields, at gas stations, or near family homes.

These findings came from an experiment commissioned by the Czech Ministry of the Environment from Adastra Lab to determine the real state of recycling. The project, which used IoT chips sending location data from the bottles, earned Adastra recognition at the EUTECH SDG Awards 2024 and demonstrates one of the many applications of IoT technology.

“For a client in Latin America, we designed a similar solution intended to uncover how new tires from government vehicles were ending up on the black market,” mentions another Adastra Lab project, according to its head Petr Blabla. Although this “detective” project was never ultimately implemented, it nicely illustrates that the possibilities of IoT technologies are virtually limitless.

“They provide companies with the data needed to solve a wide range of business problems. The technology can be applied to almost anything. We regularly receive briefs that surprise even us. Most often, however, clients are looking for greater efficiency — increasing sales, improving logistics, factory operations, warehouse management, or waste handling,” explains Blabla.

Tailored to the Problem

Adastra Lab, part of the technology company Adastra Group, provides end-to-end IoT services ranging from analysis to implementation and designs tailor-made solutions for companies. Depending on the scope of the project, costs can range from approximately €1,000 to hundreds of thousands of euros, according to Petr Blabla.

At the core of every solution is an IoT platform that essentially functions as a data warehouse capable of processing data from the designed ecosystem, with inputs provided by IoT chips. These may range from simple motion sensors to more advanced multisensory devices costing around €1,500.

“For example, we provide convenience stores with systems using inexpensive sensors that measure product quantities on shelves. Thanks to them, clients know whether enough products are displayed in the right place and also when they sell the most. Based on this, they can optimize replenishment and ordering or plan employee shifts,” explains Petr Blabla.

More sophisticated and more expensive smart retail solutions can map the entire customer journey in physical stores and provide data similar to what e-commerce companies know about their customers online. They combine smart displays, scales, and ceiling sensors capable of identifying demographic information such as gender or age group with up to 95 percent accuracy — without using facial recognition.

The in-store system can then recognize, for example, that when a customer stands in front of a product for ten seconds and interacts with it for another twenty, there is a high probability they want to learn more about it. It can therefore send alerts to sales assistants, helping increase conversion rates, or trigger personalized content on nearby screens targeting that specific customer.

More LEGO Sets and Frozen Drinks

“Displaying the right products in the right place led to sales increases of 20 to 40 percent for some clients — and in some cases even doubled sales. On top of that, companies can achieve additional savings in marketing and inventory optimization,” adds the head of Adastra’s IoT division.

The company develops similar projects not only for retail chains, but also directly for brands themselves. One example is The LEGO Group, which wanted to increase sales of building sets targeted at girls and was exploring secondary in-store placement options. “In the end, the Friends product line aimed primarily at girls became a Christmas bestseller,” says Blabla.

For Jägermeister, Adastra worked on introducing frozen on-the-go mini bottles as part of the brand’s “Ice Cold” campaign promoting the ideal serving temperature of -18°C for the herbal liqueur.

“Since people do not usually buy frozen alcohol, the brand essentially had to change customer purchasing behavior. Together, we explored what strategy would work best. We tested different types of freezers and product placements across large supermarkets, smaller stores, and gas stations. Based on the results, Jägermeister was then able to plan campaigns with the right level of investment to maximize returns,” explains Petr Blabla.

“Thanks to this type of data, companies can determine in which season, on which day of the week, and even at what hour they have the highest chance of making a successful sale,” he adds.

Watch the Brakes

In logistics, Adastra Lab most frequently focuses on so-called traceability — tracking the movement of products, as well as the pallets used to transport goods. For one client, the implementation of so-called smart pallets reduced pallet losses by 30 percent, helping the company significantly cut replacement costs.

Another common issue involves shipment claims within supply chains caused by lost or damaged goods. According to client experience, better visibility and monitoring can reduce complaints by as much as one-fifth.

One client, for example, needed to determine why trucks were regularly arriving at their destination with collapsed pallets — whether the issue was caused by handling at transfer hubs or by drivers’ driving styles. To calibrate sensor sensitivity, different cornering and braking patterns were tested.

“We examined how stacked pallets reacted to long braking versus a series of short braking actions. It turned out that pallets collapsed after prolonged braking followed by three quick braking actions. The system can then send notifications warning about improper driving behavior and alert recipients to the possibility of fallen pallets,” says the head of Adastra Lab.

IoT sensors also have practical applications in manufacturing, where they enable continuous monitoring of production lines, material inventory, and quality control. Here as well, sensors can be configured to track virtually anything. “As a result, the system can create a digital twin of the entire factory and its operations.”

“You can monitor production line efficiency and use the data to implement predictive maintenance, helping prevent production downtime,” explains Petr Blabla. “There are also additional insights that emerge along the way — for example, discovering that two out of five forklifts are sitting idle because they are unnecessary, or identifying situations where employees moving around factories or warehouses are violating workplace safety rules,” he adds.

Adastra Lab also contributed to innovation around one of the Czech Republic’s most iconic products — beer. The company helped Plzeňský Prazdroj develop the Smart Tap project, in which a custom-built solution monitored everything from beer temperature and water flow to electricity consumption. The team also created a digital twin of the tap system to help identify more efficient operating settings.

“The goal is to find a beer dispensing method that is 30 percent more energy-efficient while also improving taste through proper pipe cleaning and cooling. And as Czechs, we care deeply about that,” smiles Petr Blabla.

The article was published at Forbes Czechia.