INDUSTRY WATCH
Andre Luecht , Global Strategy Lead ,
Manufacturing , Transport and Logistics ,
Zebra Technologies if it is within a certain range , which can be upwards of three metres . That makes RFID preferable when trying to explain where things might have been lost or , better yet , prevent future losses .
That said , barcode-derived location data is better than no location data . It adds more context to the story you seek to uncover about those business anomalies . So , at the very least , pallets should be given the opportunity to speak through barcode technology .
Trying to get to the bottom of quality-related losses that are showing up in the books ? There are plenty of sensors that are keen to tag along with pallets as environmental overseers . Their sole job is to monitor the climate conditions that palletised goods experience on their journeys .
So , if other sources indicate an increased level of waste or suspected quality degradation occurring during the shipment or storage of food , beauty products , flowers , or even electronics , sensors can help confirm why these issues are occurring . When paired with RFID , barcode , or even GPS-sourced data , they can potentially direct people to the precise point of failure for fast resolution .
If the goods on board get too hot or too cold , or the air is too humid , the environmental sensor escorting the pallet on its journey can document the variances and potentially signal for immediate intervention if the situation gets dire enough .
Even if that sensor cannot call for help in real time – it cannot connect to a network or it serves as a more passive observer – it is still a valuable source of information that remains significantly untapped by organisations in the Middle East .
That is assuming the rest of the business operation is digitally fortified enough for the insights supplied by this field-informant technology to reach the right person and elicit action .
It is not enough to give a pallet a digital voice . Automated data ingestion , aggregation , and analysis systems must be set up to interpret what it is communicating . These systems must be able to identify and alert someone to unexpected patterns in each pallet ’ s movements or exposures – and the patterns of the entire pallet-reliant supply åchain operation .
Otherwise , the truth that pallet has technically exposed and the long-desired opportunity to explain and resolve business anomalies will remain elusive . p
Key takeaways
• It is not feasible for any one person to keep eyes glued on every pallet .
• Criminal mischief or accidental mishandling are not the only threats to on-time delivery of goods .
• Operations are limited by ability to get equipment , supplies , stock to the right place at the right time
• Establishing safe travel lanes for goods and ushering them on an uninterrupted journey can be challenging when they go dark .
• The pallet is no longer just a physical mechanism to move larger quantities of goods as one .
• Pallet can be the digital conduit used to transmit data points that every CIO needs to understand for supply chain operations .
• Pallets can help fill in the holes being told by other business informants .
• RFID tags do not require that direct line of sight .
• RFID reader can find a pallet ’ s location if it is within a certain range .
• RFID is preferable when trying to explain where things might have been lost .
• Barcode-derived location data is better than no location data .
• Pallets should be given the opportunity to speak through barcode technology .
• Barcode technology requires someone to have line of sight to the pallet as it passes .
• Automated data ingestion , aggregation , analysis , must be set up to interpret what a pallet is communicating .
• Systems must be able to identify and alert , unexpected patterns in pallet movements and unexpected patterns of supply chain operation .
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