Logistics and supply chain companies have always been unsung heroes in the global economy. These companies are tasked with delivering products from all around the world in the best possible condition to our doorsteps.
Advances in technology have helped supply chain companies transport a wide variety of goods to their customers in the best possible condition. Perhaps the most important technology that the industry relies on, however, is condition monitoring systems.
Here are a few industries that have seen especially dramatic benefits from advances in supply chain condition monitoring.
Healthcare
A Navigant study found that hospitals spent over $25.7 billion on unnecessary supply chain related material and on wasted products. This figure includes just hospitals and not the entire healthcare sector. Manufacturers, pharmacies, and other medical intermediaries regularly incur losses thanks to improper supply chain management.
Central to these losses is insufficient reliance on a good temperature monitoring system. The healthcare industry has strict protocols that govern product storage and transport. However, improper handling at customs warehouses and bureaucratic hurdles can wreck best-laid plans. Modern condition monitoring systems provide a full history of data that can be viewed across the entire supply chain.
Temperature and humidity thresholds can be set up by manufacturers, with instant alert systems. If condition thresholds are exceeded, logistics monitoring data centers can instantly contact the driver of the vehicle or the goods handler and mitigate the issue immediately.
End-users such as pharmacies and clinics can view the history of the product thanks to a clear audit trail established by data history. All of these factors come together to greatly reduce product waste in the supply chain.
Food
The freshness of products is central to the food industry’s success. Storage mechanisms and food sourcing are major topics in the industry. These days consumers insist on sustainable food practices, and this makes the role supply chain companies play even more critical.
It isn’t enough to merely deliver fresh food. Companies have to provide transparent sourcing and handling information as well.
Product level condition tracking enables customers and logistics companies to pinpoint the exact time of damage and condition breaches. Data transparency is easy thanks to cloud technology and the fact that analytics dashboards are accessible on any platform.
Data democratization doesn’t end with food retailers. Consumers can also access sustainability data by scanning QR codes on their food packaging. These codes can be scanned by any smartphone, and consumers can view the entire data history of the product, which can even include sourcing and handling information.
Chemicals
“Chemicals” is a broad term for all kinds of products that range from cleaning fluid to hazardous materials. While food and healthcare receive the bulk of attention from outside observers as it relates to condition monitoring, logistics companies understand that chemicals require far more attention.
This is because every chemical transported has specific storage requirements. Regulation is heavy in this industry, and each chemical container must be labeled clearly at all times, following established standards. Some chemicals cannot be stored with others, and transport carriers must have active sprinkler and fire safety mechanisms installed.
As you can imagine, such an environment requires all varieties of conditions to be monitored. Humidity, temperature, shock, and even light are closely monitored to detect threshold breaches. Threshold monitoring extends beyond transportation and to storage facilities as well. Light monitoring systems detect whether storage facilities have been breached out of pattern and instantly alert employees.
Condition monitoring ensures that even chemicals used in everyday products such as household goods and beauty products are safe and healthy to use.
Construction
The construction industry relies heavily on logistics planning and timely deliveries. Condition monitoring isn’t the first thing most people think about when speaking of construction safety. However, supply chain management in the construction industry closely monitors the origin and condition of raw materials to ensure the safety of the finished product and workers involved.
Proper storage of materials on-site is central to workplace safety in the construction industry. Most construction materials appear sturdy from the outside but are vulnerable to excess shock-induced damage during transportation.
Condition monitoring doesn’t end with the project. The finished product has to be constantly monitored for damage. Instant alerts allow maintenance workers to quickly fix problems before they get out of hand.
Condition monitoring software these days comes built with templates suited for every industry. As a result, alerts are easy to set up and require very little technical assistance beyond the initial setup stage.
Electronics
Electronics are present everywhere these days, and moisture can ruin sensitive electronics equipment instantly. Humidity control is crucial to the electronics industry, and logistics companies take special care to ensure humidity thresholds aren’t violated.
Many electronics products contain rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. This means monitoring for temperature-related breaches is also critical. Leaking battery acid or other hazardous chemicals can result in serious injuries to workers.
Data loggers attached to shipping packages play a crucial role in providing a real-time look into the condition of the shipment.
They also allow retailers to verify the integrity of their product thanks to the data history that these loggers collect.
Unsung Heroes
Condition monitoring systems track a large variety of conditions and provide instantaneous alerts that can mitigate product losses. They don’t grab too many headlines, but they play a crucial role in ensuring product safety across multiple industries.
