Transport companies and fleet managers have a challenging task in transporting FMCG & perishable goods over various geographic areas. The transportation methodology is becoming important as the goods have to reach their destination in proper condition to be further consumed by the end user. It is important to have records of the parameters like temperature, or humidity to which the goods have been subjected to. Perishable pharmaceuticals & foods are transported through a climate controlled condition via a cold-chain that involves trucks, storage warehouses and others. If the product is spoiled on reaching the end-customer, it can lead to lawsuits, or in food poisoning and other results that could be damaging or negative. FMCG and perishable goods may be kept in temperatures varying from 5 to 50 degrees C, over maybe short or long distances. Measuring the freshness is a difficult task as there is lack of visibility across the supply chain.
This is where the role of an asset monitoring system comes handy. This system can be in the form of a Fleet Management System (FMS) enabled with a software that uses GPS tech. In this article we will look into the reasons for capturing and using data like temperature and humidity and to understand the challenges involved.
Why is it important to monitor temperature, humidity, pressure, etc.?
Many products if not stored in certain specified conditions may degenerate. Some food items like fish and meat cannot he shipped without refrigeration for long distances. Some products like eggs, medical supplies and pharmaceuticals need humidity & temperature control. Some chemicals may deteriorate in low temperatures.
Temperature sensors and humidity indicators are very useful devices in the transportation of perishable goods. With the help of fleet management software and IoT devices the parameters can be monitored, recorded and stored for verification later. Some devices work in real-time giving the managers up-to-date information which is used in data analytics and accessible by many users, from various devices. The monitoring system and other modules in the software increase the value of the supply chain and results in better ROI for the stakeholders.
Enhancing the value of the supply chain
Many perishable goods, medical and FMCG products when transported, need to be kept at controlled temperatures from point of origin to destination point. The logistics industry calls this the ‘cold chain’. Here there is a constant risk of failure and the possibility of the goods or products being damaged. This is where a real-time tracking and monitoring system is important to keep everything in control and to quickly react to emergencies. For instance, an asset monitoring system will add immense value to the cold chain as it can include refer trucks, containers and cold storage warehouses. At any point if there is a brief temperature breach it could result in damage to the product. The connected devices used in this monitoring system generates valuable data constantly to be processed eventually by the software application hosted on servers. Clients would prefer to choose this supported system or service provider, for their type of business which is critical to temperature, pressure and humidity parameters.
Optimizing Transport & Delivery Operations
For fleets of vehicles the fuel management helps to reduce costs of operations. The telematics tech used by the Trinetra software will help track the fleet vehicle to help reduce idling time, unnecessary stoppages and diversions on the scheduled delivery route. Data from the system helps fleet managers to review, track, innovate and improve operations. Communication between driver and other stakeholders improves efficiency. It is further supported by dash-cams or video telematics and vehicle diagnosis data for security and reliability. The intelligent fleet management software can be very useful in addressing cost and liability issues. It helps organisations taking up contracts to ship perishable, medical and sensitive FMCG goods with given specifications on the controlled environment for shipping. Here delivery up to the last mile is crucial for the success of the transport operator.
In Conclusion
Trinetra Wireless offers a customisable, reliable fleet management software that uses telematics technology and Data Analytics. This software has modules useful to monitor the supply chain and also the cold chain. It can be integrated with other systems used in your logistics or fleet business. The web-hosted system can generate, process and analyse the data, to convert it into valuable and insightful information for fleet managers or truck operators. The right fleet management software will effectively address inefficiencies, regulatory compliance, insurance and identify non-compliance and other discrepancies quickly, which will enable strategic decision-making and corrective action for problem solving and improving the ROI.
We shall arrange a ‘Demo’ for interested persons to evaluate our Fleet Management Software at their convenience. Just contact our BD team to kick-off a useful partnership.
