The COVID-19 vaccine rollout underscored the importance of the cold chain to modern logistics and revealed significant challenges.
A wide range of products, primarily pharmaceuticals and food items, require temperature-controlled shipment. Damaged equipment, delays and management errors can make temperature regulation difficult or impossible, potentially risking spoilage and product damage.
The Internet of Things (IoT), smart devices that use the internet to share and receive data, has already helped logistics professionals keep the cold chain moving. This technology could soon become even more essential for logistics.
Here’s how the IoT can help solve issues within the cold chain and improve storage and delivery.
Growing Pains in the Cold Chain
Rapid growth has caused significant logistical and management challenges in the cold chain.
Ultra-low temperature (ULT) or ultra-cold chain (ULC) technology is particularly important now, as it is necessary to transport the two major mRNA COVID vaccines. As a result, demand for specialized ULT freezers, doors and similar equipment has accelerated significantly. UNICEF reports that its recent push for greater availability of these assets has been the largest in the organization’s history. Many cold-chain-focused development companies enjoyed double-digit growth in profits throughout 2020.
Businesses are already adding new services or shifting priorities to cover the new demand that has emerged. Major shipping providers, like UPS, have begun offering end-to-end health care cold chain services.
It’s also not unusual to see businesses that had previously occupied a completely different niche pivot to repairing and reselling ULT freezers or other ULT equipment to help cover the supply gap. However, these services may not be enough to meet the new demand for cold chain equipment. New technology and the use of Industry 4.0 innovations, like GPS track-and-trace and improved data mobility between supply chain entities, may be necessary. Having physical storage capacity is one thing, but the Internet of Things fills digital needs instead, like end-to-end data visibility and even predictive capabilities.
How IoT Helps Manage the Cold Chain
IoT devices can help solve several problems that cold chain managers face.
Smart temperature sensors are one of the most valuable IoT solutions for the cold chain. These devices continuously track and report temperature inside shipping containers. The information recorded by these sensors can be made available to supply chain stakeholders, including warehouse managers, customers, manufacturers and even truck drivers. The device can immediately alert them when the temperature inside the shipping container fluctuates or rises above a safe threshold. This enables the fastest possible response to an error or failing cold chain equipment.
The device can also log temperature excursions like these, providing a record of when they exceeded safe levels. This could help shippers and manufacturers identify when and where a problem occurred. This information can make it easier to identify which products have likely spoiled and determine fault in the event of product damage.
Over time, records from IoT temperature sensors could also help businesses pinpoint weak links in the cold chain where certain conditions or issues occur frequently. Given enough historical and real-time data, insights from IoT devices can take a turn toward the proactive and even predictive.
Using IoT Devices to Track Products Through the Supply Chain
IoT devices could also provide other benefits for logistics companies. For example, GPS tracking solutions are increasingly popular among supply chain managers. Track-and-trace services and devices represent the largest investments of any technology type among commercial adopters of the IoT. These devices can offer moment-to-moment information on a shipment’s location and speed, allowing shipping companies to track products and easily provide accurate delivery forecasts.
The same devices can also allow companies to keep tabs on products in storage. Asset tracking solutions utilize IoT-based GPS technology to provide businesses with continuous information on the location of a pallet or similar item. If warehouse owners need to locate the product, they can determine exactly where it is.
This technology can also provide alerts or notifications when a device is moved off-site, potentially providing better information on when an item is shipped or mistakenly removed from the warehouse.
Accurate tracking and delivery forecasting are necessary as more high-stakes parcels than ever are being shipped directly to consumers, like medications or foodstuffs, or intermediaries, like refrigerated vaccines. Having technology aboard that can warn of disruptions that might impact product quality or safety ensures a timely response, such as dispatching a new vehicle or a new shipment.
IoT Applications Outside the Ultra-Cold Chain
The ultra-cold chain and non-ultra cold chain could benefit significantly from the adoption of this technology. Food waste is a significant challenge for the food and beverage and agricultural industries. IoT temperature sensors and other innovative solutions to combat food waste could help prevent spoilage and limit the scale of recalls.
Temperature data could allow companies to manage shipping conditions more effectively for produce, beverages and food items prone to spoilage. Records could also help manufacturers identify which products were exposed to high temperatures. This helps ensure they only recall or discard items that are likely to have spoiled, rather than everything from a certain manufacturing lot or products shipped by a specific company.
IoT Solutions May Become Necessary for Effective Cold Chain Management
The growing importance of the cold chain has created a demand for new solutions that will help companies manage logistics more effectively. This is vital in today’s world as the demand for cold items rises, and safety is of the utmost importance.
IoT technology may become even more essential as cold chain demand rises. The right devices allow managers to track shipment temperature and location more easily, providing instant notifications about any deviations.
This information may make it much easier for cold chain managers to reduce waste and spoilage, helping make logistics operations much more efficient.
About the author
Jane Marsh, Editor-in-Chief of Environment.co.
Jane Marsh covers topics in green technology and manufacturing. She also works as the Editor-in-Chief of Environment.co.
