How Can Temperature Monitoring Help Reduce Supply Chain Product Losses

img

Real-time supply chain monitoring solutions that leverage reusable data loggers are enabling enterprises to minimize product loss and actively reduce their carbon footprint.

Food loss and waste are a serious concern—an estimated one-third of all food goes in the garbage. And while food loss is bad enough, in light of global food shortages, it also has an environmental impact. Rotting food in landfills produces methane, a known greenhouse gas, equivalent to 37 million cars on the road. Of all that wasted food, 40 percent is coming at all levels of the supply chain before the consumer is involved. The level of food waste and loss in the supply chain is largely due to a lack of full visibility and control over products as they are traveling throughout the supply chain.

Food producers and processors are increasingly implementing sustainability activities as part of their corporate responsibility goals. Many businesses have plans in place to reduce their food losses and carbon impact, often with specific targets in mind. Some are setting ambitious goals, aiming for sustainable water use, 50 percent waste reduction by 2030, and even becoming carbon neutral.

Real-time supply chain monitoring solutions that leverage reusable data loggers are enabling enterprises to minimize product loss and actively reduce their carbon footprint.

Food loss and waste caused by supply chain breakdowns
Most disruptions in the supply chain are regional and short-lived, such as ones caused by hurricanes, winter storms, or other types of natural disasters. The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically increased supply chain breakdowns for numerous reasons. Entire countries and municipalities have shut down, and consumer buying habits have drastically shifted. Supply chains have been pushed to their breaking point, especially the food supply. It is essential—now more than ever—to get food to retail locations and keep it out of landfills. But, when routes get changed, drivers are not granted entrance to municipalities due to shutdowns, or ports are closed, many food products might not ever make it to market. Logistics failures throughout the supply chain can make for shortages at the retail level. Using end-to-end supply chain technology to minimize disruptions is one way to avert a looming disaster of empty grocery store shelves. Real-time technology allows food producers and third-party logistics providers to know exactly where the goods are and what routes are optimal. 

Food loss and waste due to temperature excursion
As stated previously, 40 percent of food loss happens at the supply chain level before it ever hits the consumer. While some food loss comes from inadequately staffed production sites, it can also occur because the food was stored or transported incorrectly, rendering it unsafe for human consumption. Foods that spoil quickly like dairy, meats, fruits, and vegetables need to be maintained at constant temperatures to ensure freshness and increase shelf life. While real-time visibility cannot change the food harvesting or processing procedures, it can ensure that products are transported and stored at optimal temperatures.

However, many companies have been reluctant to implement digital solutions as a way to reduce food loss and waste due to temperature excursions. Research has shown that businesses that do so see improved margins with a more efficient supply chain, often off-setting the investment in the technology. This means that there is room for improvement for many organizations to implement real-time visibility solutions to keep more food in grocery stores and restaurants and out of the landfill.

Food loss and waste caused by rejected and replacement shipments
Another consideration is the operational and product waste created by inefficient processes due to a lack of total supply chain visibility. With passive data loggers, a temperature deviation may have occurred during transport. However, this remains undiscovered until the delivery is made, and often the food goes to waste while quality assurance teams investigate. Every wasted shipment means stock outages, and another replacement must be hauled across the country. There is an environmental cost associated with the manufacture, transport, and distribution of these replacement products, including water consumption, plastics produced (and discarded), CO2 emissions, and fuel. Not to mention the spoiled food ends up in a landfill.

The benefits of real-time monitoring technology to reduce waste and loss
Many food producers and retailers have signed on to the EPA's Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions program, committing to cutting food loss in half by 20304. Having a reusable real-time solution that offers actionable analytics to prevent loss and waste is an easy step to take. Real-time visibility enables all stakeholders to proactively reduce the carbon footprint of perishable waste, provides practical benefits of lowered costs on reduced food losses, and drives overall sustainability efforts. 

Controlant's real-time temperature monitoring and visibility solution is threefold. It includes reusable data loggers, a proprietary cloud-enabled software platform that delivers shipment and supply chain data on demand, and cost-reducing partnership services. Controlant's 24/7 monitor and respond services team (MARS) is available to answer alerts and proactively work with your designated stakeholders to facilitate corrective and preventative action. For example, if a shipment in a reefer truck hauling produce across the country has pallets tip over reducing airflow, temperatures can start to deviate beyond the acceptable boundaries due to this event.

The reefer's system may not catch the issue because the temperature readings at the front of the truck are stable. However, Controlant's loggers send alerts to the MARS team, as well as email and SMS (if preferred) to designated stakeholders, including the freight forwarder. The 3PL and truck driver are contacted to reload the pallets appropriately and unobstruct the airflow, preventing product damage.

In addition to the real-time data that a monitoring program provides, longer-term trends and performance analytics regarding particular lanes, points of interest such as airports and harbors, packaging types, and so on, are easily discovered. Dashboards can now enable manufacturers and logistics providers to determine where the most substantial risks occur within their supply chain, and subsequently, mitigate them.

Reducing your environmental impact
Organizations in the food supply and distribution chain are demanding corporate responsibility from suppliers and logistics providers that address their environmental impact. With the information and analytics possible through wirelessly connected temperature monitoring solutions, enterprises can build a concrete plan of action for reducing waste throughout the supply chain and then work with all stakeholders to implement it.

Dashboard data allow supply chain teams to quickly reference the reduction in temperature excursions and shipment rejections resulting from their proactive monitoring and visibility program. Real-time data can reduce fuel costs by helping delivery drivers and logistics companies choose shorter routes with fewer excursion opportunities.

Continuous shipment monitoring prevents sustained temperature excursions, resulting in prolonged product shelf-life and fewer lost loads. Real-time data can assist grocery retailers and restaurants by helping them only order is needed from suppliers, thus reducing the possibility of unused products being thrown away. With all of this information, businesses are equipped to make decisions that get more food safely to retail locations, and ultimately the consumer


Moving forward
External pressure to embrace corporate responsibility programs aside, businesses should not overlook the benefits of adopting innovative solutions as part of their sustainability efforts. Enterprises looking to save money in the long-term by switching to more sustainable solutions and improving supply chain efficiency in the cold chain are now seeing substantial cost and resource savings. As a result, some companies now consider sustainability performance an essential part of the overall supplier performance equation, in addition to key requirements of quality, cost, and delivery.



The potential business benefits of greener supply chains are considerable. Companies that succeed in making their operations more environmentally friendly can expect operational cost savings due to less waste, reduced fuel, energy, transport costs, and a lack of compliance penalties. In 2017, more than 4,800 companies reported supply chain emission reductions amounting to 551 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. This equates to $14 billion in savings and does not factor in the additional cost savings arising out of reduced replacement products and less food waste. Moreover, supply chain improvements of this nature invariably enhance an organization’s brand and reputation considerably.

As an industry, we need to recognize the opportunity for key stakeholders to work together to stimulate innovation and technology adoption that can reduce waste, keep food out of landfills, and positively influence climate change. Although the requirements may take many years to generate a substantial impact, the journey must start today.

The potential for what can be achieved through technology and collaboration to improve the visibility, efficiency, and sustainability impact on the global food supply chain working may help shape the future.

Member Testimonials

testimonial
X2 always thrives on raising the bar when it comes to connecting people. X2 conferences are one of a kind! As the founding member, we are happy to be in X2 Elite and the X2 Projects Network.
testimonial
"We believe in limiting memberships to a minimum and have found our home for projects as well as general cargo within the X2 family."
testimonial
I've been in the business for over 30 years, I have never had or experienced such and effort by the management team of the network to get members to participate and make their membership work for them.
testimonial
The professionalism and organisation shown from the X2 team totally blew us away.
testimonial
Richard is an innovator, what I find great working with him is that he can see the future.
testimonial
I was positively surprised from the amazing organization and specially the commitment of all X2 Team making this event incredible for everybody and in all complete fields.
testimonial
We have to skip the networks that are founded only for the benefits of the founders Quality and not quantity.
testimonial
We found the best way to build trust is to go to the conference and meet with people, talk to them and get to know them.
testimonial
As a new member of the X2 Network, we are very impressed by the organization and its professionalism and focus on mutual business development. X2 has already given us some great opportunities to work with likeminded partners across the globe on both project and general cargo.
testimonial
Great energy and drive throughout the X2 Team and high profile Network agents to complement each other’s business across the globe and help achieve positive results. Keep up the good work!
testimonial
X2 is like a family! We have met so many amazing partners. There has been so much success with the relationships we have developed throughout the years and most importantly friendships that will last a lifetime. And we love the networks' reach!
testimonial
We have been a member of X2 since 2014 and have attended six conferences. Richard and his passion for the network with his enthusiastic team have arranged all the conferences perfectly considering every single detail. We made many friends and found new global partners to work with at the conferences. X2 is one of the good solutions for our needs and we hereby thank them for their efforts.
testimonial
I have attended a lot of networks and annual meetings in the freight industry, but I have never come across a network like X2. This is another level. It is a pleasure to be a part of the X2 network - the professionalism, the attention to detail, the broad and knowledgeable staff - everything at the highest level.
testimonial
X2 is really an excellent logistics network, with a well-organized team that is always thoughtful and helpful. We are happy with X2 and expect a long journey together.
testimonial
"At X2 Network we found a group of partners that really want to build a long-term relationship. Companies are run by people that really care about your business and success. X2 Team has been really supportive and very active to develop new opportunities for your business''.

Our Partners

X2 Conference

Our special networking event is about smart freight forwarders coming together to grow and develop business within the group by providing an opportunity for all members to gather in one place to form and extend personal relationships.

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
7:53

NEW YORK

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
7:53

sao paulo

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
7:53

london

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
7:53

dubai

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
7:53

bangkok

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
7:53

hong kong

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
7:53

tokyo

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
7:53

sydney