Food Logistics November/December 2019

Food Logistics

AGE OF COGNITIVE AUTOMATION

SECURE CHAIN OF CUSTODY ROI TEMPERATURE MONITORING ®

Global Supply Chain Solutions for the Food and Beverage Industry

DECADE AHEAD SECURITY AND SUSTAINABILITY REMAIN LEADING SUPPLY CHAIN TRENDS AS WE ENTER 2020.

Issue No. 212 November/December 2019 FoodLogistics.com

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2019

FOOD LOGISTICS HONORS

TOP SOFTWARE & TECH PROVIDERS OF 2019

This year’s FL100+ features an impressive list of companies whose products and services are critical to the global supply chain.

Turn to page 30 to learn more about these leaders and the solutions they’re offering to drive visibility and efficiency in food and beverage operations.

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2019

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FOOD LOGISTICS HONORS

TOP SOFTWARE & TECH PROVIDERS OF 2019

This year’s FL100+ features an impressive list of companies whose products and services are critical to the global supply chain.

Turn to page 30 to learn more about these leaders and the solutions they’re offering to drive visibility and efficiency in food and beverage operations.

THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE

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THE SMART MONEY’S ON TRANSIT CONNECT.

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ON THE MENU

November/December 2019 ISSUE NO. 212 COLUMNS FOR STARTERS

‘Tis the Season for Top Trends

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We enter a new decade with a look at the leading trends shaping the food and beverage industry.

COVER STORY

Food Logistics Looks Forward to the Next Decade

As we look to 2020, security and sustainability are among the top global food supply chain trends we are watching. Our final cover story of the year focuses on these two issues.

COOL INSIGHTS

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Tracking Cold Chain Cargo with TemperatureMonitoring Devices

Accurate temperature-monitoring devices are necessary for those looking to improve cold chain tracking practices and reduce unnecessary waste.

FOOD (AND MORE) FOR THOUGHT

FEATURE 28

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Securing the Food Supply Chain: Achieving Traceability and Chain of Custody to Minimize Risk

Multi-party networks make recalls more palatable by enabling everyone in the supply chain network to share relevant information in real time.

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Food Logistics Honors Top Software & Tech Providers of 2019

Food Logistics announces the 16th annual FL100+ award winners.

2019

44 SECTOR REPORTS WAREHOUSING

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Using HaaS to Solve Procurement Roadblocks

Food logistics operators turn to advanced DSD solutions and mobile printers as a game changer for supply chain visibility.

SOFTWARE & TECHNOLOGY

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Cognitive Automation Has Arrived

Cognitive automation can speed the farm-to-fork logistics digital journey.

OCEAN PORTS & CARRIERS

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Blockchain Consortium Gains Steam in the Maritime Sector

The Global Shipping Business Network (GSBN) is an example of how the digital supply chain is impacting global supply chains.

Solid ROI With Temperature Monitoring

Early adopters of temperature monitoring systems in refrigerated trailers often chose the solutions to meet requirements of shippers and receivers.

DEPARTMENTS

Supply Scan 12 Food on the Move 51 Ad Index 8

WEB EXCLUSIVES Company’s Success Relies on its Suppliers foodlogistics.com/ 21102573

Local Food Bank Streamlines Warehouse Operations foodlogistics.com / 21102501

The Rise of Online Grocery Fulfillment Explained foodlogistics.com/ 21095951

www.FoodLogistics.com

Published and copyrighted 2019 by AC Business Media. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.

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FOR STARTERS

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

‘TIS THE SEASON FOR TOP TRENDS T his time of year is popular for “top” lists—gifts, jobs, most read articles—you name it. I’ll avoid adding to the overload. However, there are some trends in our industry whose SOWINSKI impact will be even more profound next year. Here’s what I’m following (and I’ll refrain from numbering them)…

Plant-based proteins. You know when fast food/burger chains start embracing it; it must be a thing.

Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods are two companies churning out soy- and pea-based proteins as substitutes for conventional beef. The products are tasty and healthy. Oh, and compared to beef production, the impact on the environment (water, land, reduced GHG emissions) is better than a secret sauce.

Functional beverages.

SKU proliferation in this space is off the charts and shows no signs of slowing. Vitamin waters, energy drinks, CBD-infused beverages, along with kombucha, cold brew coffee, more craft beer (if that’s Brew Doctor even possible) are flooding the market. Some are shelf stable; others require refrigeration. Simply put, the beverage supply chain is undergoing rapid transformation.

Smart packaging. Truly smart packaging tells you how many more days your fresh chicken is

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safe for consumption. That’s cool, and helps reduce food waste.

Smarter packaging is biodegradable, doesn’t use too much material, is re-usable, or perhaps doesn’t even exist—check out Loop (www.loopstore.com) and Public Goods (www.publicgoods.com).

All things grocery.

Talk about disruption.

While Walmart and Target take a bigger bite out of the grocery sector, traditional grocers like Kroger are getting back to the basics of selling groceries (per a recent WSJ report). Others are become more specialized, or reducing SKUs, or incorporating a variety of other models to appeal to consumers.

Last mile delivery. Expect to see more expansion and options in this space, especially as logistics providers fine-tune their offerings (and profitability) while increased migration to online shopping helps grocers justify the investment. Meanwhile, drones, robots, bicycles, and carrier pigeons (just kidding) will broaden the transportation equation.

And, security and sustainability, of course. I could write a book on the importance of food safety, security and sustainability. Instead, check out our final cover story of the year for trends in what are arguably the most important issues in the global food supply chain.

Enjoy the read.

LARA L. SOWINSKI, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR LSOWINSKI@ACBUSINESSMEDIA.COM

DETAILS

Published by AC BUSINESS MEDIA 201 N. Main Street, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 (800) 538-5544 • www.ACBusinessMedia.com

WWW.FOODLOGISTICS.COM PRINT AND DIGITAL STAFF Group Publisher Jason DeSarle Associate Publisher Judy Welp Editorial Director Lara L. Sowinski lsowinski@ACBusinessMedia.com Editor John R. Yuva jyuva@ACBusinessMedia.com Web Editor Mackenna Moralez mmoralez@ACBusinessMedia.com Senior Production Manager Cindy Rusch crusch@ACBusinessMedia.com Creative Director Kirsten Wiskus Audience Development Director Wendy Chady Audience Development Manager Angela Franks ADVERTISING SALES (800) 538-5544 Associate Publisher (East Coast) Judy Welp (480) 821-1093 jwelp@ACBusinessMedia.com Sales Manager (Midwest and West Coast) Brian Hines (920) 542-1236 bhines@ACBusinessMedia.com National Automotive Sales Tom Lutzke (630) 484-8040, tlutzke@ACBusinessMedia.com EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Jaymie Forrest, President & CEO, Activ Technologies, Inc. John Haggerty, Vice President of Business Development, Burris Logistics Robert A. Norton, Ph.D., Professor of Veterinary Microbiology, Public Health and Biosecurity, Auburn University; Coordinator of National Security Initiatives, The Futures Laboratory Jon Shaw, Director of Sustainability and Global Marketing Communications, UTC Climate, Controls & Security Smitha G. Stansbury, Partner, FDA & Life Sciences Practice, King & Spalding CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS P.O. Box 3605, Northbrook, IL 60065-3605 (877) 201-3915, Fax: (847)-291-4816 circ.FoodLogistics@omeda.com LIST RENTAL Jeff Moriarty, InfoGroup (518) 339-4511 jeff.moriarty@infogroup.com REPRINT SERVICES Carrie Konopacki (920) 542-1236 Fax: (920) 542-1133 ckonopacki@ACBusinessMedia.com AC BUSINESS MEDIA Chief Executive Officer Barry Lovette Chief Financial Officer JoAnn Breuchel Chief Digital Officer Kris Heineman Vice President, Sales & Marketing Amy Schwandt Director of Digital Operations & IT Nick Raether Director of Digital Strategy Joel Franke Published and copyrighted 2019 by AC Business Media.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.

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SUPPLY SCAN

NEWS FROM ACROSS THE FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN Daily Updates at FoodLogistics.com

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BIG-NAME BRANDS FORM LEAFY GREENS SAFETY COALITION

In order to promote efforts on improving prevention and traceability, Walmart, Kroger, Costco, Wegmans and Yum! Brands have formed the Leafy Greens Safety Coalition.

The group will endorse recommendations from the Romaine Task Force and is committed to working with suppliers on implementing best practices that are backed by science.

“As a leader in food safety, The Kroger Co. recognizes the need for an integrated food safety approach to ensure fresh leafy greens remain safe and readily available for our customers,” the company wrote. “We commend the efforts of the industry produce task force and fully support its recommendations.”

FOOD LOGISTICS | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019

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BACON FILLS US COLD STORAGE SPACES

The ongoing trade war between the United States and China has hit nearly every industry as manufacturers and growers stockpile goods as they await a resolution.

Now, pork producers are stocking up on frozen pork bellies, up 34% from last year’s total and the highest they’ve been since 1971.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Cold Storage report, frozen pork bellies in cold storage totaled 40,668,000 pounds, an increase from 2018’s total of 30,354,000 pounds. However, the number is down compared to August 2019, as frozen pork bellies in cold storage totaled 45,723,000 pounds.

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Necco filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection back in April 2018, abruptly ending operations later that year.

In US Bankruptcy Court, Necco asked to be allowed to forgo a required auction process so it could complete a $13.3 million private sale of its assets to Gordon Brothers.

However, since the auction last May, the company has been sold twice.

Now the Revere, Massachusetts location has struck a deal with Amazon, becoming a new distribution center.

The 830,000 square-foot facility is slated to undergo renovations next year, with an anticipated opening date in 2020.

Amazon will create hundreds of part-time and fulltime jobs, becoming the city’s largest employer.

“This is a leap into Revere’s future as a strong, modernized and prosperous city,” Revere Mayor Brian Arrigo said in a statement. “Amazon’s investment in our community will invigorate the local economy and promote Revere as a place where prominent, innovation-driven businesses are welcome and can Pexels thrive.”

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AMAZON TO TRANSFORM OLD NECCO FACTORY INTO A DISTRIBUTION CENTER

SUPPLY SCAN

Daily Updates at FoodLogistics.com

MASTERCARD BLOCKCHAIN TO BRING VISIBILITY TO FOOD SYSTEMS

Mastercard is collaborating with Envisible, a company that enables supply chain visibility in food systems to bring more visibility to food that people eat every day.

“The sheer volume of global trade makes it difficult to track the journey and authenticity of food,” says Mark Kaplan, partner for Envisible. “We’re excited that Mastercard shares our vision and is driving consumer trust by bringing its significant expertise in using technology at scale with commercial-grade processing speeds, data flexibility and privacy, and security standards to an area that has previously been considerably opaque.”

The company’s Wholechain traceability system will be powered by Mastercard’s blockchain-based Provenance Solution and used by Topco Associates, a

INTELLIGENCE + SAFE THERMAL MASS Phase Change Material attracts, absorbs, and stores up to 85% of heat infiltration.

Intelligent Controls prioritize

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NEWS FROM ACROSS THE FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN

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temperatures while minimizing refrigeration run time to cut freezer energy costs up to 50%.

food cooperative in the U.S., to help its member-owners’ supermarkets trace and highlight the origin of seafood. Topco is working with its member grocery chains, starting with Food City, to pilot the use of technology to provide better line of sight into ethical sourcing and environmental compliance of the seafood selection sold at their stores. Salmon, cod and shrimp will be the first to be tracked.

“Given consumers’ expectations for reliable information about the food that they eat, we’re excited to partner with Food City and Envisible on this trace and provenance solution pilot, and the promise of Envisible’s Wholechain solution,” says Scott Caro, senior vice president of Fresh for Topco.

Mastercard has built a permissioned blockchain network that is integrated with its global network and provides a secure tamper-proof ledger, high transaction throughput, enhanced security, transaction privacy and support for multiple use cases with one deployment.

www.foodlogistics.com

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SUPPLY SCAN

NEWS FROM ACROSS THE FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN Daily Updates at FoodLogistics.com

FEESERS FOOD DISTRIBUTORS ADDS 20,000 FEET OF COLD STORAGE SPACE

Pennsylvania-based company Feesers Food Distributors has added 20,000 square feet of cold storage space to its facility. The expansion will hold temperature-sensitive foods with custom racking and a ripening room. The added space brings the total warehouse to 300,000 square feet, with cold storage making up 52,000 square feet.

The company will hire additional employees as a result of the expansion.

“We take great pride in being the largest food distributor in the region,” says Michele Latta, CEO of Feesers Food Distributors. “To maintain this position and offer best-in-class service to our clients, we knew expanding our business was a priority and this 20,000 square-foot cold storage facility helps us continue to achieve our goals.”

Feesers gradually moved inventory into the space in September.

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TECHNOLOGY AT THE ROOT OF ALTERNATIVE MEAT MARKET

Beyond Meat Press Kit

Plant-based meat producers, such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, are relying on innovative technologies to market their products to grocery stores and restaurants. Food Institute found that extrusion is one of the key technologies used by producers. Extrusion is a thermomechanical process where proteinaceous plant materials are plasticized and pushed through a die by combining pressured heat and mechanical shear.

With this process, plant-based meat can form similar textures to real meat. In addition, the appearance is also similar to cooked meat while its high-protein content offers a similar nutritional value.

Meanwhile, producers are experimenting with additive manufacturing to offer customization of plant-based meat. Food Institute says a 3D printer can mimic muscle fibers found in real meat.

Cellular agriculture is also emerging as a necessary technology in the alternative meat market as it uses a combination of biotechnology, tissue engineering, molecular biology and synthetic biology to create new proteins, fats and tissues. The FDA and USDA have recently regulated the production of cell-cultured meat alternatives as well.

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WOOD FRUITTICHER

PARTNERS WITH OPTRICITY

Meat Press Kit

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oodservice companies touch lives through delivery of products that nourish not only restaurant diners and students across public schools and universities, but also patients within the healthcare sector. Wood Fruitticher (WF), the #1 Foodservice Provider in the Southeast, takes this responsibility seriously, building relationships with clients on a foundation of trust that they will deliver the highest quality products on time, every time.

WF’s dedication to deliver has prompted this family-owned business to look to best practices and push operations to become even more efficient. Dave Wood III, President of WF, recently launched an innovative technology to support this objective. “We’re honored to support Dave Wood’s vision of continuous operational improvement and are pleased to partner with a client-centric, values-driven organization like Wood Frutticher,” notes Sheila Benny, Optricity President.

When identifying a slotting software to implement, what factors were considered?

• Performance: Is the software the proper vehicle to accomplish our objectives? Is it sustainable for the long term?

• Industry insight: We performed our due diligence and actively sought out who was using slotting software and gathered feedback to see how and if it worked, as well as satisfaction levels of existing customers.

• Ease of Data Integration: Systems have to integrate with ease to communicate effectively; the easier the process, the better.

• Support: This is probably the biggest contributing factor for WF. At the end of the day, we place emphasis on partnering with companies that value what we value most: Customer service. Relationships and ease of access from top to bottom matter; company culture matters.

• ROI: Cost is important, but it is relative to how quickly it can generate a positive return.

Warehousing for the food industry brings complexity, what elements are more easily addressed with software versus manual slotting?

With increasingly large numbers of SKUs and regulations continuing to change, slotting software grants us the ability to adapt to changes with speed and accuracy that slotting manually cannot. Consistency is key to all continuous improvement and software gives us the consistency we need to more accurately benchmark the effects of our strategy. Being able to “What if” scenarios to predetermine the most optimal path to take is something very hard and time consuming to do manually. Time is not only money, but opportunity lost to better serve our clients. We compete on service and, to stay competitive, we have to remain nimble. Slotting software requires us to standardize our processes, creating consistency, and consistency builds the synergies needed to bring us all together to achieve the same goal: serving our clients.

What drivers led WF to adopt slotting optimization software?

WF constantly reviews our processes and procedures to improve what we do and how we do it. Increasing efficiency and productivity are core factors in most, if not all, our decisions.

These drivers, along with the need to manage increased SKUs while adhering to continuous regulation changes, directly affect what we do and play a major role in our mission to serve customers better than anyone else in the business. We are not a foodservice company; we are a customer service company that delivers food. Optimized slotting allows us to lay out our facility in the most efficient way possible by combining necessary variables (e.g. volume, density, cube, etc.) through a standardized process, benefiting not only our customers by allowing us to best serve them, but also our employees by reducing costs, creating efficiencies and expediting on-boarding processes.

Tips for implementing slotting software? ➊ Measure twice, cut once! Continuously scrub and validate the data. Then do it again!

This is huge; once you start implementing something new, the smallest overlooked detail can drastically affect buy-in and your team’s overall confidence in the product. It’s always better to take extra time on the front end checking and double checking everything to ensure that what is being delivered is sound and accurate. ➋ Don’t lose sight of your key goals and objectives. Slotting software has a lot of bells and whistles that serve a purpose but utilize them when the time is right. Stay focused and accomplish main objectives first, then move down rabbit holes to maximize return. ➌ Involve as many of the right people during discovery, design, and implementation as possible. Encourage feedback and input; this facilitates buy-in and creates robust deliverables.

What metrics are being used to measure success?

We are paying close attention to Pallet Build Quality, Replenishment Reduction, and Productivity; these metrics are easily monitored, quantifiable over time and play a major role in contributing to client success. Using Comparative Analysis tools built into OptiSlot DC™, we are able to simulate potential returns using historical sales and operational data to justify our slotting strategy; the hypothetical returns are very encouraging, and we expect the actual numbers be even better.

www.foodlogistics.com

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Operations change constantly, slotting strategies must adapt to keep up. How does WF plan on making slotting sustainable?

Visibility and consistency are key components to sustainability; OptiSlot provides WF with both. The better we can see the environment changing around each and every SKU and how those changes affect other SKUs, the better we can react and position ourselves to best serve our clients.

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LOGISTICS TRENDS IN OUR INDUSTRY

ANHEUSER-BUSCH DEPLOYS LARGEST CLASS 8 ELECTRIC TRUCK FLEET Anheuser-Busch plans to deploy 21 battery-electric trucks built by BYD in Southern California.

As part of a state project that leverages cap-andtrade funds to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the companies said that it will represent the largest Class 8 electric truck deployment in North America.

“At Anheuser-Busch, we are committed to leading our industry towards a more sustainable future by reducing our carbon emissions across our value chain by 25% by 2025,” says Angie Slaughter, vice president of sustainability procurement at Anheuser-Busch.

“The transport industry is one that is prime for innovative solutions and we are excited to continue driving progress towards a zero-emission fleet through this partnership.”

Fleet Owner reports that ENGIE Services will design charging stations and install a 958.5 kilowatt-hour solar array at the Carson site, generating zero-emissions power to offset the use of conventional energy in the charging process.

The deployment is expected to begin later this year and wrap up in early 2021.

“With this exciting project, Anheuser-Busch is providing a real-world demonstration of the future for moving goods and products throughout California,” said Richard Corey, executive officer at the California Air Resources Board.

YEARLY VOLUMES UP 4.7% AT THE PORT OF LOS ANGELES

The Port of Los Angeles moved 779,903 TEUs last month, a 2.7% decrease compared to 2018’s record-breaking number. Though, the figure isn’t holding down the port as total volumes have increased 4.7% over the last three quarters compared to last year.

“The ill-advised U.S.-China trade war continues to wreak havoc on American exporters and manufacturers,” says Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “We’ve seen declining exports for 11 consecutive months while our fastest growing market segment is exporting empty containers back to Asia. It’s likely we’ll see softer volumes in the fourth quarter. We must have a negotiated settlement of the trade war as it is beginning to impact the more than 3 million jobs in the U.S. that are tied to this port complex.”

September 2019 imports decreased 2.9% to 402,320 TEUs compared to the previous year.

Exports decreased 11% to 130,769 TEUs, the 11th consecutive monthly decline of exports.

Empty containers increased 2.9% to 246,814 TEUs. Combined, September volumes were 779,903 TEUs.

DAT SOLUTIONS’ MONTHLY FREIGHT REPORT

In Select Markets, a Bounty of Freight By Mark Montague Mark Montague is senior industry pricing analyst for DAT Solutions, which operates the DAT® network of load boards and RateView rate-analysis tool. He has applied his expertise to logistics, rates, and routing for more than 30 years. Mark is based in Portland, Oregon.

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Thanksgiving puts a lot of groceries on the table every November.

Indeed, there was a 10% increase in the number of loads moved on the spot market during the month of October compared to September, a sign that produce, dairy and, of course, poultry is moving through grocery distribution channels.

While volumes were building, spot refrigerated rates fell almost 3%. The national average reefer rate was $2.11 per mile in October, 4 cents lower than September and 32 cents less than October 2018.

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The big reason is ample capacity.

However, November began with increased demand for trucks in the Pacific Northwest and Upper Rockies—prime potato-growing regions. The markets with

the most refrigerated loads posted and moved on the spot market in late October and early November were southern Idaho (Twin Falls market), then northeastern Oregon and eastern Washington (the Pendleton, Oregon market), and then Spokane.

The load-to-truck ratio on Friday, Nov. 1, stood at 36 loads posted for every available posted truck in Twin Falls, 28-to-1 in Pendleton, and 20-to-1 in Spokane. The national average at that time was a little less than four loads per truck.

Truckers know that potatoes move from Idaho this time of year (and turkeys from Minnesota…). Since they go where the freight is, look for capacity to tighten across the map—and for rates to rise.

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DEFINING & AUTOMATING MODERN DISTRIBUTION Velociti Alliance North America has been perfecting the art of advanced distribution for more than 20 years. With innovative clients in the top echelons of their respective industries, Velociti continues to push forward in the specific areas of inventory control, order fulfillment, and supply chain visibility.

www.velocitialliance.com sales@velocitialliance.com www.facebook.com/VelocitiAlliance

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FOOD ON THE MOVE

LOGISTICS TRENDS IN OUR INDUSTRY

KENWORTH’S TRUCKTECH+ SERVICE MANAGEMENT GAINS TRACTION WITH FLEETS

Kenworth’s TruckTech+ Service Management program continues to gain momentum with its fleet customers.

Currently, more than 26,000 fleet trucks are participating in the company’s TruckTech+ Service Management offered by PACCAR Parts to fleet services customers.

Through PACCAR Parts, fleets with 100 trucks or more receive a line of credit as well as preferred and consistent parts pricing throughout the U.S. and Canada. Qualifying customers can elect to use Kenworth’s TruckTech+ Service Management to manage their Kenworth Class 8 and medium-duty trucks.

“We introduced the web-based fleet portal this past spring, and the response has been tremendous,” says Laura Bloch, Kenworth assistant general manager for sales and marketing. “Kenworth TruckTech+ Service Management offers customers an easy way to track and manage the service and maintenance history of their Kenworth trucks, while documenting any fault codes the truck might experience. It also provides real-time visibility on repair status, and gives dashboard data on service and repairs for all the fleet’s trucks enrolled. This allows fleets to effectively manage individual trucks, and the fleet as a whole. The information captured and presented gives customers actionable intelligence.”

Meanwhile, Service Management takes Kenworth TruckTech+ to the next level as it allows customers to have complete control and documentation on any service performed by Kenworth. The information is then available on any device, significantly reducing time while creating a full paper trail.

TWO-HOUR GROCERY DELIVERY IS NOW FREE FOR AMAZON PRIME MEMBERS E-commerce giant Amazon is making its grocery delivery service free for Prime members in the United States. The company will integrate all orders for groceries into a single portal.

According to Reuters, the portal will have one- and twohour delivery windows and will include grocery delivery from services such as Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market.

Amazon will roll out the service in stages: Prime members who have yet to order groceries can request an invitation to participate in the service. The company did not say when it will start taking on new grocery-delivery customers.

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GREAT DANE INTRODUCES SMART TRAILER SYSTEM

At IFDA 2019, Great Dane introduced its new smart trailer telematics system, FleetPulse.

“FleetPulse is laying the foundation for technologies beyond telematics,” says Mike Molitor, Great Dane’s director of business development. “The transformational shifts that will occur in our industry, such as autonomy, electrification and smart distribution centers, will require the trailer to be designed and wired differently than it is today. And we’ve built FleetPulse with these technological advances in mind.”

The solution has been carefully designed from end to end to meet the high standards of even the most sophisticated fleets. The system’s built-in sensors collect precise measurements directly from the trailer’s components, keeping watch over key indicators such as tire inflation systems, open doors, cargo weight, burned-out lights, ABS fault codes and actual mileage. The data is collected and reported through a robust 4G platform, so fleets are alerted to potential issues and receive reports on what maintenance needs to occur and when.

“FleetPulse provides a high-resolution view into the conditions of the trailer’s components, and pairs that information with other proprietary information on the asset, including things like specs, aftermarket parts numbers, and tools from all of the component suppliers that help drive maintenance costs down,” Molitor said. “Each trailer on the road is unique in how it was built, and that information is critical when it comes to maintaining trailers—and it’s information that only the OEM has.”

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11/26/19 4:02 PM

COOL INSIGHTS

BY ANGELA KERR

TRACKING COLD CHAIN CARGO WITH TEMPERATURE-MONITORING DEVICES

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Angela Kerr has been part of the SpotSee team for over 12 years, having served as a marketing manager, product manager, director of product management and vice president. Currently serving as the vice president of product portfolio and program management, she is responsible for coordinating and managing resources for connected product launches, developing distributor programs and defining market opportunities for new product development.

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Images compliments of SpotSee

KERR

upply chains can be complex, serving as the network through which products move from supplier to end user. When specific thresholds are involved, for conditions like temperature, the process becomes even more complicated, adding a layer of product vulnerability. Without proper handling, cold chain products are susceptible to damage or can become unusable due to even minor temperature changes.

Perishable items like meat, fruits, vegetables and dairy products require additional care and attention as they have specific temperature needs.

Improper handling or insufficient refrigeration can cause severe deviations from the standard temperature range, compromising quality and putting food at risk of harmful bacteria. If exposed to extreme temperatures long enough, this could lead to wasted product or worse, foodborne illnesses. In turn, these issues can cause companies to face monetary loss and consumer distrust.

Cold Chain Tracking Devices Handling temperature-sensitive products, whether you’re shipping, transporting or delivering, is easier

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Single-use indicators are a simple way to communicate temperature excursions.

when monitoring devices are involved. Temperature-monitoring devices work by alerting supply chain handlers to potential temperature deviations, allowing them to pull products from the supply chain if necessary.

With items having such specific thresholds, it’s critical that temperature-monitoring devices be used to accurately track temperature ranges.

Temperature loggers allow users to record the temperature at predefined intervals and provide a complete time-temperature account of the trip. Using this style of monitor, users can track the item and maintain a view of its

temperature from start to finish.

This transparency allows those in charge to make quick decisions if necessary, but also lends itself to pattern recognition. Using data gathered by these devices over a specific time frame, operators can pinpoint deviation patterns and where they typically occur, allowing changes to be made regarding vendors, packaging and package handling.

Single-use indicators, such as SpotSee’s WarmMark® time-temperature indicator, on the other hand, can be used as a simple way to communicate temperature excursions. Users can implement these devices to monitor for temperatures that go above the acceptable level and track how long the threshold was exceeded.

Understanding the length of time in which an item was outside of the acceptable temperature range, users can more confidently determine whether a product is still viable for use.

Accurate, irreversible temperature-monitoring devices are necessary for those looking to improve their cold chain tracking practices and reduce unnecessary waste. If a deviation does occur, monitors, recorders and indicators communicate those results, alerting users that further inspection is needed. Cold chains can be hard to maintain, but implementing cargo tracking devices can help. Ultimately, these types of devices provide a cost-effective way to monitor for mishaps and ensure products are safe to use.

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11/26/19 2:50 PM

COVER STORY

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BY ROBERT A. NORTON, PH.D.

SUSTA SECURITY As we look to 2020, security and sustainability are among the top global food suppy chain trends we are watching. Our final cover story of tthe he year focuses on tthese hese two issues.

— Food Logistics’ Editors

Criminal organizations are your secondmost-likely adversary and their attack vector should not surprise you.

I

n the first installment of this series (Food Logistics, October 2019), the issues of insider threats and disgruntled employees were discussed. Every company is likely to have a small percentage of disgruntled employees, most of whom will never act violently. All have to be properly managed so an escalation of aggressive activities does not occur. There are other, more challenging, threats that can damage brand, profitability and even a company’s survivability.

Criminal organizations are an ever-present reality, and corporate survivability and profitability depend on recognizing the threat and managing solutions. Criminal organizations come in all shapes and sizes. On the lowest end of the scale are groups that seek to steal anything of value.

Know Your Threat Actors Employees, unfortunately, are

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most often the perpetrators of theft, which is a continual security problem. These thefts are usually crimes of opportunity and are not organized, but the collective effect can be massive. In fact, companies and retail stores have actually been shut down because of the level of losses. In one famous example, Sam Walton personally turned off the lights and padlocked the doors of a Walmart where employees were “… stealing the store blind…”

At this level, the sum of individual thefts can approach or exceed a more organized theft effort. In terms of company losses, it really matters little whether an individual criminal or a group actually stole the truck; company assets are gone either way. So comprehensive theft prevention planning has to address both insider and external threats.

Moving up the scale, we find more focused and methodical threat actors. This stratum includes corrupt government individuals and

criminal organizations. Corruption is a way of life in many nations in which food chain companies operate, and corporations in the past have often considered payoffs as a cost of doing business.

shironosov / iStock / Getty Images Plus

FOOD CHAIN SECURITY: BACK TO THE BASICS

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Unfortunately, it is an uncomfortable reality that corporations are likely (at some point and in some places) to be faced with the decision of whether to pay a bribe.

Company response is dependent on many factors, including a careful calculation of the costs (not just monetary) versus expected benefits. Regardless of the decision, companies will have to live with the consequences.

Corrupt officials and criminal organizations also can be involved in sabotage, extortion, kidnapping and cy-

ber ransoming. Personnel, facilities, equipment and systems are likely to be targeted. Personnel safety should be a first consideration.

Because of subject sensitivities, security strategies for dealing with each kind of potential threat will not be discussed here in detail. The hard-won critical lesson is that it is necessity for companies to plan ahead for contingencies, rather than waiting for the crisis that is sure to come.

At this level of threat, physical security is extremely important, since sabotage and extortion are two potent means for causing harm. Under ideal conditions, security managers regularly interact with food safety and food security personnel.

Unfortunately, in many companies, these domains frequently remain stovepiped until there is a crisis.

Destruction by Other Means—The Cyberattack Vector The news is filled with examples of companies and municipalities experiencing cyberattacks. Systems are attacked, on occasion destroyed, and always compromised.

Increasingly, systems or data are held hostage, with the demand for

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COVER STORY

Robert A. Norton, Ph.D., is a professor at Auburn University and chair of the Auburn University Food System Institute’s Food Defense Working Group.

A longtime consultant to federal and state law enforcement agencies, the Department of Defense and industry, he specializes in intelligence analysis, weapons of mass destruction defense and military-related national security issues.

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ransom. Companies should expect these types of ransomware attacks to increase in the future and plan accordingly.

It is not too much of a stretch to say that it is not a matter of if you will experience a cyberattack, but when. Your company will be attacked. Many of these operations are now driven by foreign criminal organizations and entities with a connection to foreign governments (e.g., North Korea).

Criminal organizations, like foreign governments, are also increasingly targeting proprietary information and personally identifiable information (PII) about employees and customers. Why target your proprietary information? PII has value in the black market.

Most companies realize the cyber threat. What they may not realize is how that threat is escalating in sophistication. It is no longer sufficient to say, “We have firewalls…” The cyber adversaries your company has to really worry about are highly sophisticated and, in many cases, well beyond the capability of most companies (except perhaps the largest), to defend against. Assume that from this point on, professional cyber security experts will have to be engaged. That will be an expense (perhaps significant), but also an investment.

Even with this new reality, there are things that can be done internally to make your systems and data more secure. It has become almost trite to say it, but rule No. 1

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in protecting corporate assets is “… future. Agriculture and the food backup, backup and then backup!” chain are critical infrastructures, All data and control systems softmaking CISA a possible solutions provider. CISA provides extensive ware should be stored in duplicate cybersecurity and infrastructure at multiple remote locations so security knowledge and practices they can be quickly retrieved if any kind of compromise (e.g., manmade, to its stakeholders, sharing that knowledge to enable better risk fire, natural disaster and the like) management, and putting it into occurs. It is hard to believe that in practice to protect the nation’s this era of escalating cyber threats, essential resources. companies still lose non-backed-up More specifically, CISA provides data and systems software. risk awareness and helps people As in any system, the weakest understand how to mitigate the link is always the human element. threats and vulnerabilities they Employees are often educated may encounter and to improve about the basics of cybersecurity, their risk posture. Put differently, but are seldom tested by mock CISA helps you identify your probchallenges (e.g., a pretend phishing email). Companies also are too lems and advises you on the fixes. often complacent about passwords The agency doesn’t actually fix your and access credentials. Complex problems, which is left to you, but passwords that are randomly but it does help you develop your own regularly changed robust defenses. Food should be the chain companies are norm in even the strongly urged to go to smallest food chain the CISA cyber resource companies. What is page at (www.us-cert. the most frequent gov/resources/cybersepassword today? curity-framework).

Password. That is The new reality is that unacceptable. we live in a hypercomCriminal orga-WaD- / iStock / Getty Images Plus petitive global environnizations and threat ment, where the demarnations often target corporate cation between competitor and employees by offering to buy their adversary continues to blur. The access credentials. System credenadversaries described here are real, and your company is likely dealing tials enable system penetration. with these types of adversaries Successful system penetration can on a regular basis. There are other result in total system compromise. adversaries, worse still, associated Do you have a disgruntled employee? They might be ripe for targeting with competitors or even with nation states. In the next article in by cyber criminals. Companies this series, the issues associated need to work with cybersecurity with competitors and actual hostile professionals to help spot the states will be discussed. telltale clues that an employee is If there is one lesson we all must trolling for an offer or has actually learn, the boundaries between been compromised, selling their peace and war are increasingly credentials to the highest bidder. blurred. This new reality means Making More Robust that there are no longer any front Cyber Defenses lines or any separation between the military, national security and The Cybersecurity and Infracritical infrastructures. We are the structure Security Agency (CISA) front lines and must work cooperais the nation’s risk adviser, working with partners to defend against tively and collaboratively to ensure today’s threats and collaboratthe continuation of a safe, secure and economical food supply. We ing to build a more secure and are all fighters now. resilient infrastructure for the

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SOLAR, BEVERAGE TRUCKS, AND THE UPTIME REVOLUTION

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ow often are you having to jump-start a delivery truck after a long weekend?

How frequently are you replacing the batteries to ensure the engine starts or that the liftgate will work? Are your battery costs and operational issues increasing more by the year?

If so, it’s because vehicle batteries are being asked to do more than ever by enabling continuous asset tracking, supporting liftgates, and powering delivery lights, all while engine running restrictions are reducing the alternator runtime that traditionally could recharge the battery. This combination of higher power loads and less recharge time are significantly reducing the batteries’ life and engine starting capability.

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down to very low levels that hinder starting capability and significantly shorten battery life. These two events increase operational and battery replacement costs. If the events occur away from home or outside regular operating hours, costs can soar. This is why battery costs are often in the top two or three maintenance costs.

What is the ROI with solar?

Transport rated solar panels, such as ThermoLite® panels by Thermo King, can help businesses lower the total cost of ownership, reduce emissions, and decrease waste while their fleets simultaneously transport goods to their final destinations safely and efficiently.

With solar, fleets save fuel, reduce unplanned service calls, and keep drivers comfortable on the road without idling their engines. The return on investment (ROI) for adding ThermoLite solar panels typically occurs in less than two years. Fleets calculate ROI by evaluating three categories: battery replacements, operational efficiencies (e.g., downtime), and fuel savings.

Are solar panels durable enough to last for the life of the asset?

A recent solar innovation called “back-connect solar technology,” has made solar panels flexible, thin, and resistant to scrapes and damage from debris and impacts.

Back-connect solar techtech nology utilizes solar cells that minimize and isolate damage from impacts that historically would completely render a solar panel inoperative. Installing

flexible solar panels is easy with plug-and-play connectors and electronics that give the operator visual feedback to help prevent bad installations. The weatherproof panels have durable and flexible materials to withstand the harsh conditions on the road.

Solar cells on each ThermoLite panel are highly efficient and use the latest technology to produce abundant power, even in low-light situations. Furthermore, Thermo King utilized over 80 years of transport experience to design cables, connectors, and controls that will survive the harsh environment of trucking.

ThermoLite panels have a lifespan of more than 20 years and come with a five-year full product warranty.

In northern territories where snowfall occurs, a frequent concern is how snow affects solar production. Since solar panels are designed to absorb light and heat, snow rapidly melts off of the panels, and a smooth hydrophobic surface means that the snow typically slides off quickly. Even in freezing temperatures, panels melt off snow and are back to peak performance within a day or two after a snowfall. This new technology also allows for a significant amount of power to be placed in a small space, like the cab roof. All of these breakthroughs create a solar panel that is compact, flexible, durable, and easily installed on almost any piece of equipment.

Solar is no longer a technology meant for the roof of a home or in a field. Now is the time to explore how solar can eliminate your battery costs, increase fuel savings, and ease operational pain. With over 45,000 ThermoLite solar panels operating in the transport space, they have proven to be a must-have in today’s trucking environment.

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www.foodlogistics.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | FOOD LOGISTICS

11/26/19 3:31 PM

BY LARA L. SOWINSKI

SMITHFIELD FOODS RAISES THE SUSTAINABILITY BAR T Smithfield Foods is always looking for ways to make the path from farm to fork as close as possible.

hree years ago, Smithfield Foods, a $15 billion global food company and the world’s largest pork processor and hog producer, announced it would reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout its entire supply chain by 25% by 2025. The company worked with the Environmental Defense Fund to set its goal that, once achieved, will reduce emissions by more than 4 million metric tons, the equivalent of removing 900,000 cars from the road.

Recently, Food Logistics checked in with Stewart Leeth, vice president of regulatory affairs and chief sustainability officer at Smithfield Foods, to learn more about the initiative, including opportunities the program is generating…

FL: What prompted the company to undertake this initiative?

deyanarobova / iStock / Getty Images Plus

Leeth: Smithfield Foods believes that sustainably sourced food is a right, not a privilege. To feed a growing world population that is expected to reach 10 billion by 2050 in a sustainable way, it takes bold leadership, aggressive goal setting and innovative action plans. With

In 2016, Smithfield Foods became the first major protein company to announce a comprehensive plan for GHG emissions reduction throughout its entire supply chain.

approximately 9% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the U.S. attributed to agriculture, we saw the opportunity to take a leading, proactive role in sustainability efforts throughout our supply chain, which balances the global demand for protein with environmental concerns.

First, to understand our own carbon impact, we partnered with the University of Minnesota’s NorthStar Initiative for Sustainable Enterprise (NorthStar), which provided the data and tools needed to trace our supply chain from farm to facility to fork. This partnership enabled us to set a baseline and begin taking steps toward reducing GHG emissions across our entire supply chain.

Leeth: For more than five years, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and Smithfield Foods have collaborated to address pressing

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FL: Why did Smithfield Foods choose to partner with EDF?

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Smithfield Foods, Inc.

COVER STORY

Lee ou ha ed rel ho We ren

environmental issues. Solving environmental problems is difficult work, but together we’re making meaningful change through a focus on our organizations’ shared goals to reduce GHG emissions.

We first collaborated with EDF in 2013 to reduce fertilizer loss on the vast network of farms from which Smithfield purchases corn used for animal feed. Working with EDF, we set a goal to engage 75% of the acres from which we directly source grain to reduce fertilizer loss and build soils. This effort helped corn growers adopt new tools and practices to more efficiently utilize fertilizer in their fields. It also helped our business by strengthening relationships with farmers in our communities and increasing local grain supplies. In 2018, we achieved this goal by working with grain farmers to adopt more sustainable practices on over halfa-million acres.

The success of this work set the stage for EDF and Smithfield to partner in the development of a

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groundbreaking goal to cut GHG emissions. With EDF’s help, Smithfield became the first major animal protein company to set a goal to reduce absolute GHG emissions 25% from our complete operations and supply chain by 2025.

In addition, one of the ways we will meet that goal is through manure-to-energy projects, which will utilize innovative technologies to create renewable natural gas for consumers throughout the country, while generating a new source of income for farmers.

FL: What are some of the opportunities the initiative is helping advance?

Leeth: As we’ve worked to achieve our GHG reduction goal, Smithfield has encountered several unexpected opportunities and challenges related to our efforts to transform hog manure into renewable energy.

We’ve spent years researching renewable energy projects, and not

every attempt has been successful. However, in pursuing these initiatives, we realized the opportunity to create value not only for our business, but also for our contract farmers—family farmers who raise a portion of our hogs.

Producing renewable natural gas (RNG) has created an additional revenue stream for Smithfield and these family farmers, which helps to diversify their incomes.

Additionally, through our “manure-to-energy” initiatives we have formed new, unexpected partnerships that are helping fuel the scalability of these projects.

For example, our efforts led us to partner with Roeslein Alternative Energy in a joint venture called Monarch Bioenergy, and with Dominion Energy in a joint venture called Align Renewable Natural Gas (RNG). Through these joint ventures, we are transforming manure into energy in several states across the country to heat homes, power businesses and fuel vehicles.

In October, Smithfield and Dominion Energy announced the companies are doubling their investment in the Align RNG joint venture to $500 million, further extending the largest RNG partnership in the U.S. FL: What role does transportation and logistics play in the initiative?

Leeth: At Smithfield, we are always looking for ways to make the path from farm to fork as close as possible, and our logistics optimization initiatives are essential components to achieving this goal. These initiatives include consolidating our network of DCs to four strategic locations in Maryland, North Carolina, Kansas and Indiana, as well as leveraging technology to optimize transportation routes to be more efficient. We are also shipping product direct to customers from our processing facilities, and increasing the use of lighter weight trucks, among other projects.

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11/26/19 3:31 PM

COVER STORY

BY JUSTIN HERMSEN

ENSURE CLEANLINESS WITH REUSABLE PACKAGING P Reusable packaging can help minimize the risk of contamination and potential financial—and reputational— costs of food recalls.

roper handling and packaging are essential for food and beverage supply chains to function. Consumers depend on reliable handling throughout the supply chain to ensure the food on their plates is safe to consume.

They often are unaware of how food moves in the supply chain. But what happens when the packaging used to move, store and transport food doesn’t meet expectations?

Spillage and contamination are all-too-real risks in the industry and can pose serious hazards to consumers if preventive measures are not enforced.

Cleanliness and allergen management have long been top checklist items for food and beverage supply chains, but the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) has caused re-evaluation of handling processes and systems in order to prevent

90% COMPANIES STILL WOOD PALLETS IN USE

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37% COMPANIES USE PLASTIC PALLETS Peerless Media Group

contamination. These regulatory changes, combined with consumers’ fascination of knowing where their food comes from, have pushed transparency and innovation in food and beverage supply chains.

Now, more than ever, suppliers are motivated to re-evaluate their systems and the materials that come in contact with goods, creating an increased need for packaging that helps minimize contamination risks. Food processors and their suppliers are considering cleanable, reusable packaging to support FSMA requirements and to increase consumers’ confidence.

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Using Reusable Packaging for a Cleaner Supply Chain Reusable packaging products, like plastic pallets and totes, are essential for reducing the risk of unsanitary contact and ensuring consumers are provided with food and beverages that were handled with care during storage, transportation and warehousing. Reusable packaging offers a variety of benefits, including easy cleaning, allergen management, detectability, color coding, labeling and traceability.

Many food processors and

Justin Hermsen is national account manager for ORBIS Corporation.

Warapatr_s / iStock / Getty Images Plus

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replaced wood with plastic. More suppliers are now switching from average —11 cycles before failure. users are switching to plastic beexpendable packaging—such as Reusable plastic pallets are not only wood pallets and corrugated fiber durable, but are also available in cause wood pallets cannot always boxes—to plastic packaging for meet the same level of performance hygienic designs, which allow for sanitary reasons proper cleaning and can and consistency due and to avoid effito the material’s inher- help minimize the risk of food and beverage ciency roadblocks. ent ability to absorb contamination before For example, a and retain moisture MORE THAN it’s too late. dairy manufacand odor. Used wood Hygienic plastic pallets are often turer made the pallets, for example, are shared or repurposed, switch to plastic so it’s difficult to know made of nonporous material that pallets because cannot absorb moisture, odor or what has permeated shavings, splinters mold, and they don’t have cavities and other residue CYCLES WITHOUT into them in previous or hollow areas for water to collect. cycles. from wood pallets FAILURE They’re easy to clean and dry, Wood and plastic required them to Virginia Tech Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design and their contoured surfaces and pallets were recently shut down their corners lower the risk of punctured put to the test at the lines every three goods and cases. These plastic days for cleaning—exhausting four Virginia Tech Center for Packagpallets also are hours of activity each time. Reusing and Unit Load available in a range Design.

It conducted able packaging helps prevent this of sizes, styles and a comparison study residue and is standardized for risk-reducing materithat revealed plastic more fluent movement through pallets completed automated systems. als to accommodate more than 200 most supply chains.

A Peerless Media Group study cycles without Available in custom found that, although more than failure, compared 90% of companies still use wood CYCLES BEFORE colors, these pallets with wood pallets provide a more pallets in some form, 37% use plasFAILURE that completed—on visual way to store tic, and some have almost entirely

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COVER STORY

continued

Management Best Practices for Reusable Packaging

ORBIS CORPORATION

ORBIS CORPORATION

To best ensure a clean container or pallet, it is crucial to have a process to track, retrieve, clean, return and inventory reusable packaging.

Reusable packaging management can help ensure reusable packaging is reinserted into the supply chain properly, improving food safety and providing an opportunity for traceability if problems arise in a supply chain.

A reusable packaging program is only as strong as the way it’s managed. Companies have the most success implementing reusable packaging when the program is paired with a dedicated management team. This team may include company decision-makers, as well as third-party resources that specialize in managing reusable packaging and know how to efficiently analyze the data.

Utilizing a third-party management provider also allows companies to avoid burdening their current, already busy workforce, so they can focus on their core business.

Benefits of robust packaging management include: Proper handling that leads to a long service life. The development and implementation of these programs allow for proper handling

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sorn340 / iStock / Getty Images Plus

allergens like eggs and nuts to support allergen control and management. With the FSMA regulations in mind, companies should strongly consider hygienic plastic pallets, if they haven’t already.

and increased product service life.

The protocol helps today’s food and beverage suppliers “keep eyes” on handling and manage the complexities of transporting, tracking and servicing packaging materials.

System efficiencies. Reusable packaging is a catalyst for implementing a lean manufacturing system, where frequent on-demand deliveries, standardized package sizes and efficient packaging processes improve the flow of product and reduce the need for extra storage or warehouse space.

The standard lightweight design of reusable packaging allows product to travel safely and efficiently to its destination.

With dock and driver time at a premium, trailer loading and unloading efficiency is key. A process focused on accurate tracking of empty reusable containers reduces mistakes and creates accountability and trust between shippers and receivers.

Improved asset tracking that provides visibility. Knowing the status of products along the supply chain and where they are located is imperative for operational efficiency within the food and beverage industry. As the technology becomes more common, reusable packaging manufacturers are finding ways to use sensor technology, like RFID or GPS, for improved asset tracking. By tracking packaging

throughout its lifetime, comprehensive data like dwell time, environmental conditions and the like, can be collected for real-time decision-making, preventing spoilage, product damage or supply chain lags.

Analyzing this data leads to well-rounded insights that are often more difficult to gather from one-time-use packaging. Armed with this data, companies can trace whether a product has been diverted—or otherwise tampered with during transportation and storage.

Strong Benefits of Reusable Packaging With Every Use It’s no surprise that cleanliness and the risk of contamination can keep food and beverage suppliers awake at night. But with today’s packaging innovations, keeping your supply chain safe and sanitary is becoming increasingly easier and more efficient.

Reusable packaging has become an essential piece of the supply chain for food and beverage companies looking to gain and keep public trust. This packaging is reliable, cleanable and allows for improved traceability and asset tracking.

Particularly for food and beverage supply chains, reusable packaging can help minimize the risk of contamination and potential financial—and reputational—costs of food recalls. But most importantly, reusable packaging is a reliable method to move product in the supply chain and can provide confidence to today’s consumer that their food will arrive safely.

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11/26/19 3:31 PM

FEATURE

M Th to Tr

BY JAMES CURTIS

SECURING THE FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN:

Multi-party networks make recalls more palatable by enabling everyone in the supply chain network to share relevant information in real time and avoid the devastating effects they can have on their customers, brand and the economy.

ood. You can’t live without it, to identify but tainted food can kill you. the path Food service and restaurant a prodcompanies provide an incredible uct service, fueling and entertaining takes millions of customers every day. from Yet, one misstep in the food supply the first chain can have costly, even deadly, stage in consequences, impacting profits, the supply brand reputations and lives. chain right down to the The CDC estimates 48 million restaurant. The people fall sick, 128,000 are hoscost of not adopting pitalized and 3,000 die annually in systems for tracking the United States due to foodchain of custody is easy borne illness. The financial costs to see: for example, the are staggering, at $93.2 billion E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in annually according to sources.

2018, which In fact, a 2018 was tied to the study estimates FOODBORNE ILLNESS consumption of that a single IN THE UNITED STATES romaine lettuce, outbreak can and the 66 percost up to $1.9 to $2.6 million cent increase in per incident meat and poulPEOPLE FALL SICK across fasttry recalls from food, fast-casu2013 to 2018 as reported by U.S. al, casual-dining Public Interest and fine-dining restaurants. Ac- PEOPLE ARE HOSPITALIZED Research Group (PIRG). cording to FDA The inability commissioner to proactively Frank Yiannas, resolve prob“Today’s food PEOPLE DIE system is amazlems as they CDC arise has caused ing, but it does a lack of trust have one major across U.S. consumers that is hard Achilles heel: A lack of traceability to rebuild, according to the FDA’s and transparency.”

October 21st meeting “A New Era To address this lack of visibility, the food services industry began in- of Smarter Food Safety.” For examstituting chain-of-custody solutions ple, the romaine lettuce outbreak

48 million 128,000 3,000

28

FOOD LOGISTICS | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019

FLOG1119_28-29_ChainCustody.indd 28

resulted in 2018 sales plummeting by more than $136 billion versus 2017, and the implications are still being felt this year.

When a crisis hits, companies must react quickly to determine the source of the outbreak and pull affected product from the supply chain. Without full visibility and traceability, companies are forced to pull all their product in the category, even though only a small fraction may be affected. This leads to massive amounts of waste.

In 2018, significant amounts of food were discarded due to recalls, including all available romaine lettuce, 12.1 million pounds of beef, and 206 million eggs due to salmonella and other concerns.

In each case, the U.S. food system was forced to take reactive actions rather than being proactive, because they didn’t have the proper traceability and transparency capabilities in place across the supply chain. This is because many stakeholders still manage their supply chains and inventory using outdated spreadsheets and manual paper-based processes.

wildpixel / iStock / Getty Images Plus

ACHIEVING TRACEABILITY AND CHAIN OF CUSTODY TO MINIMIZE RISK F

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gradually increasing the lengths of chain-of-custody segments until the sections merge to form a full, secure end-to-end chain.

While it can be difficult to Today, each organization in implement a full chain-of-custody the food supply chain is responsolution, it is possible as long as sible for tracing just one supply the solution supports the many chain link: one upstream and one scenarios found in the food supply downstream. With most of these chain, including serial tracking, lot companies working independently tracking, hybrid tracking, lot splitto trace their piece of the supply chain on paper, emails or through ting, tracking through consolidation spreadsheets, the process is often and deconsolidation, tracking slow with little to no visibility being through blending and discrete mixshared outside ing, hierarchical their four walls.

IoT operations, Yet, in order to and partial chains run an efficient of custody. More and transparent importantly, full ANNUALLY supply chain, chain-of-custody stakeholders systems enable need to share acthe management of a full recall, curate, real-time and allow you to information with PER INCIDENT ACROSS FAST-FOOD, FAST-CASUAL, target just the afall participants.

CASUAL-DINING AND FINE-DINING RESTAURANTS This requires fected product, so CDC each party in the you can minimize supply chain, waste and reduce including the business customcustomer concerns and impact. work platforms in conjunction with With a fine-grained, state-based, new technologies like sensors, IoT er, stores, distribution centers, and distinct permission-based and AI. For example, ridesharing processing facilities, importers/exframework, the chain-of-custody services like Uber, e-commerce porters, transportation companies, solution can ensure confidentiality marketplaces like Amazon, and hopacking houses and farms, to share for owners, possessors, recallers, data on a single network platform. tel services such as A‌i‌r‌b‌n‌b‌, all have By having a network designed seen exponential growth with these QA, customs and other parties that for multi-party, many-to-many types of technologies. Companies in need to be involved in the recall.

Foodborne illnesses are expenprocesses, and enabling the sharing the food supply chain are following of data in a single instance with the suit and seeking to adopt these sive, with an annual cost of over ability to view and modify it based multi-party solutions into their $90 billion according to sources. on permissions, every stakeholder supply chains to ensure end-to-end For a single restaurant the costs can can see the piece of information chain of custody. exceed $1 to $2 million dollars or important to them as it is updated more, a crushing blow for the owner Chain of Custody: in real time. This also enables each and even the brand stakeholders, Creating Visibility person to collaborate with multiple regardless of whether you’re from Farm to Fork stakeholders on a single problem. the supplier or the chef. From a Lastly, network participants have well-known burrito restaurant to For chain-of-custody solutions the capability to enable fully autona fast-food taco chain, and every in the food system to work, the restaurant across the U.S. that had capability must support the realities omous processes at each step in the to throw out (mostly) perfectly of today’s supply chains where supply chain. good romaine lettuce, the examples end-to-end serialization—from raw Sharing real-time data is imperaare everywhere. Multi-party netmaterials to consumers and betive to driving the adoption of, and getting value from, new technoloyond—is often difficult to achieve. works make recalls more palatable by enabling everyone in the supply gies such as Internet of Things (IoT) The best approach is to start with the links that can be controlled and chain network to share relevant and artificial intelligence (AI), and implement serialization and chain information in real time and avoid creating a safer more transparent of custody there. Once established, the devastating effects they can food system. For example, these transparency and traceability have on their customers, brand and autonomous processes allow a can be implemented link by link, the economy. single person to do the work of what once took 60. This capability is enabled by an exception-based system, which uses AI to monitor and resolve problems, and only passes on to a human what it cannot fix autonomously. This relieves the burden on supply chain managers so they can prioritize and address only those problems which will have the most impact on the supply chain.

Looking beyond the food supply chain, other industries have seen huge success from adopting net-

FINANCIAL COST

$93.2 billion $1.9 to $2.6 million

wildpixel / iStock / Getty Images Plus

s

Multi-party Networks: The Missing Link to Traceability and Transparency

www.foodlogistics.com

FLOG1119_28-29_ChainCustody.indd 29

7 CO

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OV D CU James Curtis is an experienced supply chain professional and a lead foodservice expert at One Network Enterprises, provider of an AI-enabled business network platform. He advises large enterprises in the Restaurant Industry as well as within Grocery and Consumer Goods, on how to enable all trading partners to manage, optimize and automate complex business processes in real time.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | FOOD LOGISTICS

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11/26/19 3:35 PM

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FL100+ AWARDS

BY EDITORIAL STAFF

FOOD LOGISTICS HONORS

TOP SOFTWARE & TECH PROVIDERS OF 2019

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ach year, Food Logistics showcases software and technology companies that are leading the food and beverage industry in innovations. Their solutions and services provide companies the opportunity to improve productivity and gain efficiencies within their enterprise.

Now in its 16th year, the FL100+ features software and technology companies that specialize in products designed to address the unique challenges of the food and beverage supply chain. This list offers an inside look at companies whose products and services ensure efficient transportation and warehousing, minimize operational waste, facilitate safe operations and assure regulatory compliance.

The list below is just a few of the standout companies.

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3GTMS Website: www.3gtms.com Year Founded: 2013 Number of Employees: 100 Number of Food/Bev Customers: 10 Solution Brand Name(s): 3G-TM Worth Noting: The 3Gtms Visibility Platform is a single point solution that provides full visibility into the flow of data and the tools to act on that data. Visibility has traditionally been expensive and challenging for companies because of different data sources, languages, relationships and internal/external systems to manage. The 3Gtms Visibility Platform solves this by gathering data from internal and external sources, integrating and interpreting the data, and giving customers the ability to automate exceptions and respond faster to service disruptions; provide better carrier management; improve control of trading partners and more.

6 RIVER SYSTEMS Website: www.6river.com Year Founded: 2015 Number of Employees: 135

30

Number of Food/Bev Customers: 8 Solution Brand Name(s): Chuck, Mobile Sort Worth Noting: 6 River Systems’ software is unique for the fulfillment automation industry.

The company has built a cloud-based solution leveraging proprietary technology and Google Cloud. 6 Rivers uses cloud software to power its robots, making it easy to continually optimize its performance. Through the back end, the company can provide its customers with greater visibility into labor management and efficiency opportunities. They’ve added algorithms in the system that manage replenishment, congestion, minimize walking and reduce errors. 6RS integrates seamlessly with existing infrastructure and surrounds and enhances a customer’s warehouse execution software (WES) and warehouse management software (WMS).

7PSOLUTIONS Website: www.7Pgps.com Year Founded: 2010 Number of Employees: 40 Number of Food/Bev Customers: Unknown Solution Brand Name(s): RouteWatch Worth Noting: 7PSolutions provides real-time GPS tracking and monitoring solutions that provide location accuracy within 2 meters

FOOD LOGISTICS | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019

FLOG1119_30-43_AwardFL100.indd 30

of the actual location without restricting the amount of data being used or the number of users on the platform. The company provides a variety of products that allow customers to manage their supply chains under a single platform. This includes covert devices for vehicle monitoring, including climate-controlled vehicles as well as climate-controlled facilities.

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Website: www.americold.com Year Founded: 1903 Number of Employees: 13,000 Number of Food/Bev Customers: 2,500 Solution Brand Name(s): i-3PL Worth Noting: Americold’s i-3PL is its data, analytics and apps platform, viewed as a single-source supply chain management tool for its customers. The solution abstracts the complexity of 179 warehouses, over 2,500 customers and 5,000 carriers to provide a simple user experience. It provides insights for major supply chain and warehousing data.

The company’s application ecosystem drives consistency in its processes all across the board, which is critical to Americold’s small- to medium-sized customers who rely on the technology to order inventory for their end customers.

www.foodlogistics.com

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6 River Systems

6river.com

7PSolutions

7Pgps.com

Access Control Group ACT Operations Research Americold Aranet / SAF Archerhub ARMADA Blue Link Associates Limited BlueGrace Logistics

theaccessway.com

americold.com aranet.com

CaseStack, a Hub Group Company

cimcorp.com

Cooltrax Crown Equipment Corporation Davanti Warehousing BV Deacom, Inc. Demand Management, Inc. Dockflow

emerson.com envistacorp.com

Other

Wireless Technology

Warehouse Management System

Transportation Management System

Systems Integration

Supply Chain Management

Routing and Scheduling

Radio Frequency Identification

Predictive Analysis

Mobile Technology

Load Planning

Internet of Things (IoT)

Inventory Control

Global Trade Management

Freight Payment

FinTech

Enterprise Resource Planning

Demand Management

Data Synchronization

Customer Relationship Management

Barcode Systems

Yard Management

•

Real-Time GPS Tracking and monitoring

•

Supply Chain Optimization and Solution Design

• •

• • • • Asset-Based Digital Freight Marketplace

• •

•

• • •

• • •

• • • • •

•

• •

•

•

• • •

•

•

•

•

• •

•

• •

• • • •

• •

•

•

•

• Backhaul Optimization, Activity-Based Driver Payroll

• •

•

• •

• • •

•

•

• •

•

• •

•

•

• •

•

Food Safety Technology

•

•

•

Operations, Audits, Checklists, Assessments

•

• •

•

Cold Chain Visibility

•

• • •

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

Forklift Fleet and Operator Management

• •

•

• •

•

• • • •

• •

•

•

• •

• •

•

• •

• • •

Track & Trace

• • • • • •

• • • • • • •

• •

•

•

•

•

•

•

• • • •

•

esker.com

•

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

• •

• • •

•

•

• • • • • •

•

•

evssw.com

•

• •

•

• •

• •

• •

•

• •

•

• •

• •

• •

fascor.com

•

•

•

•

Workforce Management

•

•

• •

•

ftni.com

• •

•

•

mobileconductor.com

•

FLOG1119_30-43_AwardFL100.indd 31

• •

•

dockflow.com

Emerson

www.foodlogistics.com

• •

•

•

•

demandsolutions.com

elemica.com

Financial Transmission Network Inc.

• •

deacom.com

Elemica

FASCOR Inc.

•

•

coraxsaaswms.com

epg.com

ExtenData

• • •

cooltrax.com

echo.com

EVS

•

•

controlant.com

Echo Global Logistics

Esker, Inc.

•

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

cmx1.com

Ehrhardt Partner Group (EPG)

enVista

• •

•

•

compliancemate.com

crown.com

•

•

• •

casestack.com cassinfo.com

Controlant

•

cardlog.com

Cimcorp Automation Ltd.

CMX (ComplianceMetrix)

•

bluegrace.com

Cass Information Systems, Inc.

CM Systems LLC

•

armada.net

prospero.com

• • • •

•

bluelinkerp.com

CAMS Software

•

•

archerhub.com

c3solutions.com

Cardinal Logistics Management

•

act-operationsresearch.com

C3 Solutions

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Automated Handling Solutions

2019

•

Payment Processing Software and Integrated Receivables Solutions.

Integrated Receivables Solutions encompass the acceptance, processing and posting of any payment method (checks, ACH, credit/debit card, cash) from any payment channel (mailed-in, lockbox, called-in, in-person, online, mobile) – all from a single, cloud-based platform.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | FOOD LOGISTICS

31

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•

•

Fleet Advantage

fleetadvantage.com

Foods Connected

foodsconnected.com

• • •

Freightflow

freightflow.co

•

•

• • •

• • • •

GlobalTranz

globaltranz.com

•

•

• • •

• • • • • •

Globe Tracker. APS

globetracker.com

HAVI Group LP HighJump Highway 905

•

•

• •

infratab.com

Lightning Technologies Inc LLamasoft, Inc.

LoadDelivered Logistics Locus

• • • • •

• • • • • • • • •

• • • •

jda.com

•

•

• •

•

•

• •

•

•

lightningtechnologies.com

•

• •

• • • •

• •

•

logistixsolutions.com

Lucas Systems Inc

lucasware.com

• •

made4net.us

• •

•

• •

•

• •

• Supply Chain Design, Network Optimization, Inventory Optimization, Vehicle Route Optimization and Design, Demand Modeling

•

•

• • •

•

•

•

•

•

•

• •

•

mintecglobal.com

• •

•

•

•

• •

Work Execution, Warehouse Execution, Voice Directed Applications

•

•

Mintec

•

•

•

•

•

Procurement and RFP Management

•

• •

•

MercuryGate

•

•

•

•

•

•

• •

Claim Management - Cargo and Vendor

•

foodfreshnesscard.com

Shelf Life Extension

•

necs.com

Northlake Partners

thenlp.com

Nulogy Corporation

nulogy.com

•

•

•

• • •

•

• •

• •

Omnichain™

omnichains.com

• • •

•

•

• •

One Network Enterprises

onenetwork.com

• •

32

•

• • • •

•

•

mercurygate.com

nicelabel.com

Other

• • •

• •

•

lytx.com

Open Sky Group

•

• •

logility.com

Logistix Solutions

NiceLabel

• •

• •

• •

• • •

• •

•

loaddelivered.com

Logistics Reply

NECS, Inc., entree software

•

•

• •

reply.com/lea-reply/en

Natures Natural Solutions LLC

Quality Intelligence Solutions

llamasoft.com

logisticallabs.com

made4net

Food Safety Process Control

•

•

•

• •

•

Track and Trace, Last Mile Delivery Solution, Reverse Logistics Solution, Service and Repair Management, Vendor Managed Inventory, Vendor Direct, Cross Docking System, Supply Chain Analytics

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

lettucebox.com

Logistical Labs

Lytx

•

•

• • •

•

locus.sh

Logility, Inc.

Supply Chain Collaboration Platform

•

•

logisticdynamics.com

Lettuce Box, Inc.

•

• • •

•

•

interlinktech.com

kuebix.com

LDI

Quality Control Management

•

•

gojarrett.com

Kuebix

•

idsfoodsafety.com

Infratab, Inc.

JDA Software

• •

highway905.com

infinityqs.com

Jarrett

•

•

•

highjump.com

InfinityQS International, Inc.

Interlink Technologies

Asset Management, Finance Solutions

•

havi.com

•

iFood Decision Sciences

Yard Management

Wireless Technology

Warehouse Management System

Transportation Management System

Systems Integration

Supply Chain Management

Routing and Scheduling

Radio Frequency Identification

Predictive Analysis

Mobile Technology

Load Planning

Internet of Things (IoT)

Inventory Control

Global Trade Management

Freight Payment

FinTech

Enterprise Resource Planning

Demand Management

Data Synchronization

Customer Relationship Management

2019

Barcode Systems

continued Automated Handling Solutions

FL100+ AWARDS

openskygroup.com

FOOD LOGISTICS | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019

• •

• • • • • • • •

•

• • • • •

•

• • • •

• www.foodlogistics.com

OPTIMIZE YOUR FLEET ROUTING

ns

• Efficiently plan and execute daily routes

• More easily balance route efficiency with customer service

• Quickly create and compare multiple route plans

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DISPATCHING • Track assets and communicate in near real-time

• Configure trip management and proof of delivery applications to fit your unique business • Quickly access data with easy-to-use interfaces

nd

COMPLIANCE

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• Eliminate manual errors with electronic hours of service and vehicle inspection reporting

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• Automatically log distance traveled by jurisdiction for streamlined International Fuel Tax reporting

Learn more at omnitracs.com or call 800.348.7227. ©2019 Omnitracs, LLC. All rights reserved.

FLOG1119_30-43_AwardFL100.indd 33

11/27/19 10:34 AM

Opus9 ORBCOMM Inc.

Park City Group PINC Plug Power

ProCat Distribution Technologies QAD

plugpower.com

• • •

• •

Railinc

railinc.com

•

•

•

•

•

•

• •

•

• •

ryder.com

sflcompanies.com

SSI SCHAEFER

Testo North America The Raymond Corporation Transflo by Pegasus Transtech TranSolutions LLC Transportation Insight TraQtion Trimble MAPS Trimble Transportation UNEX Manufacturing UNIVERSAL CHAIN INC.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

•

• •

• •

• •

• •

•

• • •

• • • •

Safety Management, Quality Management

•

Business Intelligence / Decision Support

• •

•

Video-based Safety Solution, Theft Protection

•

Robotic Gripper, Packing Solutions

•

teklynx.com

•

•

• •

•

• • • • • •

•

•

•

•

•

• •

•

•

•

• • • • • •

• • •

• • • • • • • • • • • •

testo.com

• • • •

•

• •

• • • •

• •

• •

• • •

• • • •

• • •

• • • • •

•

transolutionsinc.com

Claim Management - Cargo and Vendor

• •

transportationinsight.com traqtion.com

•

• • •

maps.trimble.com transportation.trimble. com

Other

Yard Management

Wireless Technology

Warehouse Management System

Transportation Management System

Systems Integration

Compliance Mangement, MarketPlace for Compliant Suppliers

•

•

unex.com uchaininc.com

FOOD LOGISTICS | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019

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• •

•

• •

•

transflo.com

• •

• • • • •

•

•

raymondcorp.com

•

• • • •

• • • • •

wamas.com

tgiltd.com

TEKLYNX

•

softroboticsinc.com

symphonyretailai.com

• • •

•

smartdrive.net

Symphony RetailAI

• •

Visibility and Location of Shipments, Expected Arrival Times of Shipments, Track & Trace, Shipment Tracking and Equipment Tracking

•

silvon.com

Technology Group International

•

•

•

smgsafety.com

sheerlogistics.com

Soft Robotics

Supply Chain Management

Recovery Audit and Contract Compliance

.rfgen.com/

SFL Companies

SmartDrive Systems, Inc.

• Forklift Fuel Cell Power

repositrak.com

Sheer Logistics Silvon Software, Inc

•

• •

•

Safeway Management Group, Inc.

Routing and Scheduling

•

•

Lot Tracing

•

qad.com

Ryder System, Inc.

• • • • • • •

• •

procatdt.com

radley.com

RFgen Software, a division of DataMAX Software Group, Inc.

Radio Frequency Identification

• • •

prgx.com

Radley Corporation

REPOSITRAK

Predictive Analysis

Mobile Technology

Load Planning

Internet of Things (IoT)

•

•

pinc.com

PRGX Global, Inc

• • •

• •

repositrak.com

Inventory Control

Global Trade Management

Freight Payment

FinTech

Enterprise Resource Planning

Demand Management

Data Synchronization

•

orbcomm.com parityfactory.com

•

•

opus9.com

ParityFactory, LLC

34

Customer Relationship Management

2019

Barcode Systems

continued Automated Handling Solutions

FL100+ AWARDS

• •

Supply Chain Analytics Compliance Management, Audit Management, Quality Management

• •

• • • • • • • •

•

• • •

• • • Order Picking Solutions, Warehouse Space Optimization Solutions

• •

www.foodlogistics.com

11/27/19 10:34 AM

s, ts, nd

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integrated global supply chain innovation Integrated Supply Chain Solutions Transportation Management

Advancing progress, unlocking a greater potential.

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At DSC Logistics, we provide dynamic supply

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m

FLOG1119_30-43_AwardFL100.indd 35

11/27/19 10:34 AM

FL100+ AWARDS

continued

ARMADA Website: www.armada.net Year Founded: 1890 Number of Employees: 550 Number of Food/Bev Customers: 330 Solution Brand Name(s): ARMADA, 24TRACC

Worth Noting: For many companies, supply chain visibility is a primary challenge that is further exacerbated by the prevailing lack of data quality across all supply chains. Armada addresses this issue through the use of custom data quality software. The solution relies

on AI and machine learning techniques to suggest data anomalies and ultimately learn when data is incorrect. Once an issue has been identified, business rules and matching algorithms permit the automated correction of data before it even enters Armada’s systems.

CAMS SOFTWARE

Never stop evolving.

It’s time to future-proof logistics.

Trimble Transportation exists for one purpose: To make the movement of freight and goods all throughout the supply chain safer and more efficient than ever before. For today, tomorrow and the years to come.

Take it from our real customers. To maximize the performance of your business, you should never stop evolving. And with Trimble, you never will. See how we’re helping businesses evolve at transportation.trimble.com/evolve.

“If you’re doing it the same way you were five years ago, you’re doing it wrong.”

Website: www.prospero.com Year Founded: 1997 Number of Employees: 30 Number of Food/Bev Customers: 125 Solution Brand Name(s): Prospero Outbound, Prospero Inbound, Prospero Mobi Worth Noting: CAMS Software has been servicing the needs of grocery transportation departments for 20 years. Its products are designed from the ground-up to meet the demanding and specific requirements of large-scale grocery distribution. From routing all the way to activity-based driver payroll, the company continues to be a trusted member in grocery transportation.

CASS INFORMATION SYSTEMS INC. Website: www.cassinfo.com Year Founded: 1906 Number of Employees: 1,035 Number of Food/Bev Customers: 25 Solution Brand Name(s): Freight audit, payment and business intelligence services Worth Noting: Cass Information Systems continues to be a leading provider of freight audit, payment and business intelligence services. The company understands the complex needs of its customers’ critical transportation and accounting processes. It provides customized business intelligence solutions that help create a competitive advantage through reduced costs, increased efficiency and better decision-making capability. Cass brings the most advanced technology and systems in the industry, as well as the most experienced staff to address customer-specific requirements. By performing an in-depth analysis of a company’s needs, Cass enhances freight processing systems and maximizes supply chain efficiency.

- Robert Hoehler Schwerman Trucking

36

FOOD LOGISTICS | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019

FLOG1119_30-43_AwardFL100.indd 36

www.foodlogistics.com

11/27/19 10:34 AM

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CIMCORP AUTOMATION LTD. Website: www.cimcorp.com Year Founded: 1975 Number of Employees: 400 Number of Food/Bev Customers: 100 Solution Brand Name(s): Cimcorp 3D Shuttle, Cimcorp Layer Pick, Cimcorp MultiPick Worth Noting: Cimcorp’s layer pick system defies the odds of products being too fragile for automated picking. The system uses a specialized vacuum and clamp gripper that can pick and place virtually any product using variable force and vacuum strength based on the SKU being handled. Cimcorp began using the technology in the beverage industry and has since enhanced the tool to handle anything from standard corrugated cases to shrink-wrapped products, bottles, tubs and open trays.

chain data in a way that facilitates proactive intervention in order to prevent product waste.

It is service-based and scalable. Other data loggers must be purchased and managed by food enterprises. The company’s subscription-based services enable customers to lease data loggers, gain on-demand access to its web-enabled cloud platform to view all active

and historical shipment data, and access a variety of managed and professional services. In addition, Controlant’s solution collects critical supply chain data, covering lanes and points of interest. The data can be shared and leveraged by stakeholders to mitigate risk and drive continuous improvement across the supply chain.

PASSIVELY POWERFUL HOW PASSIVE TEMPERATURE PROTECTION IS THE REAL COST SAVINGS WINNER ACROSS THE SUPPLY CHAIN

CM SYSTEMS LLC Website: www.compliancemate.com Year Founded: 2015 Number of Employees: 49 Number of Food/Bev Customers: 3,000 Solution Brand Name(s): ComplianceMate Worth Noting: ComplianceMate is the first eHACCP company utilizing LoRa for transmission of temperature and food safety data. Continuous monitoring with wireless temperature sensors and automated alerts can let users know when temperatures are out of range, so any problem can be fixed to protect inventory, the brand and the consumer. LoRa-based sensors can penetrate walls and buildings to a distance that Bluetooth and Wi-Fi cannot. In addition, the sensors are more energy efficient, lasting longer and using smaller batteries. Sensors can be constructed in smaller sizes for use in food storage units for continuous monitoring.

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CONTROLANT Website: www.controlant.com Year Founded: 2007 Number of Employees: 50 Number of Food/Bev Customers: 20 Solution Brand Name(s): Controlant—Supply Chain Monitoring Solution, Facility Monitoring Solution Worth Noting: Controlant’s solution delivers real-time visibility over the endto-end cold chain. Most data loggers are single-use and don’t provide critical supply

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Viking Cold Solutions

velocitialliance.com

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voxware.com

Werner Enterprises/ Werner Logistics

Werner.com

Westfalia Technologies, Inc.

westfaliausa.com

WithoutWire Inventory Sciences

withoutwire.com

Yale Materials Handling Corporation

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EHRHARDT PARTNER GROUP Website: www.epg.com Year Founded: 1987 Number of Employees: 500 Number of Food/Bev Customers: 200 Solution Brand Name(s): LFS, Lydia Voice Worth Noting: Ehrhardt Partner Group’s Lydia Voice 8 is the first industry voice solution to leverage deep neural networks. The technology

Other

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Voice Management Solutions, Augmented Reality

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Transportation Management System

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Systems Integration

Supply Chain Management

Routing and Scheduling

Radio Frequency Identification

Predictive Analysis

Mobile Technology

Load Planning

Internet of Things (IoT)

Inventory Control

Global Trade Management

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bt9-tech.com

®

Freight Payment

FinTech

Enterprise Resource Planning

Demand Management

Data Synchronization

•

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workwave.com

Xsense

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vikingcold.com

Voxware, Inc.

WorkWave

Customer Relationship Management

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vai.net

Velociti Alliance North America, Inc.

Barcode Systems

2019

VAI

pro sou tom and

continued

Automated Handling Solutions

FL100+ AWARDS

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Environmental Conditions Monitoring

provides a 25% increase in voice recognition accuracy and eliminates the need for voice template training. By eliminating the need for traditional voice recognition training, picking is faster and more efficient.

Meanwhile, LFS provides functionality that streamlines supply chain operations, reduces errors, improves picks and increases transparency.

Capable of handling up to 1 billion picks per day in a single warehouse, the solution can be implemented in a variety of operations and provides unique user customization for flexibility and independence.

ELEMICA

Transform your supply chain with Dynamics TMS®. Leverage easy to use tools to rate shop, load planning & optimization, dispatching, freight bidding, automated dock scheduling, settlement and more. A powerful platform that enables digital connectivity and real time information to reduce costs, improve efficiencies, and increase customer service.

Next Generation Logistics, Inc. 1611 Colonial Parkway Inverness, IL 60067 US NGLSales@nextgeneration.com

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Website: www.elemica.com Year Founded: 2000 Number of Employees: 200 Number of Food/Bev Customers: 25 Solution Brand Name(s): Elemica Buy, Elemica Sell, Elemica Quality, Elemica Move, Elemica See and Elemica Digital Supply Network Worth Noting: The Elemica Digital Supply Network for Process Industries gives food and beverage and other FDA clients control over their global supply chains while supporting the security, auditing, storing and archiving needs of 21 CFR Part 11 compliance. The Elemica Platform and the company’s supply chain applications provide information, leveraging a predictive reality check on delivery between business partners and suppliers by removing transactional barriers for faster process automation and lower cost of operations. Elemica automates

www.foodlogistics.com

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processes for suppliers, customers, sourcing and logistics, driving bottom-line results, increased productivity and optimized working capital.

FINANCIAL TRANSMISSION NETWORK INC. Website: www.ftni.com Year Founded: 2007 Number of Employees: 22 Number of Food/Bev Customers: 41 Solution Brand Name(s): ETran Integrated Receivables Platform Worth Noting: FTNI’s integrated receivables platform ETran, helps companies accept, process and post any payment method on a single, secure, cloud-based system. The platform is used by over 40 distribution companies across the United States and Canada.

ETran automates A/R processes and workflows all while helping distributors accelerate exception handling, decrease DSO and increase cash flow.

INFRATAB Website: www.infratab.com Year Founded: 2002 Number of Employees: 25 Number of Food/Bev Customers: 100 Solution Brand Name(s): Infratab Freshtime RF-sensor Solutions, Infratab Freshtime Go, Infratab Freshtime Mobile, Infratab Freshtime Tag, Infratab Freshtime Cloud, Infratab Freshtime JumpStart, Infratab Freshtime Platform as a Service Worth Noting: Infratab’s Freshtime system provides users with data on shelf-life used and remaining of monitored products, along with chain of custody data, in an unalterable blockchain database. Freshtime requires no proprietary hardware, with inexpensive, reusable RFID tags programmed via the owner’s PC. Tags can be read by smartphones using the Freshtime app.

INTERLINK TECHNOLOGIES Website: www.interlinktech.com Year Founded: 1986 Number of Employees: N/A Number of Food/Bev Customers: 40% Solution Brand Name(s): Warehouse-LINK Worth Noting: Interlink has a rep-

www.foodlogistics.com

FLOG1119_30-43_AwardFL100.indd 39

utation for excellent customer service and software integrity and innovation. Warehouse-LINK is android compatible and accessible on virtually any mobile device—cell phone, tablet, laptop, desktop or traditional, rugged warehouse devices. Interlink’s server approach is an on-premise, client-server utilizing a DB2 or SQL database. Warehouse-LINK integrates with ERP systems as well as automated material handling equipment, such as pick-to-light, conveyors, scales and more.

LIGHTNING TECHNOLOGIES INC. Website: www.lightningtechnologies.com Year Founded: 2015 Number of Employees: 55 Number of Food/Bev Customers: 5 Solution Brand Name(s): Lightning Technologies Worth Noting: Lightning Technologies’ BLE Lightning Intelligent Modules embedded in its stateof-the-art logistics pallets provide clients with data that is critical in the selection of shipment locations and shelf-life management. The pallets help extend shelf life as well as prevent product damage all while maintaining product quality. Lightning recently partnered with Microban’s embedded antimicrobial and anti-fungal additives, allowing the BLE LIM’s to assist in food recall tracking and minimization as well.

TRANSOLUTIONS LLC Website: www.transolutionsinc.com Year Founded: 1997 Number of Employees: 13 Number of Food/Bev Customers: 25 Solution Brand Name(s): myEZClaim Worth Noting: Transolutions LLC has created a QuickClaim tool that allows companies to provide a link to its customers or users in the field. This tool allows the customer to quickly enter relevant shipment information and reference numbers, along with

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FL100+ AWARDS

continued

documents and images. This provides instant visibility of the claim opportunity to be shared within the company and their carriers. Status updates on the claim are also recreated as well.

modifications” approach and refines processes as part of every project, matching processes to the software and not the other way around.

Because of this, clients see more benefits.

OPEN SKY GROUP

OPTRICITY

Website: www.openskygroup.com Year Founded: 2013 Number of Employees: 54 Number of Food/Bev Customers: 23 Solution Brand Name(s): Gold implementation partner and reseller of JDA supply chain platform Worth Noting: Open Sky Group is a global specialist for JDA Warehouse, Labor, Workforce and Transportation Management System software. The company’s greatest differentiator is its ability to rapidly implement software, resulting in clients experiencing quicker installation, reduced modifications and faster return on investment. Open Sky Group’s proprietary methodology uses a combination of agile principles and processes in a disciplined manner.

It’s an iterative and operational approach to software implementations, which reduces costs. The company strongly supports a “no

Website: www.optricity.com Year Founded: 2005 Number of Employees: 19 Number of Food/Bev Customers: 34 Solution Brand Name(s): OptiSlot DC, Moves Conductor, @Ease Warehouse Technologies Worth Noting: Optricity’s slotting optimization solutions are designed with the most intricate initiatives in mind. With over a third of its clients in the food and beverage industry, it has been essential for the company to watch and evolve its solutions to meet the needs of the fast-paced and ever-changing industry requirements for success. In just the last few versions of OptiSlot DC, the company has incorporated over 14 major functionality enhancements, as well as many minor software enhancements, driven by what the clients are seeing, needing, imagining and requiring.

“...and the winner is (again)...” reports how much shelf life has been Infratab Freshtime™, the awardwinning RF sensor blockchain solution used and how much remains in realfor perishables, predicts, records, and time. Find out more at infratab.com.

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PROCAT DISTRIBUTION TECHNOLOGIES Website: www.procatdt.com Year Founded: 2001 Number of Employees: 18 Number of Food/Bev Customers: 175 Solution Brand Name(s): PickRight, ReceiveRight, LoadRight, ShipRight, ReturnRight, CountRight, StockRight, CodeRight, TaxRight Worth Noting: ProCat Distribution Technologies provides scanning-based software solutions to over 200 distribution centers across the United States. The ProCat suite of solutions will enhance any distribution company’s business software, meaning that companies can get the benefit of robust technology solutions without having to change their existing software.

ProCat solutions supplement receiving, cycle counting, put away and replenishment, order picking and truck loading, while being easy to learn and use. ProCat has the solutions that distribution centers need to increase accuracy and productivity in their operations.

RAILINC Website: www.railinc.com Year Founded: 1999 Number of Employees: 243 Number of Food/Bev Customers: 20 Solution Brand Name(s): RailSight Track and Trace, RailSight Monitor, RailSight Demand Trace, RailSight Messaging, RailSight Reporting and Analytics Worth Noting: Railinc’s single-source portal to rail data provides food shippers with full supply chain visibility. The RailSight™ suite of applications is built on a highly flexible technical platform that integrates with systems from legacy to application programming interfaces.

Shippers can choose from an unmatched depth and breadth of data that have deep industry connection and advanced IT infrastructure.

Railinc is uniquely positioned to reduce delays and reduce high costs associated with manual and outdated systems/processes.

RFGEN SOFTWARE, A DIVISION OF DATAMAX SOFTWARE GROUP INC. Website: www.rfgen.com Year Founded: 1983 Number of Employees: 50 Number of Food/Bev Customers: 100-200 Solution Brand Name(s): RFgen, RFgen Mobile Unity Platform, RFgen Mobile Devel-

www.foodlogistics.com

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T M I O T

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t

THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY TIME AT MODEX IS SEEING THE ARRAY OF EXCITING NEW TECHNOLOGIES. RANDY V. BRADLEY Associate Professor of IS and Supply Chain Management at University of Tennessee

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FL100+ AWARDS

continued

opment Studio, RFgen Mobile Foundations Worth Noting: RFgen is known for putting its customers first, providing the only fully guided implementation experience in the business.

By combining its expert supply chain and ERP knowledge with the Mobile Unity Platform and mobile hardware, the company is able to provide a uniquely powerful, flexible ecosystem to help solve the challenges of today, tomorrow and the 21st century. By using RFgen, food companies can receive the benefits of digital process automation and costly WMS software without the complexity or expense, while also extending that functionality with food traceability and mobility.

Companies that implement RFgen mobility can create traceability paths of ultra-high-quality data at 99.9% accuracy or more using real-time, up-to-date information across the enterprise.

SSI SCHAEFER Website: www.wamas.com Year Founded: 1937 Number of Employees: 10,000 Number of Food/Bev Customers: 1,000

42

Solution Brand Name(s): WAMAS Worth Noting: SSI SCHAEFER is an experienced and leading material handling and automation company, positioning it as a leader in warehouse management software. WAMAS is built on decades of use from some of the largest retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers in the business. The ease of scalability with different modules make WAMAS a clear choice for midto-large companies that want to scale as needed or add on technology as processes change. The company offers a completely customizable software package that boosts productivity, optimizes labor resources and provides real-time data on key performance indicators.

TECHNOLOGY GROUP INTERNATIONAL Website: www.tgiltd.com Year Founded: 1990 Number of Employees: 34 Number of Food/Bev Customers: 400 Solution Brand Name(s): Enterprise 21 ERP Worth Noting: Technology Group International’s ERP system, Enterprise 21 ERP, is developed, sold, implemented and supported directly by the company. Its U.S.based technical support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. No part of the business is outsourced to third-party companies, providing its own EDI VAN services directly to its customers. Technology Group International believes this “one solution” approach provides its customers with a strong relationship for all their software implementation, software development, training and business process consulting needs.

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TESTO NORTH AMERICA Website: www.testo.com Year Founded: 1957 Number of Employees: 2,700 Number of Food/Bev Customers: 100,000 Solution Brand Name(s): Testo Saveris Restaurant, Testo Saveris Retail Chain Worth Noting: For over 60 years, Testo has developed innovative measuring solutions for the food and pharmaceutical industries. The Testo Saveris platforms have been developed to support companies’ quality management initiatives and protect their brand reputation.

Each solution combines innovative measurement technology with intuitively operated software and individualized services.

THE RAYMOND CORPORATION Website: www.raymondcorp.com Year Founded: 1922 Number of Employees: 1,787 Number of Food/Bev Customers: N/A Solution Brand Name(s): iWAREHOUSE Worth Noting: The iWAREHOUSE fleet management system has expanded to encompass an IoT 4.0 platform to help customers manage warehouse needs. Originally used for tracking vehicle and operator performance, the iWAREHOUSE 4.0 platform enables customers to feed data to or receive data from other warehouse information sources, providing specific and data-driven recommendations to users. With this approach, telematics functionality becomes an integral component of warehouse management. Users of the iWAREHOUSE system have complete visualization of existing fleet and operator data to run better and manage smarter.

TRIMBLE TRANSPORTATION Website: www.transportation.trimble.com Year Founded: 1978 Number of Employees: 1,800 Number of Food/Bev Customers: 35 Solution Brand Name(s): Trimble Worth Noting: Trimble recently debuted its SmartDelivery solution, which combines electronic proof of delivery, routing and fleet mobility technology to help customers provide cost-effective delivery services. Trimble SmartDelivery utilizes single-sign-on capabilities to take drivers from start to finish on their routes. With Trimble SmartDelivery, fleets can achieve enhanced visibility with an end-to-end

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solution that enables fleets and drivers to reach new levels of connectivity and efficiency while reducing delivery costs and increasing accuracy, all through one seamless driver workflow.

VELOCITI ALLIANCE NORTH AMERICA Website: www.velocitialliance.com Year Founded: 2001 Number of Employees: 10 Number of Food/Bev Customers: 22 Solution Brand Name(s): PiecePick, SmokePick, CloudPick, CloudLogic Worth Noting: Velociti Alliance North America has grown by over 50% in the last two years, making it the nation’s fastest growing supplier of distribution center optimization solutions. The company’s software lowers the labor component without sacrificing quality, making the overall flow of product to and from the warehouse more visible.

VIKING COLD SOLUTIONS

VOXWARE INC.

Website: www.vikingcold.com Year Founded: 2011 Number of Employees: 20 Number of Food/Bev Customers: 25 Solution Brand Name(s): Thermal Energy Storage System Worth Noting: Viking Cold Solutions’ thermal energy storage technology not only reduces energy consumption, but also food waste. The technology can maintain stable temperatures up to three times longer than facilities without thermal energy storage during periods without refrigeration. For many larger facilities, this can mean multiple days of backup temperature stability and food preservation. The efficiency of the system allows utilities and power providers to make incentives available that pay for technologies such as Viking Cold Solutions’ software to help customers use less energy and prevent major food losses.

Website: www.voxware.com Year Founded: 1993 Number of Employees: 45 Number of Food/Bev Customers: 26 Solution Brand Name(s): Voxware Voice Management Suite, VoxPilot, Voxware Augmented Reality Worth Noting: Automation in the distribution center will remain a major trend for all industries in the coming years. Companies must invest in technology if they want to remain competitive. Through automation, Voxware is able to increase efficiency and productivity at companies while creating a better overall customer experience. The company’s product offering has evolved, with companies now seeing the real value of voice across the entire distribution center. Most customers are using multi-modal voice solutions for multiple workflows to automate their entire distribution operations. By combining Voxware’s voice technology with its enterprise analytics, the numbers reportedly go through the roof.

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Personalized Service...ALWAYS For over 60 years Romark Logistics has provided best-in-class, third-party logistics services to our customers in the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, healthcare and retail industries around the world.

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Warehousing Distribution Transportation Packaging Real Estate

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SECTOR REPORTS WAREHOUSING

BY BRIAN BEANS

USING HaaS TO SOLVE PROCUREMENT ROADBLOCKS T

Food logistics operators turn to advanced DSD solutions and mobile printers as a game changer for supply chain visibility.

BY BRIAN BEANS

44

oday’s fast-paced food distribution marketplace is a highly competitive industry where logistics operators must balance a growing number of products and SKUs as well as customer demands for tight delivery time frames. These challenges make speed and efficiency along the route vital to success. So, when it comes to documenting deliveries, tracking inventory and serving customers as quickly as possible, advanced direct store delivery (DSD) software paired with mobile printing solutions can be a game changer for enhancing delivery operations and supply chain visibility.

While the globalization of the food supply chain continues to open new markets and opportunities for food suppliers, manufacturers and retailers, it has also increased the complexity of supply chain operations. Combining the power of compact yet rugged mobile printers

FOOD LOGISTICS | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019

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with key software such as DSD, warehouse management systems, or other logistics and management solutions, enables food distributors to keep food products moving both within the warehouse or on the road to delivery.

Key supply chain benefits include: · Enhanced food supply chain visibility by accurately labeling pallets, packages and products with barcodes or auto ID labeling so they can be tracked in real time as they travel from the food producer to the warehouse and on to the customer. This added visibility can help address food safety and food security requirements, help build resilient supply chains, and mitigate supply shortages as well as help reduce food waste or contamination. · Increase warehouse efficiency by saving valuable time and ensuring accurate labeling at every key supply chain juncture, including packing and shipping, picking, receiving

and cross-docking. For example, mobile printing technology makes it possible for warehouse workers to literally jump inside trucks at inbound docks and start relabeling products for store or customer delivery, accelerating that increasingly critical last-mile delivery. · Improve the customer experience and driver productivity by empowering route drivers to quickly and easily update or amend orders in real time and print new, accurate invoices to hand to customers on the spot. This fast, efficient approach saves time for busy customers and drivers alike, increasing satisfaction and loyalty across the board.

Leading With the Right Technology Foundation To maintain a competitive edge, food logistics providers must evaluate the best technology and device solutions needed to support lightning-fast distribution and delivery operations and invest wisely to optimize value. Here are five key criteria to keep top of mind when selecting mobile printing and labeling solutions: · Seamless integration. It’s mission critical to identify mobile printing solutions that integrate easily with key software solutions for DSD, route accounting, warehouse or fleet management. · Ease-of-use. Printers should also be out-of-the-box compatible with any mobile device, and easy to get up and running quickly so they deliver value inside the four walls of the warehouse on the delivery route.

www.foodlogistics.com

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HaaS Offers Advanced Options for Printer Deployment Owning the best, most-current technology for route operations can be a challenge due to cash flow and budget priorities—and businesses large and small are starting to look at Hardware-as-a-Service (HaaS) options to solve their procurement roadblocks.

Operations managers across the supply chain are increasingly interested in HaaS because it offers a better alternative to business as usual and a solution to holding onto older technology longer than they should.

There is no doubt the market landscape will continue to evolve and grow as food producers develop innovative new products to satisfy consumers. In tandem, forward-thinking food and beverage distribution companies can automate route accounting technology to more efficiently manage the distribution of their products, save time in the field, and improve overall business operations. Mobile printing is a critical part of the modern route accounting and direct store delivery toolkit—allowing drivers to quickly and accurately produce invoices, receipts, and other documents in the field and drastically reduce downtime. With the optimum best combination of “supply chain-ready” technologies, food and beverage companies can continue to sharpen their competitive edge.

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Brian Beans is the transportation, logistics, route and direct-store-delivery industry specialist for Brother Mobile Solutions, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Brother International Corporation, providing innovative mobile printing and industrial labeling solutions to field workforces and mobile enterprises.

www.foodlogistics.com

FLOG1119_44-45_WarehouseSR.indd 45

A CASE IN POINT— PEET’S COFFEE ENHANCES DSD OPERATIONS

TO SUPPORT HIGH GROWTH

Since cutting the ribbon on its first coffee shop in 1966, Peet’s Coffee and Tea Company has become a billion-dollar enterprise. The company has a steadily growing network of 250 coffee bars; bottled cold-brewed coffee is widely available in major retail and grocery stores; packaged products are available in 17,000-plus retail outlets with a distribution network for more than 700 routes.

Peet’s Coffee was looking to scale its distribution capabilities and seeking a more robust distribution solution for its supply chain. To address its growing needs, the company enhanced its existing HighJump™ Direct Store Delivery (DSD) systems to provide route drivers and route sales personnel with unrivaled flexibility in taking, submitting and modifying retailer orders on-site during the delivery.

Deployable on laptop, tablet and handheld computers, the solutions are device- and operating system-agnostic, allowing them to work within any computing environment and communicate directly with warehouse systems via landline or wireless.

Key capabilities for Peet’s Coffee included: · Robust route scheduling and management · Easy management of expanding product lines · Seamless management of promotions and special offers · Automatic support for stock and lot tracking · Precision management of recalls and compliance issues.

As a key component of the DSD solution, 900 Brother RuggedJet 4030 mobile printers were deployed. These compact, wireless, rugged mobile printers were an important part of the solution that helped Peet’s improve accuracy, deliver goods faster, reduce shrinkage, manage inventory, serve more customers in a day and improve cash flow.

The RuggedJet enables route drivers to quickly and wirelessly print the documents and labels needed from practically any mobile device, smartphone or tablet.

These compact, rugged and highly advanced mobile thermal printers are designed to withstand the bumps, drops and rough handling that can happen on the road—both indoors and outdoors.

Following the implementation, Mike Clavet, senior manager of operations, noted that their drivers find the DSD and mobile printing solution to be exceptionally reliable and dependable, streamlining delivery operations and generating positive interaction with their end-customers. He added, “Capitalizing on the latest features and functionality of the solution has led to a near-elimination of downtime. The DSD Route Administrator program also contributes strongly to more effective route management as well as the efficient deployment of our field personnel and equipment.”

“Peet’s Coffee & Tea had a clear goal of optimizing on-site delivery operations. Enhanced DSD functionality and mobile printing at the customer’s site has enabled Peet’s to realize the next level of operational efficiency,” added Derek Curtis, VP at HighJump Software.

On the horizon, Peet’s plans to continue to extend the DSD system’s current capabilities and explore future possibilities, including supply chain analytics.

Brothers

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· Versatility. Dual radio Wi-Fi and MFi Bluetooth connectivity ensure workers can always print easily from their iOS or Android devices, whether they’re in a vehicle, warehouse, facility or store—in a dense urban area or on a remote rural road. · Performance. For efficient warehouse operations, they should be able to print a variety of barcode and RFID packaging, shelf, shipping, and other identifying labels quickly, clearly and easily. On the route, mobile printers need top performance to print a variety of delivery receipts, orders or invoices at the point of delivery. · Durability. Printers need to be compact and lightweight enough for workers and drivers to wear or carry all shift long, yet rugged enough to withstand constant use by multiple workers in indoor, outdoor and in-vehicle environments that are often harsh. · Reliability. Highly mobile drivers and workers need long-lasting battery life. Consider batteries that have strong capacity as well as an indicator for battery status.

Printers also need to work for the long haul, so premier two-year limited warranties are a value-add.

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11/26/19 3:49 PM

Just_Super / COMiCZ / metamorworks / iStock / Getty Images Plus

SECTOR REPORTS SOFTWARE & TECHNOLOGY

BY RAM KRISHNAN

COGNITIVE AUTOMATION HAS ARRIVED Cognitive automation can speed the farm-to-fork logistics digital journey.

Ram Krishnan is chief marketing officer for Aera Technology.

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I

forced into the no-win situation t’s a bumpy and unpredictable of absorbing those expenses—or road from farm to fork. Stubborn challenges in food logistics passing them on to consumers. The rising demand for faster delivcan undermine cost-efficiency for ery, the complexity of the supply both food and beverage manufacchain for perishable products and turers and grocery chains—and variables like natural disasters have ultimately sour the consumer compounded these challenges. experience.

Additionally, the Getting food from market is facing point A to B has long Companies don’t new pressures from been an industry fosimply have more consumers hungry cus, and significant products to move for a dizzying variety gains have been and more channels of product variamade. Innovations to service. They tions. In response, such as Internet of have more manufacturer SKU Things (IoT) sensors, volumes are at multi-party collabodata to deal record highs as they ration and dynamic with—information attempt to satisfy route optimization on available appetites for various have yielded notainventory, carrier cost flavors, packaging ble time and cost and capacity, SKU options, organic improvements in variations, production attributes and more. food and beverage schedules, demand Grocery chains transportation. fluctuations and more face transportation Yet excellence factors into the food pressures of their in food logistics is logistics equation. own in a rejuvenata moving target. ed home delivery Today, fast-rising market. The share of U.S consumers transportation costs and stricter who purchased groceries online in a trucking regulations are eating into recent 12-month time frame leaped some of the gains that the industry from 23 percent to 37 percent, has captured. Producers are often

FOOD LOGISTICS | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019

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according to a study by Coresight Research.

The upshot: Companies don’t simply have more products to move and more channels to service. They have more data to deal with—information on available inventory, carrier cost and capacity, SKU variations, production schedules, demand fluctuations and more factors into the food logistics equation.

As that data grows in volume, velocity, and variety, it becomes impossible for food logistics leaders to manage and analyze it to optimize transport. The status quo of disconnected applications, spreadsheets and human number-crunching can’t fulfill the goals of faster, less costly delivery in the face of growing data quantities and complexity.

Using Cognitive Automation as a Data Forklift Robots, forklifts and other equipment have become indispensable to the pick, pack and ship processes in food logistics, augmenting humans at work. Suppose you could apply similar principles of automation to the data that drives logistics and

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ve ey orrrins,

the back-end supply chain?

That’s the promise of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning and, in this case, cognitive automation for food logistics. Machines today are capable of analyzing data and orchestrating processes with far higher speed and precision than is possible with conventional

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applications and human managers.

Here’s how it works: AI operates atop what is called a cloud-based cognitive data layer.

That consists of near real-time information captured from disparate systems spanning ERPs, CRM, distribution, warehouse management and more through thousands of data crawls a day—much in the same way that Google continuously crawls the web to deliver your search results.

The scope of source applications can be broad, ranging from logistics and routing systems to in-truck sensors and back-end applications for forecasting, production, inventory and sales. That ensures end-to-end visibility and is vital to managing and adapting to volatility that occurs anywhere across the value chain.

Once aggregated and enriched, the data is ready for AI. Machine learning algorithms can conduct real-time analysis, recommend optimal actions, and outline options

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with their implications (such as 5% higher cost, 10 hours faster delivery and so forth).

The Emergence of Cognitive Automation Transport capacity. Cognitive automation technology can predict and manage transportation capacity at a highly granular level while virtually eliminating manual work and bestguess decisions. It accounts for the full set of constraints, such as cold chain perishables constraints; availability of trucks, containers and drivers; volume to deliver; and available-to-promise (ATP) delivery schedules.

Transport lead times. Cognitive automation technology monitors and adapts lead times needed due to volumes, wait times by distribution centers, ports, vehicle types or national borders. And because it operates with near real-time data, it can spot disrup-

tions such as highway congestion, equipment failure or a shortage of drivers, offering recommendations to mitigate the impact.

End-to-end supply chain. Cognitive automation technology links logistics to supply chain processes such as manufacturing and inventory. That gives logistics teams early warning of upstream disruptions that could impact downstream delivery. Conversely, it enables supply chain managers to better account for distribution in their processes.

Cognitive Automation Isn’t a Future State— It’s Here Today Cognitive automation is here today, and it’s being used at enterprise scale to help companies realize multi-million-dollar gains in cost savings, new revenue and profitability.

The most successful digital transformation initiatives have several characteristics in common. Practitioners moved quickly to select a

use case, run a pilot project, evaluate results and expand the scope. That speed is possible because AI doesn’t require a rip-and-replace of existing systems. It merely uses the data you already have to help your organization make better decisions.

Another hallmark of success is topdown executive sponsorship for digital transformation initiatives. Making AI and cognitive automation a part of the strategic discussion is essential. So is an organizational culture geared to innovate with emerging technologies and rethink metrics by which logistics performance has traditionally been measured.

As digital-native companies like Amazon—built from the ground up with cutting-edge technologies—enter the food market, cognitive automation’s breakthrough capabilities are a critical ingredient for traditional players to gain a competitive advantage. Those that embrace cognitive automation in logistics will get food to consumer forks faster and at less expense.

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SECTOR REPORTS OCEANS & PORTS

BY MARK RAKHMILEVICH, LIONEL LOUIE

an Ca com

BLOCKCHAIN CONSORTIUM GAINS STEAM IN THE MARITIME SECTOR O

The Global Shipping Business Network (GSBN) is an example of how the digital supply chain is impacting global supply chains.

cean shipping has been steadily growing in recent years. Ocean container carriers have been through major consolidation, vessel operators have been tightly controlling the amount of vessel capacity, and the global economy has been strong.

This doesn’t take into account the increased risk and added uncertainty from geopolitical factors like trade wars and conflict.

Those issues are compounded by additional cost pressures, such as the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO’s) low-sulfur fuel mandate that comes into effect January 1, 2020. The mandate is sure to impact the predictability of far-flung supply chains and shipping rates for customers as well as pressure industry profits.

Key to navigating these challenges is better visibility and real-time

access to information for shippers, ocean carriers, terminal operators and other parties involved with shipping ocean freight. To be able to better plan, gain efficiencies that reduce costs, and reduce the risk of disruptions, they need deeper insight into the shipment cycle and real-time access to a variety of information across the extended inland and maritime transport ecosystems.

That’s a challenge given the sheer number of participants in a single shipment. The exchange of all the required documentation and logistics information is a constant source of significant friction—often leading to delays, disputes, and

significant extra costs for shippers and carriers.

But things are changing.

Oracle has collaborated with a pioneer in this space, CargoSmart, which recently announced a significant milestone in forming the Global Shipping Business Network (GSBN) blockchain consortium.

Nine leading ocean carriers and terminal operators have signed a service agreement with CargoSmart to commit resources to establish a not-for-profit joint venture to accelerate the digital transformation of the shipping industry. The signatories include CMA CGM, COSCO SHIPPING Lines, COSCO Shipping Ports, Hapag Lloyd, OOCL, Hutchison Ports, PSA International, Port of Qingdao, and Shanghai International Port.

A Unified Shipping Information Platform

CargoSmart

Achieving a single source of truth for trusted, real-time sharing of information amongst these parties and any others that join is no small task. But it is one that is being made easier through the use of distributed ledger technology.

To bring such a solution to life for the consortium, collaboration between innovative global shipping

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and logistics solutions provider, CargoSmart, and enterprise cloud company, Oracle, was critical.

“Together, CargoSmart and Oracle have been working on this effort for almost a year. From the outset, the foundation of this approach has been a decentralized, multi-party, fully managed enterprise-grade blockchain network that enables trust, while maintaining confidentiality of the commercial relationships as required by shipping industry regulations,” said Oracle’s Frank Xiong, group vice president for blockchain product development. “Speeding up the deployment of the initial pilot applications based on the platform’s rapid development and integration capabilities, CargoSmart has moved through quick innovation cycles to respond to members’ priorities.”

As a not-for-profit entity (formation subject to regulatory, competition and antitrust approvals), the GSBN emphasizes the importance of collaboration among supply chain stakeholders to transform the shipping industry. CargoSmart believes Oracle’s permissioned blockchain technology would be a perfect fit as a foundation to enable GSBN members to jointly create and deploy their blockchain applications to accelerate the digitization and standardization in the shipping industry.

The intention is to deploy applications on the Oracle blockchain platform that over time enables more efficient documentation exchange, tracking of dangerous goods declarations, and full shipment status tracking to create a baseline of shared data across the industry and help the members improve planning, customer service and more. Using these applications once GSBN is formed, members will be able to securely and confidentially share data between themselves and with their own shipping clients, freight forwarders, and other ecosystem participants under

a strong data management and governance framework.

“The close cooperation between our R&D group and Oracle’s blockchain team has already helped to accelerate the development of some pilot applications. By leveraging Oracle’s enriched technical support and advice, CargoSmart has been able to achieve high levels of operational capability, reduce R&D time, and significantly improve the productivity of its blockchain application developers,” said CargoSmart’s Chief Technology Officer Romney Wong. “Joint co-innovation workshops and shared insights have helped us to extend our technical capabilities and improve service flexibility to provide necessary enhancements to meet the needs of decentralized consortia members for open governance and business confidentiality, while demonstrating how blockchain technology can be adopted in a practical way. We are now jointly fine-tuning the infrastructure and application components to handle tens of millions of shipments annually.

The signatories of the GSBN Services Agreements plan to complete the establishment of the GSBN in early 2020, subject to obtaining all requisite anti-trust, competition and regulatory approvals. Meanwhile, CargoSmart will continue to run pilot applications to prove the viability of the GSBN and demonstrate the high potential value creation through the GSBN. And, Oracle continues to support CargoSmart with a capable blockchain platform for decentralized consortium governance, on-chain mechanisms for business confidentiality, and performance at scale required for tens of millions of shipments that underpin world trade.

ADVERTISER INDEX ADVERTISER ....................................................................................... PAGE Alliance Shippers ............................................................................................... 25 CAMS Software Corporation............................................................................... 7 Cimcorp Automation Ltd. .................................................................................... 5 Controlant .......................................................................................................... 23 DSC Logistics .................................................................................................... 35 Elemica .............................................................................................................. 49 Ford Motor Co. .................................................................................................2-3 FTNI ................................................................................................................... 42 Great Dane Trailers Inc. ..................................................................................... 54 Infratab .............................................................................................................. 40 Interlink Technologies ........................................................................................ 47 Isuzu Truck ........................................................................................................ 27 MercuryGate International Inc. .......................................................................... 10 MODEX 2020 ..................................................................................................... 41 Next Generation Logistics ................................................................................. 38 Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. .......................................................................... 15 omnitracs........................................................................................................... 33 Optricity ............................................................................................................. 11 Q Products and Services................................................................................... 37 Romark Logistics............................................................................................... 43 Schaefer Systems, Inc....................................................................................... 39 Signode ............................................................................................................. 51 Thermo King ...................................................................................................... 21 Trimble Transportation ....................................................................................... 36 Utility Trailers ..................................................................................................... 17 Velociti Alliance North America, Inc................................................................... 13 Viking Cold Solutions, Inc. .................................................................................. 9

Mark Rakhmilevich is senior director, blockchain product management at Oracle. Lionel Louie is chief commercial officer at CargoSmart.

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FOOD (AND MORE) FOR THOUGHT

BY CHRIS CORLEE

SOLID ROI CORLEE

Chris Corlee is a senior pre-sales engineer and TMS integration specialist for ORBCOMM. Corlee has more than 20 years of experience in customer service, dedicated fleets and strategic projects within the transportation industry. Currently, Corlee is responsible for providing technical and pre-sales expertise to ORBCOMM’s broader sales organization to assist with market expansion initiatives for the cold chain portfolio.

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arly adopters of temperature monitoring systems in refrigerated trailers often chose the solutions to meet requirements of shippers and receivers. Increasingly a prerequisite for hauling fresh and frozen food products, real-time visibility into load location and status is a means of ensuring cargo integrity and improving the productivity and efficiency of distribution operations.

More recently, regulatory activity has been the driving force behind the growth in temperature monitoring system use. The U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), in effect since January 2011, introduced a series of stringent new requirements on food transporters for pre-cooling and in-transit temperature monitoring, as well as data collection and recordkeeping. In Canada, the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) came into force in January 2019 with immediate requirements and others being phased in over time based on commodity, type of activity and business size.

To meet all of those needs, carriers are using temperature management technology, with providers regularly enhancing the value of their monitoring system solutions. In particular, telematics systems have enabled interaction with refrigeration units, and door and cargo sensors, to monitor, control and manage several functions.

Beyond monitoring temperatures, for example, refrigerated carriers can use the solutions to schedule refrigeration unit start and run times to reduce unnecessary fuel use. In addition, there is the capability to set refrigeration units to pre-cool trailers in advance

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of loading. Also possible is the use of diagnostics for remote pre-trip inspections and to identify and address any faults that may occur so problems can be addressed and load integrity during transit or in staging areas can be assured.

All of those remote capabilities are enabled through full-function user interfaces.

Integrated with transportation management systems, the temperature monitoring solutions can be accessed on web portals as well as send alerts and notifications based on pre-determined parameters by email or text. Such solutions are now available as mobile apps on handheld devices.

One of the biggest technology advancements for temperature monitoring systems has been the development of communication capabilities. While cellular networks continue to expand, carriers can utilize dual satellite and cell-based systems to connect with vehicles seamlessly across North America.

Coinciding with that ability is the relatively lower cost of data plans, enabling the transfer of more information at more frequent intervals, including minute-by-minute updates.

While telematics devices and temperature monitoring systems require an exceptionally low amount of power, there has been development and increased use of solar charging systems to maintain adequate

battery levels. Those solutions are especially valuable on trailers that are untethered for long periods of time. Within those applications they enable temperature control, access to door and cargo sensors, as well as electronic locks. Track and trace capabilities can manage unit inventories regardless of location.

The key aspect of any temperature monitoring technology is to ensure a controlled atmosphere for refrigerated and frozen loads. The systems are also in use in heated vans to protect sensitive goods, like proteins and pharmaceutical products, from freezing.

In recent years, temperature monitoring systems have proven more valuable as changing supply chain distribution models have increased the use of intermodal trailers and containers. Domestically, for example, there has been a rise in the use of 53-foot refrigerated containers with mode agnostic advanced temperature monitoring systems and asset management (without the need for human intervention) is more easily accomplished.

Temperature monitoring and control are the keys to the safe and compliant transportation of food and other perishable cargo. Leading transportation companies understand the value of investing in reliable real-time monitoring systems for compliance with regulations and for safely delivering goods to customers.

Baloncici / iStock / Getty Images Plus

With Temperature Monitoring E

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