Innumerable businesses and industries throughout the world greatly rely on the efficacy and resilience of global supply chains to keep their systems operational. As we have all so blatantly witnessed over the past couple of years, the supply chain is not always as dependable as we might think.
Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted just how fragile many of our global supply chain systems have become, exposing multiple weaknesses that resulted in temporary trade restrictions and shortages of pharmaceuticals and critical medical supplies, even during an intense time of need. The current global shipping crisis, which many experts believe is unrelated to the pandemic, is another poignant reminder of the need for smarter management and upgraded resilience in logistics.
Indeed, regardless of catastrophes like these, supply chains have long been under intense pressure to transform and adapt to the new demands brought about by a digital world. Today, business buyers and end consumers alike expect increasingly faster delivery times, lower prices, and more assurances on the quality of their goods upon arrival. With this in mind, Finnish startup Logmore has set out to revolutionize international supply chains with their innovative QR code technology, bringing a new solution to global logistics that could help reduce waste, boost efficiency, and unlock new sources of value.
Introducing Logmore
Founded in 2017, Logmore has developed an innovative yet elegant solution for collecting, sharing, and acting upon shipment condition data.
Through the utilization of Logmore’s inexpensive logger devices, any company that relies on outbound logistics as part of their supply chain will be able to collect, sync, and analyze data regarding their cargo over a secure cloud, offering real-time updates on the status and welfare of the goods while in transit.
Each time a QR code is scanned and logged throughout its journey, data such as shipment location, humidity, temperature, shock, tilt, and light exposure is immediately uploaded to the cloud. Logmore’s analytics web app interface provides authorized stakeholders with real-time access to these metrics, as well as data visualizations for easy interpretation of the welfare of the cargo. Furthermore, businesses may create their own applications and integrate them with Logmore’s API, allowing them to provide a higher degree of customization to their services.
It’s for this reason that Logmore has already landed partnerships with both Sofrigram and DHL, where they are helping to create smart temperature-controlled packaging and reliable air freight tracking services for securing shipments of millions of Covid-19 vaccines.
Let’s take a closer look at what makes Logmore’s approach towards shipment condition monitoring so compelling.
Enhanced Data Monitoring
Logmore’s data logging service provides companies with a vast array of metrics that they can utilize to observe the condition of their products throughout transit. Since anyone with a smartphone can use QR codes, all stakeholders along the supply chain have the ability to log and access condition metrics at intervals throughout the life cycles of materials and products.
By displaying the latest data in the form of e-ink codes at set intervals, Logmore’s data loggers help companies figure out where their packages are compromised along the supply chain, which allows them to either stop the goods in transit (and save on unnecessary costs) or to intervene and attempt to salvage the delivery.
Last year, Logmore introduced the newest version of their original data recorder, Dry Ice, which was specifically designed to perform in cold and sub-zero conditions. These monitoring devices can measure temperatures from 2-8°C down to deep freeze levels of -100°C, which makes them perfect for vaccine shipments.
Superior Reliability
When compared to industry-standard RFID scanners, Logmore’s QR code-based approach provides significantly more dependability and reliability.
This is due to the fact that RFID systems transmit data via radio waves, which can fail in circumstances where there are numerous radio signals causing interference, such as in shipyards full of metal containers. Furthermore, once RFID chips have been physically damaged as a result of a rough transit, they are almost always rendered worthless. Due to this, significant gaps in condition data logs are common when using RFID tags, not to mention the prevalence of misleading and erroneous data.
Logmore’s QR tags, on the other hand, can be scanned even if they’ve been damaged, and they don’t depend on fluctuating radio frequencies, which means they maintain their integrity despite their environment. They can even be used in air freight situations, where devices that use radio signals are known to interfere with carrier craft communication systems.
Reducing Waste
Unfortunately, around 1.6 billion tons of food go to waste each year, mostly caused by problems within the supply chain infrastructure. By implementing Logmore’s data logging solution, companies should hopefully be able to markedly reduce the amount of waste they produce, since they will have far greater access to important data metrics that inform the relevant parties as to the condition of the goods while in transit.
With features such as alerts on rising/falling temperatures and notifications once the cargo falls either above or below a certain threshold for any given metric, companies are given a window of opportunity to salvage their products from degradation, which could prove to be a huge step forward for boosting efficiency.
Logmore’s system also helps to reduce waste when used to track the efficiency of multiple logistics partners over time. By working only with vendors that use the shortest routes and the least idle times, companies can minimize their carbon footprints.
No Expensive Buy-in
Last but not least, there is no expensive buy-in required to implement Logmore’s QR solution. That means that aside from the inexpensive tags themselves, there are no dedicated hardware systems or lengthy contract lock-ins, which have become the norm in RFID tracking services.
Instead, Logmore offers a subscription model that allows companies to use the loggers as and when required. On top of this, the handy QR codes can be attached to any sized package and do not require any proprietary infrastructure investment, since the codes can be read using any smartphone device.
Compared to RFID, where each tag can cost upwards of $20 (plus the cost of the readers) and has a limited lifespan, Logmore stands head and shoulders above the rest in terms of cost. While these differences are attractive to enterprises that depend on condition tracking at scale, they’re also game-changers for smaller companies that simply cannot afford a full transition towards supply chain 4.0
Final Words
Logmore has created an industry-changing solution that is transforming the way organizations track and monitor their products in transit, bringing numerous benefits to those who implement it. Logmore’s capabilities allow supply chain participants to access product specifications, condition requirements, and actual measurements, ensuring quality preservation and drastically reducing the potential for damages and waste.
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