Transforming Asset Management & Shipment Tracking with IoT’s Extensive Sensors

A cutting-edge tracking device showcasing LTE, GNSS, and sensor technologies for logistics

In today’s interconnected world, our phones, watches, offices, and machines are all seamlessly linked to the Internet, shaping a future where technology will be an integral part of our daily lives. Businesses and companies have hopped on this important revolution to generate more value. Through the simple act of connecting to the internet, machines and businesses are able to achieve unthinkable results from how they handle production, distribution, and overall customer satisfaction. This is a promising future and might just be in the budding stages, a sign of how vast it might change the future of how we live and work.

A report by Statista shows that there will be approximately 50 billion IoT devices connected by 2030. This prediction is huge and shows how this new revolution is key not only in e-commerce but in all future-oriented businesses. The IoT has changed and will continue to change how businesses streamline their operations to meet customer demands. To begin with, it has created a new form of logistics that allows suppliers and customers to track their deliveries in real time. In the last half-decade, industries have evolved from tracking shipments and containers to collecting real-time information on the parcels inside. This advancement in tracking systems is a result of the heavy investments companies are making in IoT technology to ensure that they have accurate logistics about products that are en route and make more informed decisions.

The Evolution of IoT in Logistics and Asset Management

In the early stages, shipment tracking software mainly provided a vague location for the package. Also, there were no appropriate channels for customers to access the system; hence, they mainly relied on calling customer service. Today, not only can customers track their deliveries, but they can also monitor the environmental condition of their goods, from humidity to temperature. To achieve this, companies have invested in sensors and RFID tags that collect real-time data on the shipment container to track the condition and movement of the goods. These advanced sensors collect and send data to the cloud for analysis, generating informative and data-centric reports. This way, businesses are able to improve their inventory management and provide better customer service.

Overview of Our IoT Tracking Device

Eelink is a top supply chain solution that helps you track your products in real time. We have IoT devices that are compatible with multiple LTE/LTE-M/NB-IOT/satellite/Wi-Fi/BLE devices. With these devices, you can accurately monitor location, temperature, til,d orientation, and unauthorized intrusion. Our fundamental goal is to give you improved visibility of your assets and help you make informed decisions that prevent unexpected downtime.

IoT devices help you know your shipment’s exact location and track its movement. This not only helps the shipping company, but it also builds trust with the client by letting them in on the order location status. Also, IoT devices monitor and record the temperature inside the container and notify you when it’s past your preset threshold. With such information at your fingertips, you eliminate the chances of waste, especially for temperature-sensitive goods, and ensure your goods meet the required standards and regulations.

The evolution of carrier performance has also brought about the introduction of IoT devices with a Tilt and Orientation feature. If you’re tracking fragile goods that you don’t want tilted, you will receive an alert once the goods are tilted more than 30 degrees in any direction. The device also orients itself and sends you an alert when the goods tilt more than 45 degrees.

You can also track the shock and movement of your goods using IoT devices with shock detection features. This technology enables timely responses when the product tilts or absorbs shock past a certain threshold, provides proof for claiming damaged goods, and ensures appropriate compensation.

Lastly, IoT devices can help you detect unauthorized intrusion into warehouses, containers, as well as parcels. Monitoring unauthorized intrusion helps prevent inventory delays and provides the necessary information to determine when and where the shipment was accessed. This helps both the manufacturer and customer and promotes a better-coordinated business relationship.

Key Features and Benefits of IOT

1.     Advanced Sensor Capabilities

IoT devices assist you in mitigating risks and identifying blind spots in your shipments. With the help of GPS trackers, you can track and monitor your supply chain shipments. Even more interesting is the real-time asset management technology that helps you monitor the temperature of your goods with a +/- 1 accuracy. The temperature monitor sends you an alert once the temperature in the container surpasses a certain threshold. This advanced feature helps you safely transport temperature-sensitive goods such as perishables and pharmaceuticals, and you can be sure that in case of any temperature fluctuations that lead to damage to the goods, the shipment company will compensate you.

2.    Real-Time Monitoring and Alerts

Real-time data collection has played a key role in how companies send accurate alerts based on the cloud reports they receive. This way, if there are any issues, such as temperature fluctuations or humidity conditions, the company is able to send a quick notification to the shipment factory and resolve the issue in a matter of minutes.

3.    Global Connectivity

E-sim technology has been a game changer in IoT technology since the devices are able to switch networks with a few taps depending on the geographical location of the shipment. They help maintain constant connectivity and protect your shipments in real time, regardless of the location. The programmable nature of eSIM also makes it hard to have unauthorized access to and tamper with sensitive information.

4.    Data Analytics for Predictive Insights

IoT analytics helps companies turn the data collected from the various sensors into actionable insights. Through this data, companies are able to come up with patterns that they can use to make predictions and adjustments for future events. Here are the three types of analytics that they utilize to streamline operations:

1.    Descriptive analytics

They focus on past issues and generate reports based on how they happened and the frequency of their occurrence. Companies can use these analytics to analyze past anomalies and solve potential issues before they happen.

2.    Diagnostic analytics

They use statistical analysis to uncover specific problems that affect asset conditions. This technique gives companies insights into patterns in data format and guides them to reinvent and use different strategies to solve issues.

3.    Predictive Analytics

This type of analytics is very important since it guides a company’s future business decisions. It uses machine learning to analyze historical data and trends and support how companies manage their inventory and other major decisions about asset management.

Applications Across Industries

The Internet of Things (IoT) revolution has been so impactful and difficult to overlook for businesses in all segments, starting from industry and manufacturing and extending to other sectors. The applications may vary depending on the sector, but there is one constant application, which is real-time data collection. Let’s take a look at a few industries and how IoTs will impact them:

1.    Industry and Manufacturing

The industry and manufacturing sectors have been majorly concerned with real-time data collection and how they can use it to improve yield metrics. Industries connect IoT with machines to monitor equipment and assess their reliability and efficiency in real-time. This helps them study how the machine is working and predict when it needs repair before a breakdown happens.

If a machine breaks down, it is connected to an IoT, which can automatically pinpoint where the issue is. This is invaluable since the manufacturer can maintain continuity of operations and avoid falling into serious trouble that may halt operations. Furthermore, in case of trouble, they are able to spot and rectify the issue and get back up and running.

2.    Food and Beverage

IoT solutions have significantly transformed operations in the food and beverage industry. They have streamlined operations, increased productivity, and reduced waste levels among the food and beverage companies. Sensors are used to ensure foodstuffs and beverages are being transported at acceptable temperature levels, among other variables, to preserve their freshness/quality and get them to the consumer in good condition. Following goods along the supply route has also improved how businesses spot anomalies, such as contamination along the way and other potential problems.

3.    Electronics Industry

The implementation of the IoT has caused a rapid transformation in the electronics industry. IoT has enabled the industry to introduce smart equipment designed to advance in the digital connectivity sector. This equipment has improved the electronics industry’s production and performance. Machines are now able to monitor their results and modify maintenance work based on the generated data.

IOT-based sensor systems have also been game changers in allowing hassle-free production processes. They detect faults and work out predictive maintenance operations. This new addition helps speed up maintenance and upgrades to machines.

Conclusion

Asset tracking has become a necessity for businesses that value security and efficiency. IoT tracking devices have revolutionized the way companies and clients monitor not only the product’s location but also the shipment’s internal environment. They have brought about a new level of versatility, flexibility, and reliability by sharing real-time data and allowing consumers to take necessary actions at the touch of their screens. Since everything is managed online, in case of equipment failures or malfunctions, the damage can be mitigated in time. This prevents unnecessary damage to products and protects consumers from loss. There is plenty of potential for advancement in IoT technology, especially with the current upward curve in machine learning. It will definitely improve asset tracking through its ability to analyze large sets of data and improve the efficiency of shipment companies.

Eelink, the leading IoT sensor manufacturer, dedicates itself to providing you with viable solutions for your asset tracking needs at an affordable price. Whether you have a startup or a large enterprise, Eelink offers you convenient IoT-powered asset tracking and takes your supply chain management to the next level. Our innovative devices will help you track the location of your asset, temperature, humidity, tilt, orientation, and unauthorized access. Contact us to learn more about our systems and explore in detail how we can help you achieve global success.