Transport container

Shipment monitoring with IoT reports not only the route but also the condition of the container, such as whether it has been opened. For jewellery retailer Feichtinger, the logistics partner's tracking number was not enough, because parcels arrived empty but closed again. A1 Digital therefore equipped the transport boxes with trackers that record position as well as opening and closing. An unauthorised opening triggers an alarm in real time.

A GPS tracker alone is often not enough, because a theft is only noticed once the container leaves its expected route. That was Feichtinger's experience in the first step of its proof of concept with A1 Digital. Only sensors that detect opening, combined with real-time alerts over the cellular network, delivered the protection it needed. This requires trackers with enough battery life to cover the entire journey.

A connected security case detects tampering via sensors and a conductive lining and reports every break-in attempt over the mobile network. ZippIT's Arkuri Safe Case is lined with a conductive foil and has several sensors in the lid. Every tampering attempt is reported to the app via NB-IoT or LTE-M. Together with A1 Digital, connectivity was designed so that location tracking only starts when an event occurs.

When material between warehouse and production can be found at any time, lines stop less often and overall equipment effectiveness rises. In its own plants, SICK used SmaRTLog to locate materials and transport trolleys via ultra-wideband and linked the system to SAP. Search time for missing materials fell from 45 to 15 minutes, and lead time dropped by 20 per cent. Overall equipment effectiveness rose by ten to 20 per cent after introduction.