Feb 26, 2024

Cold chain logistics is a key part of the supply chain dedicated to providing temperature-controlled surface transportation and storage of perishable items before, during, and after delivery. This entails a highly orchestrated effort to ensure proper packaging, the best mode of transportation, the optimal routes, and precise timing. To accomplish this, cold chain management heavily relies on visibility.

The 2020 pandemic highlighted many struggles silently hiding in modern cold supply chains. For many companies, inventory visibility and traceability systems were quickly put to the test, especially for food producers and pharmaceutical manufacturers. Studies estimated that 9 in 10 manufacturers reported not trusting the data captured throughout the supply chain. As a result, many have turned to automation solutions to expand visibility within cold storage facilities. However, extreme temperatures and water exposure pose a challenge to technology solutions, ultimately contributing to:

• Equipment Breakdown - Extreme temperature swings may impact internal circuits, as cooling systems are unable to keep up with environmental shifts.
• Stock Exposure to Improper Temperature - If systems cannot relay inventory information in real-time, businesses risk leaving temperature-sensitive stock idle in warm environments, leading to product spoilage.
• User Errors - Devices with small keypads may not be suitable for colder environments where thick gloves may distort data entry.
• Damaged Brand Reputation - Food distributors have reported losing over $10 million in a single recall after factoring in correctional costs, missed sales, and loss of consumer trust.

To prevent these consequences, strategic solution designers recommend implementing freezer-ready technology systems. Built to withstand the complexities and rigorous workflows associated with cold chain management, freezer-ready solutions can help distributors accurately track inventory without high operational and replacement costs. Nevertheless, businesses must be careful to correctly distinguish a freezer-ready solution from traditional automation.

What to Look for in Your Freezer-Ready Automation Solution

The global cold chain market is growing every day as consumer preferences shift to wanting more high-quality products while reducing spoilage. Therefore, cold chains require intelligent visibility systems to monitor specific and constant environmental conditions for their products. Whether it’s food or pharmaceuticals, cold chain storage needs precise equipment, workers, security, and rules that must be followed. As a result, a viable freezer-ready automation solution should be...

1. Rugged to Endure Harsh Conditions

Having the right tools and equipment is half the battle, but not every device can be used for cold storage. The first hurdle is ensuring you have enterprise-grade equipment, not consumer-grade. While consumer-grade products can often be more appealing, they are not built to last in work environments. Rugged devices are capable of enduring low temperatures, falls, and exposure to water. Without tough, cold-resistant devices, workers will be spending unnecessary time trying to get equipment to work properly, warming them up, or reporting them as broken. As a rule of thumb, your devices should have:

• • Heated internal wiring and displays
  • A rating of IP65 or higher
  • High-grade lithium-ion batteries
  • Glove-friendly keypads
  • Access points within cold storage areas

Related: Technology plays a huge role in enhancing the cold chain. Find out why

2. Compatible with User-Friendly Systems

Now that your devices can withstand the brutal conditions of typical cold storage, the second hurdle is having the right ecosystem for them to thrive. Consider digitizing workloads with intuitive systems and technologies such as:

• • Voice-Directed Systems – Easy to use, voice technology can ensure real-time visibility for temperature-sensitive stock and speed up material movement to protect product quality. With the ability to direct workers to inventory locations and a hands and eye-free design, productivity will be at an all-time high. 
  • Warehouse Management System (WMS) - Warehouse management is vital for the longevity of cold chain storage. These systems are designed to track temperature and humidity, provide real-time visibility on inventory, generate reports, and help you take control of supply chain logistics.
  • Stable Network: The whole operation gets thrown off without a stable wireless network. Warehouses must limit dead zones, dropped signals, or IT interference if automation devices are to work properly. This includes having structured wiring, network diagnostic tests, monitoring, and a custom design.
  • Versatile Mobility: Consolidate barcode scanning and two-way communication with versatile mobile devices to drive down costs, scan barcodes, input data, and track inventory status all through one terminal.

These systems listed here are essential but are only the beginning of what is required for cold storage. Innovative visibility systems such as IoT and robotics may also be key to ensuring operations run smoothly.

3. Easy to Use for Quicker User Adoption

Durable automation helps teams perform better while easing the workload. Therefore, when selecting a new system for cold chain management, it is imperative to make sure it...

• • Resembles the technologies your team is accustomed to.
  • Adapts to environmental factors such as condensation, gloved usage, and frosted barcodes.
  • Integrates with current reporting and documentation apps.

Furthermore, systems should be easy to use since human error can account for many issues in cold chain storage. For example, while technology can relay information such as delivery times, temperature, and expiration dates, inaccurate barcode scanning may attribute that information to the wrong product. While moving inventory from locations and loading or unloading, some perishables may sit out too long, ruining their shelf life or quality. This can also happen if a worker turns on or off a piece of equipment without knowing the consequences. Easy-to-use systems such as voice-directed solutions have earned their way in the cold chain since they use audible cues to guide workers through several crucial workflows such as picking, inspection, and asset usage. Workers need only to follow spoken cues, keeping their eyes focused on what’s before them and limiting injuries.

Related: Check out three cold chain trends your teams should be aware of this year.

Take the first step in optimizing your cold chain

Working with trained experts in cold storage can help educate you and your team on maintaining an optimal environment for your inventory. By partnering with a qualified support team, cold chain decision-makers can ensure their systems are strong enough to fit their environments while optimizing networking systems and unifying the workforce with one adaptable solution. Contact a Heartland specialist today to learn more about cold storage and how to modernize your warehouse with industry-leading software and technology.