The Way to Ship Perishable Goods Must Include Real-Time Tracking

Given rising costs and disruptions at every turn, managing a supply chain in today’s global economy is no easy task. However, for retailers shipping perishable goods, all these challenges are compounded by the difficulties of keeping perishable goods fresh during transit.

However, visibility—especially shipment status visibility—can play a crucial role in loss prevention. The best way to ship perishable goods is through visibility solutions like Tive’s shipment status trackers, which make it easier than ever for supply chain managers to achieve complete shipment status visibility.

Challenges in transporting perishable goods

Loss prevention is a primary goal for many retail supply chain managers. However, for retailers seeking the best way to ship perishable goods, preventing losses is an even more pressing concern. According to Packaging Digest, 11% of all shipments are damaged during transit; it is easy to see that perishable or otherwise fragile products are particularly prone to damage.

Monitoring the real-time status of perishable product shipments is vital to ensuring the safety and quality of perishable goods in multiple ways. At a time when many retailers struggle to track the location of their shipments, tracking shipping conditions in real time may seem like an insurmountable challenge in itself.

The true cost of wasted products

Losing 11% or more of your inventory to shipping damage can seriously undermine your company’s profitability on its own. However, the true cost of damaged goods during shipping doesn’t end there. First, damaged goods can disrupt a company’s inventory management strategy;

If 1,000 units are delivered to your warehouse but only 900 arrive undamaged, you may not be able to meet customer demand. No one wants to be in this position, so supply chain managers must find the best way to ship perishable goods.

Having products in pre-order can be detrimental to a company’s reputation and profits. Having damaged or otherwise compromised products may get them to your customers, but it can further damage your brand’s reputation. One of the biggest problems with damaged products is that it is not always easy to tell that a shipment has been damaged. If damaged products slip through the cracks in your quality control process and are shipped to customers, the impact on your company can be much more than just inventory loss.

Therefore, the true cost of wasted products often stems from financial and reputational losses. The good news is that shipment visibility during transit can be a powerful way to prevent these losses and makes tracking technology an essential part of the best approach to shipping perishable goods.

Types of shipment visibility for perishable goods

The best way to ship perishable goods is to have end-to-end shipment visibility, but what this means for your organization depends on the products you ship. For example, if you ship frozen foods, the only condition you need to monitor may be the temperature of your shipments. Meanwhile, a company that transports ink and paint may place far greater importance on protecting its shipments from light exposure than on other conditions.

Temperature Monitoring – Shipping temperature is the most common factor that companies shipping perishable goods need to monitor. The temperature of any product that must be stored under specific temperature conditions must be carefully monitored throughout the supply chain.

Shock Monitoring – Fragile products that are prone to damage from hard impacts must be monitored for shock absorption to determine when such an impact occurs.

Moisture Monitoring – Wood, fabric, and other materials can be damaged by excessive moisture, making moisture levels an important factor for some retail companies to monitor.

Light Exposure Monitoring – Certain pharmaceutical products, along with products such as film and ink, must be kept away from direct sunlight, making light exposure an important factor in monitoring these products.

FRİGGA’s highly sensitive location and status trackers provide countless benefits for shipment status visibility. For starters, complete shipment status visibility enables retailers to accurately identify damaged products and ensure these items do not reach customers. When you can monitor the status of your perishable goods in real time, effective quality control becomes much more achievable.

In some cases, real-time shipment status visibility can prevent shipment damage. For example, if you notice that the temperature of your refrigerated cargo is rising, you can contact the carrier and ensure they resolve the issue before it’s too late.

Finally, shipment status visibility makes it much easier to pinpoint the source of recurring damage. Real-time status visibility informs you when, where, and how your products are damaged, helping you prevent losses by improving your supply chain.