Data Collection for Supply Chain Design
For supply chain design it is important to understand, how quickly products lose their initial quality when they are outside the proper temperature range. For some products it can be accepted and for some products it is unacceptable. Therefore, it is also important to track on the timeline how long the product has not been stored at the proper temperature.
For the transport of temperature-sensitive goods, we use different types of insulation materials, as well as different cooling technologies. All must be verified and approved by the internal SLA for application in various cases.
On the other hand, most cooling and freezing technologies are extremely harmful to the environment, so we must avoid excessive use of the freezing elements and take into consideration the natural outdoor environment.
In other words, your cold chain strategy varies depending on the outside temperature. To build and test such strategies, you need some data that you can get, monitor the outside and inside temperature, and build correlation curves. In the end, monitoring is the only way to get to know your “cold chain” better, to identify the points of the week and to build an effective and environmentally friendly strategy.
Benefits of using IOT Sensors in Cold Chain Management

One way to track temperature fluctuations during transport is to use IoT sensors. Using the IoT solution for remote temperature monitoring, we can get the data with the time stamp, create temperature graphs, define alerts and analyze the reliability of our cold chain.
In certain use cases, this also makes it possible to reduce the loading / unloading operations. As soon as he receives data on inappropriate transport conditions, he can avoid the driver’s refusal to accept the goods and thus avoid unnecessary operations, such as unloading and checking the goods.
Providing access to the data system on both parties – supplier and recipient of goods – also helps to facilitate the mutual complaints process, which is another step in managing the LEAN supply chain.
Cold chain monitoring with temperature data logger
The unit of devices that allows remote temperature monitoring is the temperature data logger, which allows you to set the temperature and send the data over the LoRaWAN network. Designed by the requirements of FMCG retailers, this portable device has unique features that can be used in various fields. The data logger can record the temperature every 5 minutes and store up to 1300 pacakges, so there is no need to have LoRaWAN connectivity throughout the route.
The device has 2 temperature probes, to measure the ambient temperature and place it in the product or near the product itself. In the case of original use, the goods were transported in insulated containers; it is known that the temperature in these containers is not stable and depends on the external conditions.
The data logger allows us to monitor both the external environment and the temperature in the container. Thanks to a sensitive stainless steel part, it can also be placed in the product itself, whether it has a soft, liquid or granular texture.
Applications in different industries
There are many industries where it is crucial that temperatures are properly maintained by warehousing, distribution, delivery and storage:
- medical vaccines
- laboratory diagnostic reagents
- the dairy industry, where we have milk, cheese and other dairy products
- fresh meat and fish
- chemical products and many more.