Any organization that sells perishable items must prioritize cold chain logistics to supply excellent products without compromise. Temperature control benefits more than just the end user. Companies can save thousands of dollars by partnering with a cold chain logistics company that collects and uses accurate data.
Fremont, CA: While the goal is to deliver products without jeopardizing the shipment's integrity, businesses must remain profitable. To accomplish so, companies must be creative in their cargo transportation. Refrigeration and temperature-controlled trucks are pricey. As a result, organizations must understand the products being sent, their temperature tolerance(s), the shipping modes and lanes, the estimated delivery dates, and the weather at every stage of the journey. There should be few to no unknowns, as those unknowns cause danger.
Cold chain logistics businesses must be aware of each shipment's risks. Weather, infrastructure, natural disasters, and other factors can all disrupt or affect the quality of a load. Until those hazards are adequately recognized and evaluated, they will produce surprises that may result in shipment delays, damage, or losses.
Visualize the data
Data collection is excellent, but how that data is visualized is what operationalizes it and makes it usable. It's one thing to look at this data in a spreadsheet or report and try to understand it. Plotting it out in 10-mile increments is quite another, with color-coded risk and severity zones.
In the preceding example, a corporation could immediately identify its risk variables and how they changed throughout the intended route. They might plan the shipment dates so the product is on its way during the cold spell, saving on reefer charges. With the average reefer rate now at $2.39 a mile, the savings pile up quickly. Yes, the products must be kept cool, but why not use nature to your advantage while you have it instead of adding unnecessary costs that reduce profit?
Putting the pieces together
Companies' best asset for controlling shipping quality is integrated data. Connecting the many dots will offer a clear picture that instantly influences decisions. Companies may be more agile and proactive while providing more excellent customer service. Cold chain logistics delivers this data and the skills to use it to save money, increase shipment reliability, and maintain tight quality requirements.
Even if the contents of a shipment are identical to the previous one, each shipment is unique because it is subjected to various circumstances. However, with data-driven insights, such scenarios are less likely to disrupt or threaten a load's integrity. Companies are driving unthinkingly without data. They are vulnerable to shifting weather patterns, road conditions, etc.
