“ We ’ ve collectively realised how fragile our supply chains are ; as a result of coronavirus , it ’ s become clear how important it is to have reliable digital systems that show us the reality of the whole supply chain ”
— Michele Palumbo , Head of Supply Chain Management Italy
In Bayer Italy ’ s deployment , every single box of product and every GreenPallet is uniquely identified by an RFID label and tracked individually throughout the whole supply chain , starting from LSP facilities up to final delivery to customers . More than 30 facilities of Bayer ’ s LSP and transportation partners are equipped with RFID readers and stations , managed by middleware that collects and sends all data to a remote server . Products and GreenPallets are read during relevant processes such as picking , palletised handling unit arrangement , shipping , receiving and inventory , with an average of 10 to 15 readings per box . All this data generates added value through real-time information and a dedicated BI web dashboard that provides full supply chain visibility , detailed and accurate traceability , perfect recall capability and operational KPI monitoring .
“ Increasing the level of service means a general improvement not only in operational efficiency ,” Palumbo clarifies , “ but also an improvement in turnover . The benefit that we expect from this project is an increase in our ability to review errors , customer complaints and returns . Bayer will be able to have a real-time visibility throughout the entire supply chain .” This will go hand-in-hand with a significantly increased rate of productivity and logistical accuracy from a relatively small investment in RFID technology . “ In the future , all of this shipping information could be certified by each and every single actor on a shared blockchain ,” he continues . “ We will also be able to trace information like ambient temperature with embedded temperature sensors in order to get data from a cold-chain perspective .”
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