The importance of traceability in cold logistics

Cold logistics is a highly specialized segment that is currently experiencing a period of intense activity. The quality of temperature-controlled logistics services is based, among other factors, on exhaustive control of the traceability of refrigerated products and the cold chain.

Significant technological efforts are being devoted to this, both in terms of increasingly sustainable refrigeration equipment, with lower energy consumption, more precise and less noisy, especially in urban goods distribution services.

At the same time, new technologies provide an essential plus for the maintenance and control in situ and remotely of the optimum temperature and humidity conditions required for perishable products such as fruits and vegetables or products of great sanitary importance, such as vaccines or cytostatics, among others.

Some international projections indicate that this segment will have a market volume in 2027 of US$160.7 billion worldwide.

In addition, Europe appears to be the continent with the highest volume of transport and logistics with directed temperature requirements. Specifically, the Old Continent accounts for 25.7% of temperature-controlled transport worldwide, with a trend towards an increasingly integrated market at continental level.

In Spain, in recent months, the cold logistics sector has seen major business movements that have affected some of the country’s main road haulage companies.

These operations point to an incipient path of integration and professionalization. At the same time, they all demonstrate the great interest in this segment in different areas.

Our country is a horticultural power in Europe and, likewise, has an important chemical and pharmaceutical industry, as well as a first class health system. All of them require high quality and efficient cold logistics services.

Factors that determine quality in cold logistics

Cold logistics is a highly specialized segment of activity, with a very high level of professionalization. In this field, operations and technology converge to offer high quality services to sectors in which the technical and sanitary requirements of the operation imply a significant deployment of resources and knowledge.

Among the main factors that determine the level of quality in the logistics management of temperature-controlled services are:

• Specialized equipment and personnel, prepared to operate in extreme cold conditions and with very sophisticated and expensive machinery.
• Integral control of the cold chain to avoid breakage and possible damage to sensitive goods, not only with a reactive perspective, but also able to foresee any risk to prevent the loss of the controlled atmosphere.
• Visibility of the cold chain, in order to foresee any incident in the chain and prepare in advance all logistical steps in the cold chain from start to finish.
• Harmonization of all operations to maintain the chain, with special attention to the communication of critical information along all links.
• Transparency to offer maximum guarantees to end consumers.

Traceability in cold logistics

Traceability tools have become essential allies for an exhaustive and complete control of the cold chain, the true raison d’être of temperature-controlled logistics.

Thanks to these platforms, the status of a temperature-controlled load can be known at all times, as well as whether there is any risk that requires corrective measures to be taken.

In cold logistics, the monitoring of storage, transport and handling conditions of the goods must be proactive to avoid in advance any situation that could jeopardize the critical element for this segment, which is the cold chain.

Likewise, it is also important in this segment to offer maximum transparency to end customers, something that inevitably involves ensuring that products are delivered quickly and in the best possible conditions for consumption.

Traceability allows these objectives to be achieved efficiently and with all the information available to consumers.

Visibility First’ for ‘end-to-end’ cold logistics

FIELDEAS Track and Trace offers a highly accurate traceability software with a powerful capacity to adapt to the needs of each company and especially suitable for use in cold logistics.

As the company’s general manager explains, Óscar López, “Aspects such as productivity improvement through efficient transport processes, control and traceability of key parameters such as temperature, digital management of document processes, detailed control of service quality parameters or end-to-end visibility of transport processes, allow to achieve optimal management levels and offer the quality of service, increasingly demanded in the market”.

In short, FIELDEAS Track and Trace is the ultimate traceability software for chain control in cold logistics, both for its capacity to manage, integrate and process data from different sources to provide visual and appropriate information, and for the adaptability of the tool to the needs of each specific company.

FIELDEAS at the III Fresh Food Logistics The Summit

In a sign of FIELDEAS’ commitment to cold logistics, the company will be present at the III Fresh Food Logistics The Summit organized by Alimarket on October 5 and 6, during the Fruit Attraction fair held at the Ifema facilities in Madrid, where different experts will analyze the future challenges of the sector.

We look forward to showing you how our solution FIELDEAS Track and Trace solution can help you improve your cold chain, provide transparency and boost the efficiency, profitability and sustainability of your operations.