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Avalon cold storage RFID technology image

Seize Your Edge: This is what modernized real-time tracking is like without RFID.

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RFID technology has long been at the forefront of modernized locationing systems given its ability to track in-motion products and assets. However, while still adaptable to most applications, RFID tags are not always the best option for every environment, particularly cold storage, where a combination of metal, ice, and condensation, can impact label and reader performance. With cold chain operations expected to grow by 7.24% in the coming year, supply chains must find a way to combine durability and adaptability in their tracking system. Today’s ideal cold storage tracking system should integrate:

  • Minimized touchpoints – To mitigate germ spread and accelerate throughput, warehouses should minimize points of contact either through long-range scanning or wireless connectivity.
  • Scalable growth opportunities – Resource shortages such as the current microchip shortage can increase demands, thus putting more strain on your devices. Consequently, deployment should be easy to accommodate changing numbers of inventory and personnel as needed.
  • Durability that extends beyond the freezer – Because field teams now travel much farther than before, tracking technologies should be packed with long-lasting batteries or flexible charging options to keep workers connected during longer routes.

Zebra’s electric temperature sensors deliver it all.

Seamless temperature tracking is only half the battle. To create a competitive tracking system, sensors should be paired with enterprise-grade and freezer-ready mobile devices that withstand constant temperature swings and long-distance shipping routes. In combining mobile computers and electric sensors, modern tracking systems can:

  • Certify the correct products are packed correctly for timely shipping
  • Prevent early spoilage after products leave the loading dock
  • Scan frozen barcodes at a distance without label repositioning
  • Update receiving stores on ETAs, delays, and product condition in real time
  • Facilitate audits since traceability records are all digitally available

To see how Zebra’s electric sensors interact seamlessly with your device of choice, download our fact sheet.

Whether through Bluetooth locationing or RFID technology, clear workflow visibility has become indispensable for the modern-day warehouse. Reach out to our modernization experts today to see how you can start amplifying operational visibility in your facility with technology that grows alongside your goals.

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What will your Operations Commit to in 2021

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Efficient innovation has always been part of Avalon’s commitment to our clients. After navigating through triumphs and tribulations alongside a multitude of resilient teams, that goal hasn’t changed. That’s why we’re starting the year with a dedication to continue empowering businesses with sustainable solutions that drive down costs, maximize productivity, and most importantly, protect our environment. Now more than ever, business decisions have the capability of impacting entire communities; therefore, partnering with leading manufacturers like Zebra Technologies, Avalon’s experts are diving into a series of sustainable efforts that fit the modern warehouse with:

  • Cost-effective automation that reduces labor waste
  • Energy-efficient mobile devices that last throughout your longest shifts
  • Adaptable mobile computing to eliminate unnecessary deployment of supporting devices
  • Long-lasting consumables to reduce reprints 
  • Greater warehouse visibility and traceability backed by real-time locationing solutions

Building the Sustainable Supply Chain

Building the Sustainable Supply Chain

Over 80% of a business’s environmental impact comes from its supply chain

The push for sustainability may have stemmed from increased consumer demand for better traceability. However, studies suggest that today’s businesses are gravitating towards sustainable practices to lower operational costs and improve revenue performance. Since over 80% of a business’s environmental impact comes from its supply chain, digitized transparency has become the cornerstone in achieving a sustainable supply chain. Below are a few ways we’ve seen transparency result in sustainable operations throughout the whole supply chain:

  • In production and manufacturing – In 2018, the EPA estimated that manufacturing and production companies disposed of 292.4million tons of wasted material, including scraps, yard trimming, foods, etc. To make sure operations only use the appropriate amount of materials, visibility services, such as MotionWorks, have been implemented for just-in-time delivery of goods, preventing an excess of materials (and money) from being disposed of in landfills. 
  • In warehousing and distribution – In 2020, the average warehouse’ square foot space cost $7.18, almost a dollar increase from 2017. Wasteful storage costs money to run and can result in spoiled and misplaced inventory, which must later be thrown out as it becomes unsellable. Proper inventory management built with error-free automated data capture and long-lasting consumables can establish reliable identification parameters from receiving to shipping, preventing loss and shrinkage.
  • In transportation and logistics – Across the country, fuel prices continue to fluctuate. By integrating visibility solutions like RFID locationing and flexible network connectivity, businesses can track field teams to optimize travel routes for better fuel usage. Devices like Zebra’s TC7X touch computers empower field teams with dependable real-time connectivity for route changes and schedule updates to adjust workflows with minimal costly interruptions.
  • In retail and grocery – In addition to preserving the environment, sustainable retail operations result in higher profitability as consumers are willing to pay up to 20% for ethically-sound products. Traceability is key here since several regulation agencies work together to verify eco-friendly claims. Paperless data processing via automated data entry and computing can help eliminate errors and facilitate data sharing for seamless audits and updates.

Whether your operations are at the beginning of the end of the supply chain, every team can benefit from sustainable optimization. To see how you can add sustainability into your enterprise goals for the year, reach out to our modernization experts for an in-depth assessment of your workflows and find out where you can substitute inefficiency with dependable and transparent enterprise intelligence.

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