Logistics Tracking: An Implementation Issue for ...

Logistics Tracking: An Implementation Issue for Delivery Network AHM Shamsuzzoha1, Richard Addo-Tenkorang1, Duy Phuong2, Petri Helo1 1

University of Vaasa, Department of Production, Vaasa, PL 700, FI-65101, Finland 2 Wapice Limited, FI-65200 Vaasa, Finland

Abstract--Tracking the logistics networks is considered as a highly motivated approach for distribution and delivery companies in recent days. It is nowadays considered as a prime concern for manufacturing companies to ensure safer and timely arrival of their shipments. In this paper, we have presented an overall approach to track the real-time delivery shipment from the starting point to the end customer. The stateof-the-art technologies and devices are implemented in this study in order to fulfil the tracking objectives. A pilot case is presented with the view to implement and manage the tracking technology in a practical point of view. Various tracking data from this pilot case was collected and analyzed in terms of location, temperature and humidity of the case shipment. In this research study, we have considered the operational ways of the tracking devices in respect to frequency of data transfer, interpretation of the data in a useable format, specification of the tracking devices (battery life, power consumption, data roaming, etc), essential programming for the devices, etc., with the view to implement the tracking technology on delivery networks. The prospects and implications of the tracking technologies for managing the business logistics are discussed and presented in conclusion.

I. INTRODUCTION A. Background and motivation The logistics tracking for delivery network is an important issue for providing customer service in the transportation business. There are growing demands in the industrial establishments for monitoring and managing the shipment from the start point to the end position. Today’s multisupplier environments, manufacturing firms are looking for the appropriate tools/devices to track their delivery shipment on real-time environment. It is therefore, a prime concern to design and develop authenticated and reliable tracking devices that can be suitable to serve in single or multicompany logistics networks. Nowadays, firms transferring essential tracking information to their customers through email, SMS, telephone, fax, etc. These mediums for transferring valuable logistics information are often not reliable and not based on real-time environment, which is considered high demanding for the manufacturing firms. The essential needs for logistics tracking can be satisfied by implementing the state-of-the-art tracking and tracing technologies over the delivery networks [15]. The tracking of logistics system can be defined as the solution that helps to identify the location of a delivery shipment on a real-time environment [16, 19]. A good tracking solution is one that can identify the location of a shipment by answering the questions like; where do the current position of the shipment? What are the conditions inside/outside the delivery shipment (temperature, humidity, corrosion level, etc)?, etc. All these questions can be answered suitably through proper tracking devices [10, 18]. It is however, a challenging issue for the industrial

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establishments to provide reliable and efficient tracking information to the clients. Currently, many tracking devices are available in the market such as GPRS tracker, TRK Newsteotelemetry, AIS system, Techno Soft Humistick, RFID technology, etc., however, there are lacking of combinatorial information flow. For instance, TRK Newsteotelemetry can provide only position of the shipment, GPRS tracker can provide the acceleration data (vibration, shock, etc) but both of the devices can not provide the conditions (humidity, temperature, etc) inside the shipment. Similarly, Techno Soft Humistick can provide only temperature, humidity, dew point, etc information of the shipment but not the current location, acceleration, etc. The combination of technologies applicable for tracking different information at the same time required to be developed with the view to satisfy the customers’ demands. An integrated version of the tool/device would be able to support the environment, where multi information can be track from the same source or medium. This integrated tool/methodology contributes to the industry norms in terms of potential competitive advantage for logistics service providers (LSPs) and major forwarders [2, 4, 12, 17]. The development emerged solely for this purpose could underline the importance of customers being able to locate the position of the shipment in-transit, hence also contributes the planning and monitoring of their regular operational processes [6, 13, 14]. Proper and real-time tracking the delivery shipment enhances the firms’ productivity through reducing the possible delay and complexity of the operations due to that delay. B. Requirements specifications In business community, there are various requirements specifications for tracking the delivery shipments. This requirement varies from company to company with respect to the individual demands level. In company level, the requirements can be both inbound and outbound in respect to logistics and supply chain management, whereas, in customer level in can be only inbound level. For instance, individual firms might need to track the all the items coming from the suppliers to the factory premises and also need to track of the end products from factory to the end customer. During tracking for both the inbound and outbound logistics, there might be possible interruptions of tracking information due to the temporary storage of goods in the corresponding warehouses and to save the power of the tracking devices. However, the tracking is started immediately after the goods leave the corresponding warehouses or consolidation points. In this situation, tracking can be pause and operate by controlling the device/tool in some predefined/preprogrammed format. The overall tracking needs can be displayed in Fig. 1.