Ingersoll Rand - Real-time Temperature Monitoring and Shelf-life Prediction
Business issues
- Develop proof of concept for temperature tracking of produce from field to retail shelf.
- Develop business intelligence for using temperature profile to predict product shelf-life and manage product inventory on a First Expiring First Out (FEFO) basis.
- Deploy and manage proof of concept pilot for the participating strawberry grower/supplier and grocery retailer.
Solution
Temperature monitoring RFID tags were placed into each pallet of straweberries as it was harvested in the field. Using a Motorola handheld computer, the initial product quality was recorded for each pallet to establish the intial parameters for the shelf-life prediction. The temperature monitoring RFID tags were configured to record temperature data throughout the pallets' supply chain journey. At key points, a prediction of the product's remaining shelf-life was made to manage the inventory rotation based on a FEFO model.
Benefits
- Reduced product shrink.
- Enhanced quality control decision support through use of the shelf-life prediction.
- Near real-time identification of cold chain breaks.
- Improved dispute resolution and chain of custody tracking.