What Is a Cold Chain?

Cold Chain is perhaps a type of supply chain in which transport, storage and preservation of cargo is done. 

The difference of cold chain from supply chain is that it needs to be maintained at a particular temperature range. 

So, it is very important that cold chain logistics management (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) is maintained in the right way. 

What are the things that can be transported from a cold chain?

The need for temperature-controlled logistics has increased a lot.  Hence, cold chain is used such that large food quantity can be transported to a long distance safely. It helps in transporting vital or sensitive cargo over a large distance in different kinds of climatic conditions. 

Some of the products that can be transported through cold chain are Medical Goods, Food & Beverages and chemicals that are temperature-sensitive. You should also understand that not all the cold-chain cargo requires transportation at minimum temperature.  For instance, in the month of winter, there are a few Food & Beverage cold chain that needs warm temperature. 

This is to ensure that they last for long while their texture is maintained. 

So, you should understand that the different cold chain cargo would need varied ambient conditions and temperature in order to maintain.  Lastly, proper container tracking (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) is required such that the actionable data can be generated. 

What are the various parts of the cold chain logistics?

    • Storage which is Temperature-Controlled 

A special refrigeration facility is available in which the cold chain cargo is stored till the time it is not shipped to the destination or distribution center. The same process is followed in the pharmaceutical cold chain (Öffnet in neuem Fenster). 

    • Transport that is Temperature-Controlled 

In this insulated & customized cold containers are present through which goods are transported via various mediums. 

    • Diligent and Trained Personnel 

You should hire a trained professional who can easily handle the complexities of the cold cargo chain. 

    • Efficient management & operational procedures 

This is done such that day-to-day operations risks can be efficiently managed. Further, any kind of unexpected incidents can be easily stopped. Normally, it is seen that management of cold chain distribution & warehousing is outsourced to the third-party logistics operators. 

3PLs tend to give logistics services that can easily be customized as per the specific needs. 

In general, it is also seen that they have good hands on experience in cold chain management. 

Hence, they are able to operate at a lower cost as compared to their customers. 

What is the difference between Cold Chain vs. Supply Chain?

    • Packaging 

It is seen that cold chain packaging is a lot more complex as compared to supply chain. The reason is that you need to insulate it as it contains volatile and sensitive products. 

    • Cost 

Cold Chains are a lot of more expensive to manage if you compare them to the supply chain. It tends to have high operational overheads and can be costly in the case of disruption. 

    • Handling of Cargo 

Special care is needed when it comes to handling of cargo in the case of cold chain. 

    • Regulatory Compliance 

Regulatory Compliance is a lot more stringent in the case of cold chain and it can vary from region to region. 

    • Procedures of Customs 

Procedures of Customs are a lot complex in cold chain especially if medicines or food items are involved. 

    • Complexity in Operations 

There is a lot of supply chain challenges that you need to deal with when it comes to Cold chain. 

Also, the complexity in operations of Cold Chain can be very difficult to manage. 

This is due to handling requirements, coolant failures, and shipment natures to name a few. 

    • Sensitivity of Cargo 

Cold Chain Shipments are a lot more sensitive when it comes to the thermal stress. 

Also, their tolerance levels are not beyond few degrees. 

    • Logistics Hardware 

Logistics Hardware needs to be tailored & customized as per the specific need of the product. 

What are the benefits of Cold Chain Logistics?

    • Product Spoilage is reduced 

One of the major benefits of cold chain logistics is that there is reduction in product spoilage. In this way, the inventory replacement costs are lowered and thus more revenue is generated. 

    • Low Number of damaged products 

Your end customers would receive less number of damaged products. Thus, there would be few PR & legal liabilities. 

    • Good Product Consistency & Quality 

You can expect better product consistency & quality which can lead to better customer satisfaction and service. 

    • Range of Transport 

The range of transport would be greater through which exports can be boosted. Besides this, new market opportunities would be opened. 

What are the risks that are involved in Cold Chain Logistics?

    • Transport issues 

Electrical supply disruptions can happen or a failure of equipment can take place. 

    • Warehouse Storage Issues 

You might have to deal with a number of warehouse storage issues such as poor insulation, power outages & non-uniform cooling. 

    • Handling Incidents 

Handling incidents can occur especially in the areas where the temperature is not regulated. Also, due to bad handling, products can get damaged. 

What are the Cold Chain Monitoring Technologies that can be used?

You can make use of a number of cold chain monitoring technologies. These include Wired Digital Thermometers, Passive Temperature Loggers, Infrared Thermometers, Wireless Temperature Loggers and Temperature Data Loggers. 

How the monitoring of the cold chain is done through IoT?

    • Constant communication takes place for getting the real-time temperature alerts & updates. 

    • Additional data such as weather, shipment locations and local traffic conditions are provided. 

    • Portable & small monitoring devices are used in various multi-modal shipments such that they can be managed remotely. 

    • Cold chain management & monitoring is made easy through real-time dashboards, reports and contextual information. 

    • A real-time predictive analytics which is cloud based is used such that opportunities & risks can be identified such that efficiency is improved. 

    • Real-time crisis management & contingency is put into place such that disruptions can be avoided. 

How to setup real-time cold chain monitoring system?

    • Monitoring devices or sensors need to be deployed such that live temperature data can be gathered. 

    • Besides this, the device should be able to gather other important data such as condition & location. 

    • Package Level monitoring should be done such missing hotspots risks in the transport is avoided. 

    • Constant connectivity should be available such that anomaly alerts or real-time temperature excursion is provided. 

    • Predictive algorithms & data analytics should be improved such that system works in a right way. 

    • You need to ensure that the alerts, reports and overall system are hassle free to use. 

    • Make sure that rapid response can be provided in order to capitalize on the real-time alerts. 

    • Monitoring hardware should be reusable such that ROI is maximized. 

    • Lastly, the monitoring system should be pay-per-use. Other than this, ensure that the system is completely flexible and scalable such that it can easily match with the fluctuating budget. 

Final Verdict 

Above is the complete guide about the Cold chain logistics management & monitoring. So, if you are looking to monitor your cold chain, then look no further than Tive. We can provide you with real time location, end-to-end visibility (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) and hence to monitor your shipments in a right way. 

Besides this, our charges are quite competitive and you won’t face any kind of difficulty to include it in your cold chain. So, contact us today to opt for our visibility solutions and we would be more than happy to monitor your supply chain logistics (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)