Since September 2018, TrackIQ have been a valued channel partner of Hanhaa, accumulating a number of ParceLive customers, all from varying industries. This case study shall focus on one of TrackIQ’s customers, who is one of the largest wine and spirits distributors in the United States, with operations in 44 states.
Through the application of ParceLive, TrackIQ’s customer is able to monitor their wine and spirits as they travel throughout the supply chain, ensuring that all beverages reach their intended destination in the desired condition.
Optimum storage and transportation conditions differ slightly for wine and spirits, but there are a few core variables that remain the same for both.
The information below is a set of guidelines that should be followed in order for both wine and spirits to arrive at their end destination in suitable conditions.
Wine/Spirit storage conditions:
Temperature:
- Temperature’s higher than 70° F (21 degrees), can cause the wine to spoil, resulting in flat aromas and flavours. If the wine in transport is subject to such low temperatures that it begins to freeze, It could expand enough to push out the cork.
- Unlike white wines and champagne, spirits can and should be stored at room temperature.
Humidity:
- Humidity levels should ideally be between 50%-80% to prevent any damage being caused to the labels.
Orientation of bottles:
- Wine should be stored on its side in order to keep the liquid up against the cork which keeps the cork from drying out.
- Unlike wine, spirits should not be stored on their sides. Keeping your liquor down rather than standing it upright can cause the cork to mix and seep into the liquid, altering the high-alcohol content.
Impact & shock of bottles:
- Vibrations can damage the wine by speeding up the chemical reactions in the liquid. Significant vibrations could possibly disturb the sediment in older wines and keep them from settling.
With so many variables to measure and constantly monitor, ParceLive and its smart sensor technology is able to provide the user with real-time data on the storage and transportation conditions listed above.
To ensure maximum security and visibility when transporting cargo, Hanhaa have developed a profiling feature so that customers can configure the sets of data that they want to be alerted on and determine the frequency at which this data is reported back to them.
The custom profile above is indicative of the nature of the cargo being transported. The humidity, temperature and shock sensors have been set up in a way so that TrackIQ’s wine and spirits customer will be alerted to environmental readings outside of defined parameters.
The custom profile has been programmed to report back on data every 30 minutes, allowing ample visibility into the conditions of the cargo as it travels throughout America.
The image above shows a recent wine and spirits shipment from San Francisco to Houston. As far as journeys go, this one was very uneventful which is of course ideal.
Once the shipment entered into the heart of Houston, a temperature alert was reported that may have had serious consequences for the integrity of the wine and spirits:
On this occasion, TrackIQ’s customer was very fortunate to encounter minimum disruption to their shipment, with temperature alerts only being reported at the very end of the journey. With ParceLive, food and beverage companies are able to monitor the entirety of the journey in-depth. As this particular journey reported very few alerts, TrackIQ’s customer can feel confident in knowing that the route they took was most suitable and one that they will use again in the future. The ParceLive data may also act as a testament to the professionalism of the shipping company that handled and transported the cargo.
Nevertheless, if anything were to go wrong that would jeopardise the wine and spirits in transit, the customer is now in a position to act quickly to ensure product integrity and to resolve any disputes around late or damaged goods. Other supply chain routes may not be as uneventful as the one depicted above. If not, the ParceLive user has the ability to get in touch with the driver and immediately inform him of the damage that is being caused to the cargo. Auditable data thus helps everyone to identify the facts behind late, non-delivery and damage disputes whilst shipping professionals can then identify pinch-points and inefficiencies in delivery networks to improve routing and select the best logistics suppliers.
ParceLive’s service-based model means that users can collect data from the whole delivery supply chain. Real-time alerts, stamped with time and location data, mean that delivery systems can create meaningful workflows to address improvements and deliver competitive advantage and/or new efficiencies to users.
“With ParceLive at my customer’s disposal, they’re now afforded the luxury of being able to confirm whether or not their shipments have arrived at their end destination in the condition they left the warehouse originally. If anything suspicious pops up and they feel their cargo is vulnerable to damage, we can act quickly to resolve the issue for the benefit of all.”
