As cold chains become more complex and regulated, it’s crucial to employ a hands-on approach to data analysis, innovation, and operations for increased productivity. Follow these five guidelines to increase the productivity in your cold chain.
Communicate Effectively
Effective communication is essential to a cold chain’s productivity. Consider holding weekly meetings in order to give your team an opportunity to address logistics and operations. This will prevent any miscommunication and errors.
Increase Data Sharing and Visibility
Incorporating real-time temperature monitoring instruments and IoT technologies can seamlessly connect business processes and data with suppliers, customers, and government agencies at the same time. Plus, these technologies make it far easier to locate, monitor, and address errors, which saves both time and money. At Cargo Data, our Lightning Real-Time Temperature recorders provide online access to current temperature, location, and door status while perishable shipments are in-transit, which reduces the chance of food spoilage.
Measure Performances
Reviewing performance metrics can aid in the improvement of productivity, quality of product, and overall customer satisfaction. When measuring the performance of your cold chain, there are a variety of metrics that can be used, including time, cost, and quality. A good metric should be easy to understand and derived from real data.
Control Cold Chain Costs
Managing every step in the cold chain process can keep costs down. Before you start making cuts, it’s important to focus on the areas that will lead to the greatest returns. These areas may include:
- Monitoring customer demand
- Automating processes
- Streamlining ordering processes
- Protecting products
Develop a Training Plan
While a productive and efficient cold chain requires logistical systems, analytics, and infrastructure, it’s also important to incorporate continuous training and education for both employees and managers. A comprehensive and constructive training plan will increase productivity while reducing costs. If you want to build a performance-based approach, consider giving your team an incentive to act in accordance to your cold chain’s core mission.
Contact Cargo Data for More Information
If you’d like to know more about our real time temperature monitoring and how it can cost yours costs and improve operational efficiency, give us a call. We offer free consultations and can be reached at (800) 338-8134.