Carrier Transicold Introduces Micro-Link® 5 Controller, Industry’s First Container Refrigeration Unit Controller with Wireless Connection Capability

Carrier makes a move in telematics

Shipping line personnel can now monitor and access container refrigeration unit operations from a smartphone or tablet, thanks to Carrier Transicold’s new Micro-Link® 5 controller, the industry’s first container refrigeration unit controller with wireless connection capability for improved visibility, diagnostics, convenience and productivity. Carrier Transicold is a part of Carrier, a leading global provider of innovative heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC), refrigeration, fire, security and building automation technologies.

The Micro-Link 5 controller allows personnel to interface with refrigerated containers via Carrier Transicold’s new DataLINE Connect™ app for mobile devices without any physical contact with the refrigeration unit itself. That means operators standing dockside or on a ship deck can securely monitor temperature readings, check alerts, review diagnostics and download data from nearby Carrier Transicold refrigerated containers, even if the containers are stacked high above. The DataLINE Connect app provides information-rich, intuitive displays so operators can quickly and easily see and respond to relevant container information.

                                                               Microlink5

Wireless connectivity, while a key benefit of the new controller, is just one of several advances over Carrier Transicold’s standard Micro-Link 3 controller, which has long been an industry workhorse. The new controller features a 32-bit ARM processor that is 150 times faster than its predecessor, has twice as many inputs/outputs, enabling the use of additional sensors and significantly expanding its range of capabilities, and offers a port for direct data exchange for software updates and data downloads using a USB flash drive or direct PC connection. Significantly, the Micro-Link 5 offers expanded memory for data storage and programming – up to 2,000 times more than the current product.

The Micro-Link 5 controller’s optional back-up battery offers another industry first: the application of “smart battery” technology – commonly found on smartphones today – to container refrigeration unit control. The rechargeable smart battery has the ability to prioritize operations based on charge level. For instance, if the charge level is low, it will maintain critical USDA sensor data recording and disable nonessential activities. The smart battery also indicates charge level and remaining service life, helping users get maximum use from a battery, rather than prematurely replacing it.

“This represents a major leap in visibility, accessibility and functionality compared to traditional controls,” said Willy Yeo, director of marketing, Carrier Transicold. “Wireless technology enables greater and more convenient customer access to their container refrigeration systems for greater productivity. The Micro-Link 5 controller offers the potential to support more features and digital offerings.”

While it encompasses multiple advances and new features, the Micro-Link 5 controller uses the same external display and keypad as Carrier Transicold’s standard controller, to ensure familiar manual configuration. The new controller is designed for improved serviceability over its predecessor, with features such as more convenient positioning of connector ports and better self-diagnostics that provide a higher level of detail for technicians when troubleshooting alarm conditions.

The Micro-Link 5 controller is now available in limited production as a premium upgrade for Carrier Transicold container refrigeration equipment.

Source- www.transicold.carrier.com

ONE further expands refrigerated container fleet

ONE further expands refrigerated container fleet.

                              Credit : ONE

Ocean Network Express (ONE) is expanding its current refrigerated container (reefer) fleet of 240,000 TEU by adding another 6000 (40” HC) units, including 500 units equipped with advanced Controlled Atmosphere (CA) technology which slows down the respiration and ripening process to maximize the shelf life of fruits and vegetables. These reefer containers will be made available for accepting new bookings towards end of the year to meet reefer peak season global demand around the world.

ONE has one of the largest, state of the art reefer fleet in the world, equipped with the most advanced technologies designed to handle perishable cargo demand. With this new investment of 6000 reefer units, coming on the heels of last year’s industry leading procurement of 14,000 units, ONE demonstrates its strong commitment to meet growing demand for containerized reefer trade, which remains strongly augmented by expansion of middle class in Asia constantly demanding healthy food choices. In 2019 so far, the growth in global refrigerated container trade has outperformed the growth in global container trade and ONE expects the growth momentum to be maintained for remaining months of the year.

ONE is currently working towards the application of latest IoT technology into its fleet of reefer containers which allows real time visibility of critical information such as temperature, humidity inside the container, thereby enhancing value chain proposition of perishable trade.

Jun Shibata, Senior Vice President of Strategic Yield Management, commented:

“ONE is committed to provide our customers with the best in class capabilities to ship your perishables to meet growing demands and opportunities to broaden to new markets. We continuously explore new technologies in refrigerated container segment to improve the service value proposition for our customers dealing with perishable cargos.”

ONE’s Global reefer strategy The Global Reefer Business Planning team (GRBP), based at ONE’s HQ in Singapore, develops ONE’s global reefer marketing and business strategy through close monitoring of market demand and closely collaborating with the regional reefer steering desks located in different parts of the world.

ONE’s Reefer technical team is available on board and on shore to provide round the clock assistance when required. We continue to provide higher quality and more competitive services for our valued customers.

History of temperature controlled Container in Hamburg Sud.

The “Polarstern” was equipped with the most cutting-edge automated cooling equipment of its day. However, the real attention grabber during the photo session on its maiden voyage were two king penguins.

Bananas about cold transports

With Remote Container Management (RCM), Hamburg Süd offers its customers the latest state-of-the-art reefer technology. But the company already started transporting temperature-sensitive goods from South America to Europe around 120 years ago.

It was in 1900 that the “Cap Roca” first steamed across the Atlantic to Europe carrying a few clusters of bananas in a small cold store. At the time, this fruit was still a luxury good in Europe. However, around 30 years later, demand for fruit from South America had already risen so sharply that more Cap-class cargo and passenger steamers were partially converted for refrigerated transport. In the 1950s, Cap-class ships were deployed for the express service between Europe and South America. These vessels boasted cold storage rooms with a loading volume of 150,000 cubic feet – this is equivalent to a volume of 63 of today’s 40' high cube reefer containers.

Beginning in 1961, Hamburg Süd also used the legendary Cap San ships for refrigerated transports. The series of six newbuildings were nicknamed the “white swans of the South Atlantic” on account of their particularly elegant lines. But what really made these vessels exceptional were their cold storage rooms with a combined volume of 250,000 cubic feet – an enormous size for that time. Depending on the cargo, the temperature in these compartments could be individually adjusted to between –20 and +15 degrees Celsius (ca. –4 and +60 degrees Fahrenheit).

As from 1964, Hamburg Süd further expanded its transport capacities for temperature-sensitive cargo with the “Polarlicht” and the “Polarstern.” With six additional Polar-class newbuildings in 1967, it finally rose to become the European shipping company with the largest refrigerated hold capacity. The first refrigerated containers arrived in the late 1960s. Hamburg Süd’s first fully containerized ship, the “Columbus New Zealand,” set new international standards for reefer transports when it entered into service in 1971. With slots for 553 refrigerated containers, the ship could transport almost 300,000 boxes of bananas across the Atlantic – or twelve times as many as the “Cap Arcona” once could.

In addition to demand for refrigerated transports, the related quality requirements have also steadily increased over the decades. Today, innovative technologies, such as Controlled Atmosphere (CA), ensure that the conditions in refrigerated containers precisely correspond to the requirements of the respective cargo. In addition to being monitored and documented, all data will soon also be accessible in real time during transport thanks to Remote Container Management  (RCM). This development was of course unforeseeable around 120 years ago, when Hamburg Süd first entered refrigerated shipping with the “Cap Roca.”

Hapag-Lloyd launches remote reefer monitoring system.

Hapag-Lloyd has become the latest container carrier to outfit its fleet of reefer containers with real-time monitoring technology.

The German carrier announced at the Transport Logistic exhibition, which began opened today in Munich, that it was to begin equipping its fleet of 100,000 reefer units with its Hapag-Lloyd LIVE system that employs IoT technology.

It added that as he programme is rolled out across its reefer fleet, shippers using dry contaienrs may also request the technology.

“With our corporate ‘Strategy 2023’, we have set ourselves the goal of becoming number one for quality. Customers expect more reliable supply chains, so the industry needs to change and invest sufficiently. It is imperative that we understand and fulfil our customers’ needs faster than our competitors,” said Juan Carlos Duk, managing director of global commercial development at Hapag-Lloyd.

“Inviting our customers to further shape our real-time monitoring products right from the beginning will give them an opportunity to receive products that are tailor-made for their needs – while giving us a chance to deliver the best-possible service at the same time,” he added.

The reefer technology has been provided by transport technology company Globe Tracker, which has developed an end-to-end remote reefer monitoring technology.

“We are honoured to have been chosen by Hapag-Lloyd because of our innovative strength and ability to provide a world-class cold chain visibility solution. We are extremely impressed with the rigorous detail, focus, diligence and high quality of their selection process, and could not be more pleased with the result,” said Jákup Lamhauge, CEO of Globe Tracker.

Meanwhile, the connectivity between vessels, inland distribution modes, terminals and the carrier’s headquarters and shippers has been provided by Deutsche Telekom and Ericsson – the latter was a key partner in the development of Maersk’s remote container management programme.

Hapag-Lloyd said the commercial features of the system would be “gradually released for use as the entire reefer fleet is being outfitted”.

Latest Hapag-Lloyd order for new reefers will lift its fleet strength above 100,000

Hapag-Lloyd has a placed an order 13,420 new reefer containers – its largest ever.

The carrier’s order is  for 12,450 40ft reefers and  970 specialised 20ft units, with construction due to begin this month, the first units being delivered by November.

They will lift the line’s reefer fleet above 100,000 units and coincide with the beginning of the Latin America fruit export season – particularly blueberries, cherries and avocados – but are also likely to be used for transporting fish and meat.

Niklas Ohling, senior director container steering at Hapag-Lloyd, said: “With this new order, we will be expanding our transport capacities for our customers. They will now have at their disposal over 100,000 state-of-the-art refrigerated containers with a total capacity of 210,000 teu, some of which will be equipped with the latest controlled atmosphere technology, which slows the ripening process during transport, thereby extending the shelf life of fruit and vegetables.”

Mr Ohling added that the new units would be fitted with the emerging internet of things technology that monitors the condition of the reefer while in transit and relays shipment information to shippers under the Hapag-Lloyd LIVE platform.

“In recent years, we have continuously invested in the expansion and modernisation of the reefer fleet. We have consolidated our leading position in this market segment and can offer our customers outstanding quality in the transport of temperature-sensitive goods on all trade routes,” Mr Ohling added.

A company spokesman declined to disclose with which container manufacturer the order had been placed. In October, Hapag-Lloyd’s previous record reefer order – for 8,600 units – was placed with Maersk’s reefer manufacturing subsidiary, Maersk Container Industry (MCI).

At the beginning of this year, MCI announced it was quitting the dry box building business to focus exclusively on reefers, which command far higher prices.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Using Demand Planning.

Did you know that 79% of companies with high-performing supply chain processes recorded above average yearly revenue growth? Your supply chain performance can be the difference between success and failure.

One of the biggest factors in a high-performing supply chain process is analyzing and planning for your future business needs. One of the most common planning methods used by most businesses is demand planning. In fact, businesses using big data analytics in demand planning experienced a 425% improvement in order-to-cycle delivery times and more than six times improvement in supply chain efficiency of 10 percent or higher.

But first, what exactly is demand planning all about?

What is Demand Planning?

Demand planning is a supply chain management process that analyzes current and projected demand to create a reliable forecast for your business. This method consists of these 10 steps:

• Importing of historical data
• Creating statistical forecasts
• Importing customer forecasts
• Collaborating with customers
• Managing forecasts
• Building consensus forecasts
• Supply and demand collaboration
• Securing constrained forecasts
• Confirmation with customers
• Re-examining data and adjusting planning accordingly

In addition to these 10 steps, there are three key questions your business will need to answer before setting up your demand planning process:

• What products are involved?
• What is the current location of these products?
• What is the current pattern of their demand?

Your business has to conduct this process in an in-depth and detail oriented manner. The more information you possess before you start the execution, the more accurate the outcome will be.

After completing the extensive amount of statistical research, the key stakeholders can use the information to make a rational decision for the company’s future. Using real company data, they can plan future strategies to grow the business further.

This strategic role that demand planning method plays in the organization is viewed by many not only as essential but also the best way to look for accuracy and validity.

Now, after covering the basics of what demand planning is, let us look at the advantages and disadvantages of using this method.

Advantages Of Demand Planning

1. Improves Product Forecast Accuracy

 

Effective demand planning can assist supply chain managers by accurately forecasting product production and expected company’s revenue.

For example, if a company has consistently forecasted too many products for a monthly promotion, demand planning allows for two things:

1. A framework to investigate previous forecasts and identify why the forecasted amounts were predicted in this manner.
2. A methodical approach to adjust forecasts based on actual company data and more.

Why is this important? Having excess or idle inventory is detrimental to your business. Retailers lose more than $1 trillion globally as a result of overstock and out-of-stock situations.  Using demand planning, your business can analyze if your business has been meeting the monthly promotion goals and if it justifies the added costs of holding excess inventory.

Now, let us take a look at how Amazon, one of the world’s biggest eCommerce company, uses demand planning to forecast their product’s demand.

Using a predictive shipping algorithm, Amazon predicts and stocks warehouse products that are regularly purchased by customers. Amazon does this by analyzing the history of their customer’s buying data. For example, for paper towel rolls, Amazon would anticipate the number of paper towels rolls needed in a given week and adjusts warehouse stock accordingly. Using predictive analytics, Amazon is able to optimize business planning and create business efficiency.

With more accurate product forecasting, your business will be better equipped to plan your production needs.

 2. Increases Supply Chain Scheduling

By predicting and analyzing when sales are likely to happen, your business can better plan your production, warehousing, and shipping schedules. When you need to do mandatory maintenance shutdowns or website reboots, you can avoid the time periods when you receive the most orders to execute these activities.

Furthermore, during the months where your business anticipates an increase in demand, you can work with your suppliers and team members to ensure that stock levels remain high. In the event of any anticipated fulfillment delays, you can reach out to your customers early and update them of any upcoming fulfillment issues so that they can better prepare for this delay.

3. Optimize Labor Management

Do you have any idea how many staff members your business requires in the first week of July? If you haven't been using demand planning, the chances are probably not.

If you have too few workers when there is high demand for your products, your business could experience a decrease in fulfillment time along with a decrease in average orders completed per day. When you are unable to fulfill your customers’ orders on time, they will be disappointed. And, as a result, you might lose those customers’ business as they will be more likely to look for other suppliers for their business needs.

Successfully predicting the peaks in demand will allow your business to plan your staffing needs more accurately during periods of high product demands. You can then take action such as hiring more temporary staff members to ensure you produce your goods on time.

4. Create Efficient Cash Flow Management

The inability to pay vendors and suppliers is not a situation any supply chain manager wants to encounter. If you do not pay your vendors on time, they might not be willing to deliver their products to you. This puts your production at risk. You risk angering your customers if your production delays affect your ability to fulfill their orders.

Also, forecasting demand helps your business to predict any shortfalls in sales. With this information, your business can plan to stockpile cash or negotiate for loans or credit terms in advance to meet your financial needs.

Disadvantages Of Demand Planning

Now that we have discussed the benefits of implementing demand planning, let's look at the other side of things. Here are four disadvantages of demand planning.

1. More Complicated Than Helpful

Supply Chain Insights shared, "demand planning is the most misunderstood and most frustrating of any supply chain planning application." This is a viewpoint shared by many. You simply cannot predict the future.

You can plan and forecast different business scenarios, but you cannot be confident that any of these scenarios will happen. Many factors can render a forecast worthless, even when you use good data.

As a result, some companies have shied away from implementing demand planning as it is both time-consuming and tedious. Companies are unwilling to invest time to create a forecast that may not yield any benefits.

2. Numbers are Full of Uncertainty

For any given business, just because June 2017 was a great month for orders, does not guarantee that June 2018 will be just as successful. This idea makes the notion of using demand planning worthless in the minds of some organizations.

It is difficult for a business to base their predictions for the new year based on the previous year as there are many unknown factors. Every promotional campaign, every season and every customer will not behave the same as the year before. In times of political and economic uncertainty, historical data could be completely baseless if used for forecasting. Furthermore, current data is not always readily available.

3. Cognitive Bias

For demand planning to work, data has to be collected from different departments, such as sales or customer success/account managers. Also, the owner of the overall demand planning function must sign off the numbers and is responsible for how low/high they are at the end of the day. While data, sales team input, and customer feedback are all important, since demand planning numbers are all set by people, they are susceptible to cognitive bias.

Cognitive biases include overconfidence, conservatism, recency, bandwagon and other effects, which may over or under-inflate demand planning forecasts.

For example, if the sales team receives incentives for exceeding their sales targets, they might lean towards setting low numbers to improve their bonuses. Or, the CFO in charge of demand planning may be overconfident about new product lines being released.

4. Keep it Simple

Many businesses, especially smaller ones, believe that demand planning is far too complex. They do not have the manpower nor the time to invest in creating a viable demand planning forecast.

A statistical approach may be the right idea for certain campaigns, but to keep each campaign consistent, it is best to keep the planning process as simple as possible.

Here are some other common methods that businesses use:

• Time series methods (Looking at historical data.)
• Regression methods (Examining historical averages to hypothesize future relationships based on common variables.)
• Heuristic methods (Leveraging the experience and expertise of company leaders to execute off their ideas and projections.)
• Consensus approach method (Voting among key players across the organization.)

To Use Or Not To Use This Method?

If you are a part of an organization that keeps very detailed data on each month’s inventory and fulfillment rates, then demand planning could be useful. You can track the months where the supply chain team has excelled in and try to mirror some of the ways they were able to accomplish such success.

If you are not part of an organization that has much historical data, then starting with a simple organizational structure with a clear and simple analytical process will probably be a great start. Trying to implement anything that is more complicated than originally intended is not the wisest decision when first starting out.

While the usefulness of using demand planning is debatable, using an inventory and order management software to help manage your supply chain process only bring benefits to your business. Here at Sweet, we help wholesalers, manufacturers and distributors to streamline their supply chain process.

How To Use Economic Order Quantity To Lower Inventory Costs For Your Business

Retailers lose $1.1 trillion globally in revenue due to overstock and out-of-stock situations. So if you still don't believe ordering the wrong amount of inventory for your business can be extremely costly, you should think again. On one hand, ordering too much inventory results in obsolete inventory and high storage space cost. On the other hand, if you have too little stock, you run the risk of stockouts occurring and letting your customers go elsewhere. What metric can you use to assist you in determining the ideal quantity of goods your business should order?

We’ve got the answer for you: economic order quantity.

What is Economic Order Quantity?

The definition of economic order quantity, or EOQ in short, is the optimum quantity of goods that a company should purchase at a single time to minimize their total inventory cost to the lowest level.

How does using EOQ help your business?

1. Reduce your storage and holding costs

It is a common misconception that accounting for inventory ends after its purchase. Other than the cost of production, you still have to take into account the ordering cost and cost of holding your product inventory in stock. While technology has helped to make inventory management more efficient, “days inventory outstanding” (which is the number of amount of inventory on hand based on average sales a day) has risen at a pace of 8.3% over the past five years. This begs the questions, how do you lower your inventory cost?

The EOQ model considers these factors. Using the EOQ model, you can find the ideal quantity of goods to purchase in one order that is the most economically profitable. If you order too few products at one time, you might find yourself having higher inventory cost due to a higher total ordering cost. The higher ordering cost consists of the cost incurred due to ordering, handling and shipping cost of that particular order. Other times, you might not be saving money when you buy in bulk quantities due to higher storage cost. Only when you order at your EOQ value are you able to achieve the lowest possible inventory cost possible.

2. Satisfy your customer’s need

Ensuring that you have enough products to meet your customer’s demand is often a difficult task. However, by using the EOQ formula, you can determine how much stock to maintain, when do you need to re-order inventory and the number of goods to order. With this information, you can ensure that you will have enough product stock to keep orders fulfilled and your customers satisfied.

Limitations of EOQ

While EOQ is useful for your business, there are some limitations that you will need to take note of when using this value for ordering products to your inventory.

Here are the assumptions for the EOQ model.

1. There is a constant demand for the product.
2. You must have the ability to restock your product immediately. There is no delay for the re-ordering of the stock and the quantity delivered is the exact quantity demanded.
3. Your business is not seasonal and does not fluctuate throughout the year. Note: The standard EOQ model does not factor in seasonality or economic fluctuations. In order to account for seasonal variations in your product, you can use a shorter time period for your EOQ calculations during which the demand is relatively constant for the particular time frame.
4. The formula is used to calculate the optimal amount for individual products and, if applicable, product variants. I.e., not for product categories in aggregate, or for a product with multiple variants.

Economic Order Quantity Formula: How To Calculate It?

To determine your product’s EOQ, you will first have to get the following information: 

• Annual Demand: the expected demand of your product for the year.
• Ordering Cost: This is typically the cost of ordering, shipping, and handling of an order. This is not the cost of goods.
• Holding/Carrying Cost: A product’s holding cost will typically include:

1. Cost of storage space
2. Cost of labor
3. Cost of insurance
4. Cost of goods damaged or spoiled

With these 3 data, you can calculate your products EOQ using the following formula:

Where

Q= Economic order quantity (in units)

D= Annual demand (in units)

S= Ordering cost (per order)

H= Carrying cost/holding cost (per unit)

Allow us to show you an example to illustrate how it works.

Don Sports Store sells Basketballs. The business expects to sell 4500 basketball a year. The unit holding cost per year for the basketball is $0.20. The ordering cost per order is $20 per order.

D (Annual Demand) = 4500

H (Holding Cost) = 0.2

S (Ordering Cost) = 20

Using the EOQ formula,

The economic order quantity calculated for the basketball is 949.

Thus, Don Sports Store should order 949 basketballs per order to minimize its inventory costs.

We hope this article helps you understand how using economic order quantity can lower your inventory costs.