Availability Status: How SmartLink helps you be even more efficient

Would you like to have an instant overview of your entire asset fleet as well as the availability of each individual asset? Well yes, of course you would! Think of how much you could cut down on idle time; how much the efficiency of your logistical operations would increase. And that is exactly what a new functionality on SmartLink offers. The service is called, simply and clearly, Availability Status.

SmartLink is the innovative and automated IoT solution developed exclusively by and for Schoeller Allibert. IoT, of course, stands for the Internet of Things – the next phase of the internet revolution, when not just computers but also objects will be online, including reusable packaging. This revolutionary strategy is allowing assets to actively communicate with you.

Efficiency and sustainability

Frederik Dejans, Global Product & IoT Director at Schoeller Allibert, explains: ‘In this case those objects consist of an increasing range of Schoeller Allibert packaging products, with SmartLink allowing operators to track and trace their assets along the logistical chain, to gather intelligence on their inventory, and to take appropriate action to drastically improve the efficiency and sustainability of their fleet management.’

One of the great things about SmartLink is that it is a wonderful tool that keeps getting better, both quantitively – applied to more and more products – and qualitatively – offering more and better services.

SmartLink’s newest service is called Availability Status. Here’s what it offers:

• Reduce idle time of empty assets: are they available or not?

• Manage your entire asset fleet online.

• Get a detailed and up-to-date inventory of your assets.

• Get updates on status changes of your assets.

• Receive dedicated fleet reports every week and/or month.

Digitizing and automating

In short, Availability Status by SmartLink will help you to improve the management of your containers and pallets by digitizing and automating your fleet management. This reduces errors and is generally more efficient. As a result, you save time and resources.

Specifically, this new service shows you which of your assets are standing around idle and empty at the premises of your customers and/or suppliers. This actionable insight allows you to reduce the idle time of these IBC and FLC’s (contact the Schoeller Allibert sales team for available versions), improving the efficiency of your investment, and helping you discover where you need to speed up returns? Alerts can be triggered when assets aren’t returning fast enough or when boxes have been standing idle for too long.

Additionally, the service’s track and trace functionality doesn’t just allow you to follow the legitimate movements of your assets, but also detect improper usage, and identify their location in case of theft.

Structural and incidental

But the added value of the availability functionality is structural as well as incidental. The dedicated fleet reports provide insight into recurring and systemic issues that you can address to improve your fleet management – and ultimately, your profitability.

In so doing, Availability Status is adding to SmartLink’s powerful ability to generate actionable supply chain insights, helping SMEs to improve their logistical flows, and to reduce their carbon footprint.

Availability Status by SmartLink is already available on logistical assets in the Magnum Optimum range. It will be coming soon to the Combo Excelsior and Combo Fructus.