Smart Industry 2/2018

tor goods in the warehouse, but what
happens once the goods exit past the
gate? Trucks might have GPS, but the
trailer sitting in a parking lot probably
doesn’t. Cellular technology could be
used to track a container cross-continent,
but it may run out of battery.
Although geolocation technologies
have been around for years, their
spread has been limited – mainly
because network services lack worldwide
coverage, global reach, and a
low total cost of ownership (TCO).
Today, change is being driven by new
geolocation solutions that use network
services based on low-power
wide-area (LPWA) networks. Global
IoT services provider Sigfox is one
such network bringing down the cost
and energy consumption required
to securely connect IoT trackers and
sensors to the cloud. The network currently
spans 50 countries and will cover
more than 60 by the end of 2018.
Thanks to Sigfox’s radio technology
and disruptive network architecture,
long-battery-life tracking devices and
low-TCO solutions are now available
on the market, with global network
coverage able to meet international
business needs. Ideally suited for
small amounts of data, such as geolocation
information, Sigfox’s IoT network
is currently being used across
supply and production chains, logistics,
and shipping and packaging.
Sigfox is unique in the LPWA landscape
in that all its base stations
catching radio signals sent by objects
are part of the same network. That
means that moving containers, pallets,
RTI, ULD, and trailers equipped
with IoT trackers can transmit their
data all over the world – a real game
changer when compared to existing
GSM-based solutions.
Geolocation solutions are
coming fast
There are many ways to locate an
asset and the right combination of
technologies will depend on each
organization’s requirements. GPS is
available to companies that require
very precise location details – mainly
for outdoor purposes – using the low
cost and low power advantages of
LPWAN technologies to transmit the
geolocation data captured by GPS
trackers. GPS, however, is usually a
more power-hungry feature.
Another option is to use LPWA network
data. By leveraging the received
signal strength indicator (RSSI) coming
from the messages sent by the
tracking device and received by the
network infrastructure, it’s possible
to locate any asset. Such a networkbased
location solution enables the
geolocation application to operate
with very low cost and low energy location
devices – equipped with just a
Sigfox module. This method provides
a kilometer-level tracking accuracy of
between 1 km and 10 km.
When even greater accuracy is needed
and for urban, indoor environments,
surrounding Wi-Fi signals can
be intercepted to obtain their location,
and then by querying worldwide
databases, MAC addresses sent to the
cloud by the trackers via the Sigfox
network can be translated into geographical
positions. This technology is
leveraging the global footprint of the
Wi-Fi infrastructure, which has both
indoor and outdoor coverage and a
high density in urban areas.
Eye in the sky
There are huge advantages
associated
with more accurate
asset tracking, and
blind flows can benefit
most from geolocation
technologies.
Smart logistics tracking
Intercontinental flows like sea freight
with long lead times, production
flows involving external players like
suppliers or subcontractors, and
equipment monitoring like reusable
packaging are all blind flows that can
benefit from using geolocation technologies
in this way. There are huge
advantages associated with more accurate
asset tracking. Improvements
to service levels for clients might
include a reduction in lead times because
detecting containers unloading
at the arrival port helps to accelerate
logistics operations at its destination.
Likewise, alerts about delays can help
trigger corrective actions to better
manage priorities between clients
and improve supply chain planning.
Any company can benefit from increased
visibility around its supply
chain. Among the early adopters
of IoT geolocation and tracking solutions
is Michelin, the global tire
manufacturer, which tracks its intercontinental
sea-freight containers
in real time. By providing freighters
with a geolocation service with which
to monitor its containers from the
initial warehouse to the final point
of delivery, Michelin has been able
to improve its operational value by
reducing lead time, providing alerts
about delays, and ensuring appropriate
transport conditions.
Using this IoT solution has enabled
Michelin to decrease transit stocks by
10 percent, increase estimated time
of arrival (ETA) accuracy by 40 percent
and reduce out of stock (OOS) situations
due to exceptional causes, such
as bad weather, by a factor of 4.
Other companies, including Airbus
and Total, are now following suit,
working with Sigfox and its ecosystem
of partners to deploy global geolocation
solutions, in order to improve
logistics flow and track freight, optimize
rolling stock, and help manage
trailer fleets.
The global supply chain
IoT tracking devices don’t need to
send huge amounts of data and can
run seamlessly on simple networks.
The success of the connected supply
chain of the future will, therefore, rely
on the solution, as well as the network
it connects to, and their ability to
meet key supply chain requirements
such as compatibility with multiple
transport modes, stakeholders, and
destinations. Having a worldwide
footprint, a global reach for data, and
a business-consistent TCO will also be
critical factors.
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