How Smart Packaging is Shaping the Future of Supply Chain Logistics

Smart Packaging is a game changer for the supply chain logistics industry Products shipped domestically or across borders need to be tracked for visibility from origin to destination. Packaging plays a vital role in every stage of movement by providing insights that help improve the supply chain flow. With smart packaging, you get holistic data regarding the package’s location and the surrounding storage conditions.

For any logistics service provider, integrating real-time smart packaging into their solutions is necessary as it improves the customer experience and efficiency in the shipping process.

What is Smart Packaging?

In the shipping industry, the innovation of smart packaging is a technological boon. It reveals key details about the package, such as its weight, pressure, temperature, humidity, and contents. This ensures that packages reach their destination in good condition and ideal shape.

Additionally, smart packaging enables real-time tracking throughout the shipping process, from the origin location and shipment date to product condition and estimated arrival date.

The three accepted types of smart packaging

Intelligent packaging

This kind of packaging allows you to track and monitor a package during its transit and storage. Embedded with external and internal microchips and printed codes, the intelligent packaging provides complete information about the package environment, product temperature, and location among other details. Industries like pharma and food and processing are benefitted using this packaging as the products must be shipped and stored in specific conditions.

Active packaging

This packaging is mostly used for food and beverage industries as it helps to extend the product’s shelf life by controlling odour and retaining flavours and moisture.

Connected packaging

In this type of packaging, digital printing and graphic design are used to increase consumer engagement with the product’s packaging. For example, the consumer can scan a QR code on the package to get more information about the product and get a curated experience. It can be also used to track products in real-time and communicate with supply chain stakeholders.

How does smart packaging work?

QR and Barcodes: Barcodes can be seen on all products and they share information about packaging and its shipping information. QR codes with their dots and spaces create two-dimensional barcodes that can be used to gather additional information about the product.

Augmented Reality (AR): The capabilities of augmented reality are increasingly used in smart packaging as it offers consumer engagement.

Freshness Indicators: Now with food freshness indicators, the consumer can know if the food content is fresh or not. The label indicator will change colours showcasing the level of freshness of the content inside the package.
RFID (Radio frequency identification): RFID tags help collect real-time data information and transmit it to the user. The packaging can be seamlessly tracked by shippers by embedding RFID chips into packaging that will help pinpoint the exact location and the inventory it is carrying.

Why use smart packaging

Improve Traceability: For a logistics supply chain company, end-to-end transparency is important to track the exact product locations at any given point in time. Besides that, the stakeholders also look for better tracking to have control over their shipments and allow them to make improvements to their supply chain.

Predictive planning & analysis: Smart packaging uses predictive analysis and planning for inventory management as it can easily track inventory up to SKU levels to prevent stockout in the warehouse.This way all inventories can be replenished when necessary.

Manage quality control: Companies like 20Cube use smart packaging to have control over the product and its integrity. This helps in long-lasting solutions and ensures quality products are delivered in good condition.
Improve customer experience: Smart packaging contributes to customer satisfaction as it allows shipments to arrive on time to their final destination.

Why Use Smart Packaging?

Shipment tracking is an innovative technology and an essential component of supply chain visibility. At 20Cube, we understand the importance of transparency and end-to-end visibility to your consignment that offers actionable insights to improve performance and efficiency within the supply chain. With our digital collaborative platform, MyHub, you will have seamless access to real-time visibility, daily reports, and multiple other digital services for your logistics challenges.