In this week’s CCJ Tech Shorts, we’ll take a look at a new feature on a data capture application that provides delivery receipts for shippers, a new smart label, TCA’s newest iteration of its learning management system and Bosch’s successful launch of its digital logistics platform in the U.S.
Contents of this video
00:00 Tech Shorts intro
00:31 Data capture
01:44 5G Smart Labels
03:23 Learning Management System
04:09 Simplifying IT processes
00:00 In this week’s CCJ Tech Shorts, we’ll take a look at a new feature on a data capture application that provides delivery receipts for shippers, a new smart label, TCA’s newest iteration of its learning management system and Bosch’s successful launch of its digital logistics platform in the U.S.
00:31 DDC FPO, a global provider of business process outsourcing and technology solutions for the transportation and logistics industries, has a new feature on its DDC Sync data capture application that can now provide a Delivery Receipt for final confirmation that a shipper’s customer received their shipment.
DDC FPO Chief Information Officer Richard Greening said, “Delivery Receipt capture with DDC Sync is the last piece of true visibility our carrier customers need to continually offer the highest quality service. Providing accurate proof of delivery instantly once a load is delivered allows them to meet shipper and 3PL expectations, and it speeds the accounts receivable and payment process for carriers.”
With the DDC Sync in-cab system, delivery receipt, bill of lading and label data are captured using mobile, smart optical character recognition (OCR) technology. The information is then made available to customers immediately through an online portal.
Unlike other products that simply take an image of a document that needs to be scanned or entered manually for recordkeeping, DDC Sync is a native Android app that immediately transmits data to the carrier’s terminal.
01:44 London-based Reelables, the creator of wireless smart labels, has launched a printable 5G label for logistics providers, cargo forwarders, and retailers to track shipments at the piece level as they move through the supply chain.
5G Smart Labels, available worldwide, function as the tracking device, connected to a cellular network. Reelables labels automatically collect actual location data from the cellular network data and trigger events the moment a shipment arrives or departs a warehouse or waypoint, or an exception is detected. They also generate inventory counts, providing a complete warehouse audit nearly every minute or less.
This is also an industry-first in the field of printed electronics to fabricate an active LPWAN device with coated zinc batteries that share a common paper-thin wireless circuit. The label is so thin and flexible that it can be printed in volume from off-the-shelf barcode printers simply by changing standard label media to Reelables.
The underlying technology is a reel-to-reel, thin-film manufacturing process that enables Reelables to make ultra-thin and extremely cost-efficient wireless circuits into smart labels. The initial offering is a chipset level integration of NB-IoT, with LTE-M to soon follow as part of the 5G family of LPWAN technologies.
Reelables’ CEO and Co-Founder (Brian Krejcarek) said, “This is a major breakthrough when it comes to supply chain visibility and automation. Achieving mass production and pervasive deployment of these thin film wireless smart labels will change how businesses track items, reduce theft and loss, and demonstrate accountability to their customers.”
03:23 TCA has rolled out its new Learning Management System for members looking to advance their industry knowledge, manage certifications for their teams and more.
The new system includes a new home page, team performance tracking and modernized course delivery software and is mobile friendly.
In addition to enhanced features and content, the new system is fully integrated with the North American Transportation Management Institute (NATMI), TCA’s accrediting, training and professional certification affiliate for truck and bus fleet management professionals.
The new learning management system will have everything participants in either program need in one place. TCA members will also have access to NATMI material at a discounted rate.
04:09 Bosch’s digital logistics platform L.OS, targeted for simplifying IT processes in the transport and logistics industry, has achieved a successful market launch in Europe, India and the U.S.
L.OS has added 10 logistics customers in the U.S., and the integration of more than 50 service providers into the digital marketplace is already underway across all three. Last year, Bosch announced a strategic collaboration with the U.S. cloud provider Amazon Web Services (AWS) to digitalize logistics.
Bosch aims to generate global sales of some 500 million euros with logistics services by 2030 and has set up its new, transnational “Mobility Platform and Services” operating unit with more than 400 associates across Europe, India and the U.S. to build digital platforms. This currently includes L.OS.
Using the digital L.OS platform, logistics and transportation companies across the globe have quick and easy access to IT services. The distinctive feature of L.OS is that it is open to all providers of logistics solutions and facilitates the smooth interplay of disparate services and data. For freight carriers and freight companies, this presents a chance to reap far greater benefit from the opportunities of digitalization for themselves in accordance with their individual needs or requirements in their respective country without having to set up resource- and cost-intensive IT projects of their own.
