Systems and methods for quality monitoring of pallets
Exemplary embodiments are disclosed of systems and methods for quality monitoring of pallets of goods (e.g., fresh seafood, other perishable goods, nonperishable goods, etc.) in a cargo.
1. A method for quality monitoring of a pallet(s) of goods in a cargo during transit, wherein:
each corresponding one of the pallet(s) of goods in the cargo includes a pallet temperature performance tag configured to be operable for indicating that its individual corresponding pallet has experienced any temperature excursion event;
each corresponding purchase order in the cargo includes a portable monitoring device configured to be operable for indicating that the cargo, including the pallet(s) of goods, of the individual corresponding purchase order has experienced any temperature excursion event;
a control box temperature performance tag is positionable within a corresponding control box for each purchase order in the cargo, the control box temperature performance tag configured to be operable for indicating that the goods within the individual corresponding control box have experienced any temperature excursion event; and
a pallet level shipping label includes shipping information for each corresponding one of the pallet(s) of goods in the cargo;
wherein after status information is sent and/or shared via the portable monitoring device for the purchase order after delivery at a final destination, the method comprises:
scanning, via a portable scanning device, a wireless serial number, a shipping serial container code (SSCC) label(s) on the pallet(s), and the pallet temperature performance tag(s);
scanning the control box temperature performance tag in the control box for the purchase order; and
generating an alert if the scanned pallet temperature performance tag(s) indicate that any pallet(s) experienced any temperature excursion during transit.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes:
applying each said pallet temperature performance tag to the corresponding one of the pallet(s) of goods in the cargo;
locating each said portable monitoring device for the corresponding purchase order in the cargo;
placing each said control box temperature performance tag inside a corresponding control box for each purchase order in the cargo; and
applying each said pallet level shipping label to the corresponding one of the pallet(s) of goods in the cargo.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the method includes:
activating each said pallet temperature performance tag;
activating each said control box temperature performance tag; and
activating each said portable monitoring device.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes after arrival of the cargo at a destination, automatically sending and/or sharing status information via the portable monitoring device for the purchase order, the status information including whether:
the purchase order experienced any temperature excursion during transit; or
the purchase order remained within an allowable temperature/time range and therefore did not experience any temperature excursion during transit.
5. A method for quality monitoring of a pallet(s) of goods in a cargo during transit, wherein:
each corresponding one of the pallet(s) of goods in the cargo includes a pallet temperature performance tag configured to be operable for indicating that its individual corresponding pallet has experienced any temperature excursion event;
each corresponding purchase order in the cargo includes a portable monitoring device configured to be operable for indicating that the cargo, including the pallet(s) of goods, of the individual corresponding purchase order has experienced any temperature excursion event; and
a control box temperature performance tag is positionable within a corresponding control box for each purchase order in the cargo, the control box temperature performance tag configured to be operable for indicating that the goods within the individual corresponding control box have experienced any temperature excursion event;
wherein the method comprises:
after arrival of the cargo at a destination, automatically sending and/or sharing status information via the portable monitoring device for the purchase order, the status information including whether:
the purchase order experienced any temperature excursion during transit; or
the purchase order remained within an allowable temperature/time range and therefore did not experience any temperature excursion during transit;
after the status information is sent and/or shared via the portable monitoring device for the purchase order, the method further includes:
scanning, via a portable scanning device, a wireless serial number, a shipping serial container code (SSCC) label(s) on the pallet(s), and the pallet temperature performance tag(s);
scanning the control box temperature performance tag in the control box for the purchase order; and
generating an alert if the scanned pallet temperature performance tag(s) indicate that any pallet(s) experienced any temperature excursion during transit.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the portable scanning device comprises one or more of a camera on a smartphone, an infrared scanner, a Bluetooth (BT) device, a near field communication (NFC) device, and/or a radio-frequency identification (RFID) device.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes scanning, via a portable scanning device, the control box temperature performance tag when any pallet temperature performance tag indicates any temperature excursion outside of an allowable temperature/time range.
8. A method for quality monitoring of a pallet(s) of goods in a cargo during transit, wherein:
each corresponding one of the pallet(s) of goods in the cargo includes a pallet temperature performance tag configured to be operable for indicating that its individual corresponding pallet has experienced any temperature excursion event;
each corresponding purchase order in the cargo includes a portable monitoring device configured to be operable for indicating that the cargo, including the pallet(s) of goods, of the individual corresponding purchase order has experienced any temperature excursion event; and
a control box temperature performance tag is positionable within a corresponding control box for each purchase order in the cargo, the control box temperature performance tag configured to be operable for indicating that the goods within the individual corresponding control box have experienced any temperature excursion event;
wherein:
when the portable monitoring device for the purchase order indicates that an allowable temperature/time range was not exceeded for the purchase order, the method includes scanning the pallet temperature performance tag(s) applied to the pallet(s) to determine whether the pallet(s) exceeded an allowable pallet temperature/time range;
when all of the pallet temperature performance tag(s) indicate that the pallet(s) did not exceed the allowable pallet temperature/time range, the method includes a pulp/inspection of a reduced sample size to determine whether or not to accept the full or partial purchase order;
when any of the pallet temperature performance tag(s) indicate that any of the pallet(s) exceeded the allowable pallet temperature/time range, the method includes scanning the control box temperature performance tag of the control box to determine if the control box exceeded an allowable control box temperature/time range, and
if the control box temperature performance tag indicates that the control box did not exceed the allowable control box temperature/time range, the method includes a pulp/inspection of a reduced sample size to determine whether or not to accept the full or partial purchase order; and
if the control box temperature performance tag indicates that the control box exceeded the allowable control box temperature/time range, the method includes a pulp/inspection of an increased sample size to determine whether or not to accept the full or partial purchase order.
9. A method for quality monitoring of a pallet(s) of goods in a cargo during transit, wherein:
each corresponding one of the pallet(s) of goods in the cargo includes a pallet temperature performance tag configured to be operable for indicating that its individual corresponding pallet has experienced any temperature excursion event;
each corresponding purchase order in the cargo includes a portable monitoring device configured to be operable for indicating that the cargo, including the pallet(s) of goods, of the individual corresponding purchase order has experienced any temperature excursion event; and
a control box temperature performance tag is positionable within a corresponding control box for each purchase order in the cargo, the control box temperature performance tag configured to be operable for indicating that the goods within the individual corresponding control box have experienced any temperature excursion event;
wherein:
when the portable monitoring device for the purchase order indicates that an allowable temperature/time range was exceeded for the purchase order, the method includes scanning the pallet temperature performance tag(s) applied to the pallet(s) to determine whether the pallet(s) exceeded an allowable pallet temperature/time range;
when all of the pallet temperature performance tag(s) indicate that the pallet(s) did not exceed the allowable pallet temperature/time range, the method includes a pulp/inspection of a reduced sample size to determine whether or not to accept the full or partial purchase order;
when any of the pallet temperature performance tag(s) indicate that any of the pallet(s) exceeded the allowable pallet temperature/time range, the method includes scanning the control box temperature performance tag of the control box to determine if the control box exceeded an allowable control box temperature/time range, and
if the control box temperature performance tag indicates that the control box did not exceed the allowable control box temperature/time range, the method includes a pulp/inspection of a reduced sample size to determine whether or not to accept the full or partial purchase order; and
if the control box temperature performance tag indicates that the control box exceeded the allowable control box temperature/time range, the method includes a pulp/inspection of a reduced sample size and the full purchase order is rejected.
10. A method for quality monitoring of a pallet(s) of goods in a cargo during transit, wherein:
each corresponding one of the pallet(s) of goods in the cargo includes a pallet temperature performance tag configured to be operable for indicating that its individual corresponding pallet has experienced any temperature excursion event;
each corresponding purchase order in the cargo includes a portable monitoring device configured to be operable for indicating that the cargo, including the pallet(s) of goods, of the individual corresponding purchase order has experienced any temperature excursion event; and
a control box temperature performance tag is positionable within a corresponding control box for each purchase order in the cargo, the control box temperature performance tag configured to be operable for indicating that the goods within the individual corresponding control box have experienced any temperature excursion event;
wherein the method includes:
receiving a purchase order shipment without requiring any quality control when the portable monitoring device for the purchase order and all of the pallet temperature performance tag(s) of the pallet(s) of the purchase order indicate that the allowable temperature/time range was not exceeded and the purchase order shipment did not experience any temperature excursion;
requiring reduced quality control for a purchase order shipment when the portable monitoring device for the purchase order indicates that the allowable temperature/time range was not exceeded but at least one, but not all, of the pallet temperature performance tag(s) of the pallet(s) of the purchase order indicate that the allowable temperature/time range was exceeded;
requiring reduced quality control for a purchase order shipment when the portable monitoring device for the purchase order indicates that the allowable temperature/time range was exceeded but at least one, but not all, of the pallet temperature performance tag(s) of the pallet(s) of the purchase order indicate that the allowable temperature/time range was not exceeded; and
rejecting a purchase order shipment without requiring any quality control when the portable monitoring device for the purchase order and all of the pallet temperature performance tag(s) of the pallet(s) of the purchase order indicate that the allowable temperature/time range was exceeded and the purchase order shipment experienced any temperature excursion.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising uploading information to an oversight cloud or cloud-based online portal including information from the pallet temperature performance tag(s), the portable monitoring device(s), the control box temperature performance tag(s), and the pallet level shipping label(s).
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising using the information uploaded to the oversight cloud or cloud-based online portal for reporting and analysis including enable end-to-end cold chain visibility, identification of unreliable participant(s) in the cold chain, and/or specific assessment of quality of a shipment on the pallet(s) of goods by pallet level and on a level by level of the pallet(s) of goods.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the method includes:
uploading the information to the oversight cloud or cloud-based online portal for each order that is loaded or unloaded during a shipment; and/or
sending the information from oversight cloud or cloud-based online portal to a customer cloud via an Application Programming Interface (API) network.
14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using information from the pallet temperature performance tag(s), the portable monitoring device(s), the control box temperature performance tag(s), and the pallet level shipping label(s) for tying individual temperature information for each item on the pallet(s) of goods to overall temperature information for a shipment that is tied to one or more of a purchase order number, supplier information, and customer information, and for determining whether items of the purchase order in the shipment remain usable if the overall temperature information indicates that all items in the shipment should otherwise be discarded.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pallet temperature performance tag(s) includes a chemical indicator configured for visibly indicating temperature information and/or temperature change occurrences by color changes.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the chemical indicator includes:
a first portion configured to change to a first color to visibly indicate that the pallet temperature performance tag did not exceed a first temperature/time range or a second temperature/time range;
a second portion configured to change to a second color, different than the first color, to indicate that the pallet temperature performance tag exceeded the first temperature/time range but the pallet temperature performance tag did not exceed the second temperature/time range; and
a third portion configured to change to a third color, different than the first and second colors, to indicate that the pallet temperature performance tag exceeded the second temperature/time range.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the chemical indicator is configured such that both the second and third portions of the chemical indicator change to their respective second and third colors to indicate a dual temperature excursion of the pallet temperature performance tag.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the pallet temperature performance tag(s) include a removable portion or pull-tab configured to be removed by a user to thereby activate the chemical indicator, whereby removal of the removable portion or pull-tab visibly indicates that the chemical indicator has been activated.
19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using the portable monitoring device(s) for providing historical data of temperature, date(s) and time(s) of temperature excursion events, traceability for purchase orders and performance indicators, and/or for keeping track of cold chain shipments with real-time temperature, location, and security data.
20. The method of claim 1 , further comprising scanning, via a portable scanning device, the pallet temperature performance tag(s), the portable monitoring device(s), and the control box temperature performance tag(s) to thereby determine and visibly indicate whether the scanned pallet temperature performance tag, portable monitoring device, or control box temperature performance tag has not exceeded an allowable temperature/time range, has exceeded the allowable temperature/time range thereby indicating a possible temperature excursion, or has not been activated.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the portable scanning device comprises one or more of a camera on a smartphone, an infrared scanner, a Bluetooth (BT) device, a near field communication (NFC) device, and/or a radio-frequency identification (RFID) device.
22. The method of claim 20 , further comprising uploading information from the portable scanning device to an oversight cloud or cloud-based online portal including information scanned from the pallet temperature performance tag(s), the portable monitoring device(s), the control box temperature performance tag(s), and the pallet level shipping label(s).
23. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portable monitoring device(s) comprises one or more of a wireless radio frequency (RF) tracker, logger, recorder, or Internet of Things (IoT) device.
24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pallet level shipping label(s) includes a shipping serial container code (SSCC).