Globe Tracker case study Vodafone Global M2M Globe Tracker transforms the global supply chain Vodafone Power to you
Globe Tracker case study Globe Tracker and Vodafone M2M transform the global supply chain with a breakthrough asset tracking solution Since its formation in 2006, Globe Tracker (GT) has opened offices and development centres in China, Denmark, Iceland and the US. After five years of intensive research and development GT is now a leading provider of secure trade data sharing, data analytics and global asset tracking and monitoring services and equipment.
3 The need The technology to track shipping containers has been around for 20 years, but with many limitations including the way the product journey is tracked, charged and installed. Without any way of providing end-to-visibility of the journey in real-time, the technology available to shipping and distribution companies has often failed to keep pace with customers needs. This situation has been a problem for goods that need to have their entire journeys tracked and monitored which today, in our real-time world, means just about everything. Historically this has been a particular problem for suppliers of perishable goods like fruits, vegetables, meat and fish. Suppliers of fresh fish, for example, want to prove to their retail partners and consumers that their product is really fresh, was transported in the right conditions and comes from the source claimed.
Globe Tracker case study When we first came up with the idea for this business we knew that we needed a global communications partner that was capable of providing the necessary scale, network coverage and price consistency to make it viable Vodafone was the only serious global option Don Miller, Global Sales and Marketing Director, Globe Tracker The solution The solution developed by GT is a suite of asset visibility devices and networks that is set to revolutionise the shipping and supply chain industries. The suite includes: The Globe Tracker Trade Data Exchange Network (TDEN) A unique and highly secure cloud-based service that allows global supply chain partners to track item-level cargo and to share valuable trade data with each other, as well as with their customers directly from their own secured private databases. The Globe Tracker Communications Unit An advanced real-time tracking, monitoring and communications device. The unit is designed for permanent installation on the customer s assets, cargo containers, trucks, vessels and railway cars. The Smart Autonomous Asset Network (SAAN) This network is an aggregation of all of a customer s GT Communications Units, moving through the global supply chain and communicating directly with their owner s server along the way.
5 Vodafone partnership According to GT, getting this service to market would simply not have been possible without Vodafone and its team of dedicated Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications specialists. Vodafone provides global M2M SIMs that come pre-installed in each GT Communications Unit. Crucially, it also provides reliable and cost-effective network coverage that powers the system all over the globe. When we first came up with the idea for this business we knew that we needed a global communications partner that was capable of providing the necessary scale, network coverage and price consistency to make it viable Vodafone was the only serious global option, says Don Miller, Global Sales and Marketing Director for Globe Tracker. As a growing technology business, we understand that the market moves fast and it s important we always look to and plan for the future. With this in mind, Vodafone s unrivalled knowledge and expertise is going to be a key part of our future growth and success, continues Miller.
Globe Tracker case study The impact Many organisations will benefit from the opportunity to transform the efficiency of their trade operations. Miller estimates that better asset management alone will mean that around 30% of refrigeration containers will be able to make one extra journey per year. Industry data also suggests that the value of fresh fish can vary by as much as 60% based on its journey to market. A number of benefits are already being realised by early adopters of the service. Bakkafrost, a salmon specialist from Iceland, is profiting because the GT solution has been deployed by Eimskip, its shipping partner. Eimskip, has been a key research partner for GT throughout the development of the new system. As a result Bakkafrost is now benefiting commercially from the increased visibility it gets from Eimskip s ability to share data. These metrics are all easily met with the GT solution. For Bakkafrost, it represents a step forward that will provide it with a genuine competitive advantage: At Bakkafrost we are focused on providing the freshest and best quality product possible, says Símun P. Jacobsen, Senior Sales Manager for Bakkafrost. It is our view that having access to real time temperature data from our carriers allows us to not only manage our product better, but also enables us to further distinguish ourselves from our competitors. The fact that this could also result in a reduction in our insurance premiums is very compelling. Additionally, TF Holding and its marine insurance division Tryggingarfelagið Føroyar (TF) recently announced a breakthrough insurance product that rewards cargo shippers and logistics companies for embracing and driving traceability best practices across the global supply chain. As a result TF offer customers a significant discount on their cargo insurance premiums when they agree to provide real-time tracking and monitoring data. This is a really important benefit that will be felt by many other businesses across the other perishable goods industries it means they will be able to do full audit trails from factory to supermarket shelf and there are a lot of concerns around food traceability and sustainability right now, concludes Miller.
7 Executive summary Business need: The traditional technology used for tracking assets on land and sea is rapidly reaching its sell-by date. Legacy technology is a big problem for industries like fishing, where the ability to track the source and condition of a product throughout its entire journey, from catch to market is vital. Globe Tracker (GT) a pioneering asset tracking specialist wanted to solve the problem with a comprehensive global solution based on advanced M2M technology. Solution: Powered by Vodafone, GT has developed one of the most advanced real-time tracking, monitoring, remote management and secure data solutions. The solution improves the efficiency of customer s globally disparate assets, providing valuable data on their containers located on the road, within terminals or on vessels. Business benefits: M2M technology enables shipping companies and their customers to globally track, monitor and remotely manage their assets as they make their way through the supply chain Detailed real-time data from each asset: geospatial location, asset movement, tampering, temperature, humidity, etc. Robust audit trail, enabling data to be sent to customers, improving their efficiencies and competitive edge Significantly reduced insurance premiums for companies that choose shipping partners using GT s technology As a growing technology business, we understand that the market moves fast and it s important we always look to and plan for the future. With this in mind, Vodafone s unrivalled knowledge and expertise is going to be a key part of our future growth and success. Don Miller, Global Sales and Marketing Director, Globe Tracker
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