CHEP Achieves Real-Time Asset Tracking with RFID Tags

APPLICATIONS
- Logistics and RTI operation.

CHALLENGES
- Keeping track and manage returnable assets;
- To find an RFID tag that stays on even the toughest surfaces for many years, withstanding the rigorous cleaning process and extended usage.

BENEFITS
- Tracking assets all the way down the value chain, wherever they go, throughout multiple processes;
- Improved data integrity and asset visibility;
- Managing returnable assets in real-time;
- Eliminating bottlenecks and minimizing asset loss and damage over the asset pool.

An easy way to register and follow assets anywhere

CHEP Pallecon Solutions is a forerunner in providing new and efficient ways for its customers to manage their returnable assets in real-time with CHEP-TRAC. This RFID-based service offers CHEP’s returnable asset customers an easy way to register and follow their assets anywhere, anytime with its cloud-based web application. With this, customers can reach total visibility, eliminate bottlenecks and minimize asset loss and damage over their asset pool. 
The foundation of any efficient tracking system requires reliable data being collected from the returnable assets, and Confidex, the designer and supplier of RFID tags and labels, began working with CHEP to develop reliable RFID tags and labels specifically optimized for years-long use on CHEP’s returnable assets.

Results

When CHEP encountered challenges with their initial RFID tag provider, they turned to Confidex to investigate and collaborate on the optimization of RFID tag materials, adhesives, and performance to meet their unique needs. The resulting solution developed by Confidex is an RFID tag that stays on even the toughest surfaces for many years, withstanding the rigorous cleaning process and extended usage. 
As CHEP manages a large variety of returnable containers, Confidex supplies CHEP with several types of RFID tags and labels. CHEP, in turn, is able to provide end-customers with 4-in-1 identification which work with virtually any tracking system utilizing RFID, bar code, 2D data matrix, or numerical identifiers. 
This enables CHEP customers – and their customers’ customers – to track assets all the way down the value chain, wherever they go throughout multiple processes intertwined into one easy-to-use system.
“The CHEP collaboration represents our core expertise of enabling data to be collected from our customers’ physical world assets for their various digitized Internet of Things systems. Reliable data is achieved by designing truly optimized RFID tags and labels for the containers that face it all in the field and work seamlessly wherever the containers are being used”, comments Joe Hoerl, Sales Director, North America for Confidex.
“Our partnership with Confidex has allowed CHEP to provide customers with high-quality tags which are sure to stand up to the rigors of manufacturing environments”, explained Keith Schall, Director of IT Global Containers BRM for CHEP, “because of this superior tag quality, we are that much more confident in our data integrity, which propels us toward the ultimate goal of complete asset visibility for our customers.”
To this day, Confidex RFID tags continue to enable CHEP to track millions of containers across the globe.

About CHEP 

CHEP, a Brambles company, is a supply-chain logistics company operating in more than 50 countries and specializes in the pooling of unit-load equipment and associated services, focusing on the outsourced management of pallets, crates and containers. Brambles primarily serves the consumer goods, dry grocery, fresh food, retail and general manufacturing supply chains. 
In addition, the Group operates specialist businesses serving the automotive, aviation and oil and gas sectors. Brambles employs more than 14,000 people and owns approximately 500 million pallets, crates and containers through a global network of approximately 850 service centers.