Maersk is a shipping company responsible for 18% of the container trade in the world.
The Challenge
Transporting refrigerated goods across continents by sea is always problematic. There are challenges with changing temperatures and humidity, O2 in a refrigerated container as the ship crosses into a different climate. As a result, ship personnel had to make the routine inspections of the contents of the refrigerated cargo to ensure that the temperature and the humidity were at the right levels. This was tedious work for the personnel and in some cases, the damage was spotted late. Another challenge was the fact that the client had no idea about the transit process of the goods hence there was little transparency.
The Solution and Benefits
In 2012, the Maersk implemented Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, via its Remote Container Management (RCM) initiative. The aim was to facilitate real-time monitoring of the fleet in transit and the condition of the refrigerated containers. The sensors in the container monitor and control the temperature, humidity and O2 level of the refrigerated container.
In addition to the IoT network, in 2018, the company launched its blockchain solution. Blockchain facilitates transparency, safety and cost-efficiency both for the company, and the customers. As a result, customers are able to track the location of their cargo. They can also have access to the state of the temperature, humidity and O2 levels of their containers while in transit. This possibility is made with a self-service portal provided by Maersk. Hitherto, customers are able to access the RCM platform using their desktop. However, in 2019, the RCM 2.0 was launched but this time the information is provided via smartphones, enabling mobility.
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