Hellmann Logistics to launch track-and-trace system

Germany-based 3PL Hellmann Logistics has entered a partnership with London-based “internet of things” (IoT) company, Hanhaa, to provide real-time tracking services for its customers, encompassing its global supply chain with the tech company’s tracking product, ParceLive.

Hardware installed within shipments collects data – such as location, temperature and humidity – of a package, which are transferred online instantaneously via Hanhaa’s wholly-owned mobile network, Hanhaa Mobile. Hellmann’s customers across industries, including automotive, healthcare and renewables, will be able to access and utilize data via a digital portal.

“We recently started to develop a digital front end which, for us, means customers can go online and deal with us in a digitized way,” CEO of Hellmann Logistics Steen Christensen told Air Cargo World in August, hinting at future investments in the company’s technology infrastructure.

Gone are the days when a shipment was tracked through the supply chain at each point of transfer by scanning a barcode, Hellmann said. Customers, especially those dealing with fragile or temperature-sensitive cargo, are expecting more in-depth data on the status of their shipments, the company said.

Live tracking services are just one of the innovations on the company’s radar. In the same interview, Christensen told of the company’s intention to explore the potential of robotics automation, artificial intelligence and predictive software.