New approaches, mandates, and technologies are key links in the quest for national and international supply chain security, right from the source to the final destination.
Here, Steve Ross, Managing Director of leading high security company, Mul-T-Lock UK looks at new solutions available to help the warehouse and logistics sector protect valuable assets here and now – and on the move.
The world is becoming smaller. Supply chains of today’s companies have globalised due to increasing efficiencies in transport and logistics. And all prognoses indicate that global trade will increase in the future.
But the world is still a dangerous place. In the UK alone, freight crime costs the UK economy £250million per year and with the continuing period of turbulence and uncertainty, opportunist attack is also on the rise.
The explosion of accessible information from various sources including the Internet, adoption of mobile devices like iPads connected to the network, combined with growing inter-connectedness of people via ever speedy transport links may generate new business but also increase operational risks.
Whilst greater investments in security would be the obvious answer right from stopping vehicles leaving Goods Out Bays of distribution centres to ensuring goods in transit reach a final destination, logistics companies must balance higher transport costs and a new expectation on quick delivery, on time and in full.
Too Many Players, Too Little Time
Logistics functioning in a compressed time window can make it difficult to ensure workers are following security procedures, and not cutting corners.
Any time someone rushes, processes can break down – whether it’s a trucker who doesn’t properly verify an original seal is on a container or vendors at origin not loading assets as securely as possible.
As supply chains today are often so long and fragmented, it can also be difficult to ensure security is treated with the same urgency by every party in the process.
Dynamic Security
A carefully specified supply chain security plan should not adversely affect movement of materials through the supply chain. And the solutions available are easier to source, install and maintain than many warehouse and logistics managers realise.
A key factor to achieving this is having the right security product solutions in place for a shrinking, changing world. And this means keeping a company’s goods secure and protecting valuable assets on a 365/24/7 basis, whether they are stationary or in transit.
Introducing Mul-T-Lock WatchLock™
Mul-T-Lock WatchLock™ intelligent padlock was specifically designed as a direct solution to offer greater efficiencies in cost savings and staff resourcing, with the clever integration of few technologies into one easy to install and programme standalone, battery operated product.
For the Logistics Manager, Mul-T-Lock WatchLock™ is the ideal tool to keep track of assets. Although it functions just as a high security mechanical padlock, the addition of GPS locating systems and SIM card based communication technologies, ensure that goods can be protected and monitored at all times.
Using a dedicated secure web page, Geofence Parameters enable Mul-T-Lock WatchLock™ to report when entering or exiting a predefined area set up on mapping software. And by configuring numerous Geofences, WatchLock™ can alert if the padlock deviates from a defined route plan.
At the same time, Mul-T-Lock WatchLock™ features Real Time Locating System (RTLS) to allow warehouse and logistics managers to keep a constant view its status ensuring an immediate reaction to any event, such as the padlock being attacked or opened without authoristion.
Mul-T-Lock WatchLock™ is configured to be able to provide notifications via email or text, so that reports can be accessed as and when required on an office computer or mobile.
The dedicated secure web page allows for the generation of immediate or scheduled reports about Mul-T-Lock WatchLock™ activity and for increased efficiency, both map and activity reports are created with data filtering capability.
Mul-T-Lock WatchLock Applications
Companies who operate many commercial and service vehicles may use WatchLock™ to track the location and route of the vehicle; to know when and where trunks or boxes with expensive equipment were opened.
At the same time, companies who operate remote sites such as cellular antennas or water wells can use WatchLock™ to gain real time indications for events, reducing the number of personal visits to the location.
Ultimately as WatchLock™ is a high security padlock in its design that does not require any infrastructure, it can be used in any application to guard assets that are stationary or on the move.
So in a world which is going through a high period of turbulence and uncertainty and financial implications of security decisions are likely to scrutinised, WatchLock is an all-in-one solution. It is easy to install and programme to ensure the reports reflect the necessary information.
For additional peace of mind, this is all supported with a secured server to offer personalised reports for every WatchLock™ and allow real time information about the padlock.
In summary, while there are no easy answers or quick-fixes to security issues faced by the logistics sector, vulnerability awareness is at the very least a starting point to which instant solutions are available.
Mul-T-Lock WatchLock™ has been designed to replace any traditional padlock and offer end users greater efficiency and significant cost savings and staff resourcing.
Mul-T-Lock believes WatchLock™ is the only high security padlock available, with an integrated GPS system for real time positioning and cellular connectivity for reporting. Users can be instantly informed whether the padlock has been opened or closed, when and where. The revolutionary design allows users to always be ‘the first to know.’
Mul-T-Lock
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