Overview
Since 2012, YouCo has been supporting CIA, Commercianti Indipendenti Italiani, a cooperative company associated with CONAD, developing projects aimed at optimizing logistics in multiple aspects, employing technologies ranging from sensor systems to the use of routing algorithms.
Ensuring the cold chain
The first aspect on which the collaboration focused was monitoring the cold chain during product movements between warehouses and to stores.
By receiving data from sensors that detect the temperature inside the refrigerated cells of the carriers, the application developed by YouCo signals any anomalies in refrigeration to the central station in real-time, allowing for prompt intervention.
Full control over cell openings
A second functionality of the application guarantees CIA and its associated stores that the openings of the carrier cells occur only when scheduled.
By interfacing with sensors placed near the doors, the application verifies that the carrier is in one of the authorized phases (typically loading and unloading) and enables door opening through PIN entry, barcode reading, or NFC (Near Field Communication) tag, providing CIA and stores with precise and real-time information on cell openings and closings.
Geolocation of assets
An entity like CIA doesn’t just move goods. Along with merchandise, a large number of other instrumental assets are constantly moved, such as pallets, refrigerated containers, or protective cages that don’t return with the carrier but are effectively scattered among warehouses and stores.
The application developed by YouCo constantly records the position of each individual object, allowing CIA to plan their most rational recovery, resulting in logistics efficiency and cost reduction.
ETA calculation
Thanks to this information, the central warehouse can more effectively schedule deliveries and the store, in turn, can better organize itself to receive goods, preparing staff, creating space and ultimately reducing carrier unloading times so they can make more deliveries.
Solutions capable of evolving
A long-term collaboration like the one between CIA and YouCo is not only based on the immediate effectiveness of a solution but also on its ability to evolve over time, integrating new technologies as they prove more performant and economical than previous ones.
For example, the sensors used to detect carrier openings, initially based on light detection, will be replaced by magnetic sensors, and communication between these and the application will be based on Bluetooth rather than proxy, resulting in lower installation costs.
