In South Africa, we are used to thinking of vehicle and asset tracking solutions as being primarily anti-theft. But as supply chains become increasingly complex and competitive pressures mount, South African companies are increasingly recognising that asset tracking represents an opportunity to save costs and establish a strategic competitive advantage.

“While South African businesses have traditionally viewed asset tracking primarily as a theft prevention tool, the real value proposition extends far beyond security,” said Gregory Rood, CEO of Sigfox South Africa.

“Advanced asset management solutions create unprecedented visibility across supply chains, allowing companies to optimise operations, reduce costs and enhance customer service.”

BOX ID is a highly scalable, cost-effective global asset intelligence platform that creates complete transparency along the entire supply chain – from OEMs to suppliers and customers. BOX ID combines Sigfox, GPS and Wi-Fi location technology to provide comprehensive tracking capabilities for assets of all values, delivering measurable business benefits.

The integration of innovative IoT sensors with the BOX ID software allows for real-time global tracking of shipments, ensuring complete transparency throughout the entire shipping route. Sensors are cost-effective, perform maintenance free over many years, can be easily attached to shipments and are approved for use in worldwide freight by many carriers.

The BOX ID system creates a digital image of the entire logistics chain. The platform’s geofencing capabilities create virtual boundaries that generate alerts when assets enter or exit designated zones. This feature serves multiple business purposes, from monitoring rented equipment to tracking specialised manufacturing components and gathering valuable customer journey data in retail environments.

Impressive results

Companies implementing BOX ID solutions report impressive results:

A 95% reduction in asset shrinkage
A 20% decrease in lead times for returnable packaging
A 15% reduction in tied-up capital

“We have helped more than 60 customers around the world in a wide range of industries – automotive, wholesale, glass, healthcare and more – to gain visibility and reduce costs,” Rood explains. “By fusing data from physical assets with enterprise systems, we create a comprehensive digital twin of the supply chain, enabling companies to manage large numbers of assets in real time with minimal resources.

“International case studies demonstrate the tangible business impact of advanced asset tracking. In Germany, BOX ID helped a leading global logistics company avoid a costly mistake: before implementation, the company believed it needed to purchase an additional 10 000 cages to handle peak periods like Black Friday. After tracking was implemented, it realised its existing cages were simply in the wrong locations, and saved substantial costs by redistributing its assets rather than purchasing new ones.

In Australia, a beverage company transformed its business model by integrating sensors to monitor beer levels in 140 000 kegs, enabling proactive customer service and increasing restocking frequency. And an Australian courier company, handling 30 million parcels every year across a network of 750 franchises, reduced its loss profile from hundreds of parcel cages to zero in just a few months.

BOX ID’s low-code design allows for rapid customisation to specific industry needs, from automotive logistics to wholesale distribution or healthcare supply chains. The technology agnostic approach means it can integrate with existing ERP, MES and telematics systems, creating a unified view of all assets.

The BOX ID Data Intelligence Platform is a highly available cloud service that enables any number of mobile tracking devices to be merged with additional data sources, aggregated and automatically analysed, while BOX ID Analytics offers comprehensive tools to analyse and monitor logistical flows. Numerous reporting functions are available to efficiently track the distribution of assets, their turnaround times and flows, and a comprehensive Rest API is available for complete customisation and integration with existing systems.

Returnable container fleets, material flows, individual shipments and processes can be transparently designed, managed and optimised throughout the supply chain with the BOX ID system. Glass manufacturers use the system to track specialised glass trays throughout their facilities, optimising production flow and reducing wastage. Retailers can track shopping trolleys not just to prevent theft, but to gather valuable customer journey data, including where consumers stop and what routes they take through and around stores.

Based on Sigfox’s Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWANs), complemented by cellular and satellite networks, BOX ID offers a comprehensive range of leading sensors for networking logistics assets across multiple sites and operating conditions. BOX ID’s unique model-based approach allows clients to fuse a variety of identification technologies and data sources to ensure the best possible collection and data quality for robust process automation.

As supply chains become increasingly complex and competitive, the real value of asset tracking lies in operational visibility, process optimisation and business transformation. For forward-thinking companies, solutions like BOX ID represent not just cost savings but a competitive advantage in an increasingly data-driven logistics landscape.

Turn your supply chain into a strategic advantage. Discover how BOX ID, powered by Sigfox 0G, can transform your logistics with real-time visibility, reduced costs, and smarter asset utilisation. Contact [email protected], phone +27 72 511 1100 or visit sigfoxsa.co.za.