SpotSee’s ShockWatch checks shipment damage

SpotSee, a global leader in supply chain damage monitoring through low-cost devices and connectivity solutions, has launched a new device that combines impact-damage monitoring for shock, vibration, temperature and other environmental conditions with radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology.

Its new device, the ShockWatch RFID impact indicator, is designed to track damage through the supply chain and identify affected inventory, which is ideal for industries such as the automotive, medical devices/equipment and aerospace industries.

“RFID technology has already helped companies reduce inventory management costs by seamlessly automating asset identification,” said Angela Kerr, vice president, product portfolio, SpotSee. “ShockWatch RFID combines the benefits of traditional RFID inventory management with impact-damage monitoring, allowing users to leverage existing RFID infrastructure to identify and reduce the sources of damage in their supply chain.”

ShockWatch RFID delivers all the benefits of a damage-monitoring program while also providing an electronic record of information in the user’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, warehouse management system or directly into the SpotSee Cloud.

By gathering data throughout the supply chain, ShockWatch RFID helps customers quickly identify where damage is occurring, allowing users to isolate damaged inventory for further inspection and determine where the root cause is in the supply chain. Understanding what, where and why damage took place, users can make informed decisions to deter mishandling, reduce the cost of damage and refine processes to reduce supply chain disruptions.

Each ShockWatch RFID unit is fitted with a best-in-class, NXP UCODE G2iM+ passive RFID chip which can be scanned with any standard ultra-high frequency (UHF) RFID reader. With these indicators in place, the need for visual inspections during the receiving process is greatly reduced to “exceptions only.” Once a ShockWatch RFID indicator passes by the RFID reader, within milliseconds the ShockWatch RFID indicators communicate that a damaging impact has occurred or if products can be moved into saleable inventory.

ShockWatch RFID impact indicators are low-cost, consumable, single-use devices that are tamperproof, field-armable and triggered when a damaging impact beyond a specific g-force threshold occurs. Once the threshold is exceeded, the device has both a visual indication, turning the indicator red, and an electronic indication, communicating that damage has occurred when scanned with a reader.

SpotSee, based in Texas, is an internet of things end-to-end solution provider that enables customers to spot damage in their operations and see it in real time. SpotSee has developed a low-cost, connected ecosystem that includes its own mobile virtual network enabler (MVNE) that delivers data from devices anywhere in the world to customers’ fingertips.