Traceability: the key to freight transport

In today’s world, where logistics and transport of goods are essential to the global economy, traceability has become a key tool to ensure the quality, safety and efficiency of the supply chain.
With an efficient system that guarantees traceability, companies can trace the movement of products from their origin to their final destination very quickly and accurately, thus having greater control of their logistics and transport processes.
At Conde Fernández Hermanos we are a logistics and transport company that is committed to the use of a logistics warehouse and the latest methodologies and technologies for transporting goods to offer the best logistics and distribution service that guarantees accurate and efficient traceability.

What is traceability and what is it for?

Traceability refers to the process of tracking the movement of a product or package throughout its entire supply chain, i.e. from its origin, through the various distribution or storage points, to its final destination.
Traceability plays a key role in many sectors, such as food, logistics and medicine, as it helps to ensure the quality, authenticity and safety of products throughout the storage, transport and delivery process.

What is the purpose of traceability?

In traceability, a series of predetermined tasks are carried out to control the different places and procedures that a product goes through in all the logistical stages until it reaches the final recipient or customer. Thanks to traceability, it is possible to know valuable information about a product along its journey, for example:

The different points or locations where it has been.
The logistical processes that have been used in its transport and storage.
Incidents that may have occurred during distribution.
Accelerate the different logistical and transport processes (such as FTL, order preparation, stowage, LTL, etc.).

Types of logistical traceability

We can classify the types of traceability according to the direction of the supply chain and according to their relationship with the company.

1. Traceability according to the direction of distribution
   1. Forward traceability or tracking
      The goods or products are tracked as they move through the supply chain, from their origin to their final delivery. This form of traceability is commonly used to ensure efficiency and timeliness of delivery, as well as to provide up-to-date information on the status and location of products along the chain.
   2. Backward traceability or reverse traceability
      The ability to trace a product from its final destination to its origin, e.g. when a company’s customers make a return (the product makes the reverse journey from the customer, or final recipient, to the distribution centre or even to the manufacturer itself).
2. Traceability according to its relationship with the company
   1. Internal traceability
      This is the tracking of the goods or products within the company itself, i.e. in its warehouses and internal transport processes.
      With this type of traceability, product control is improved and information is obtained to improve the company’s internal logistical processes and tasks.
   2. External traceability
      Tracking and control is executed outside the company, along the entire supply chain. This form of traceability is used to guarantee the quality and safety of products, and to comply with the legal regulations of different industries.

Traceability tools

The success of traceability depends to a large extent on the tools and technologies used to control and track goods. Let us look at some of the most commonly used tools in the logistics and transport sector in relation to traceability.

• Barcodes. This is perhaps the most widely used method at a global level to control products and manage a company’s stock in an agile way. Through a laser reader, and using a system of serial numbers and bars, it is very quick and easy to identify any product or package.
• RFID tags. The use of radio tags is common in many warehouses and logistics systems, as it allows data to be transmitted efficiently via radio frequency. They can be read from a distance and have a long service life.
• GPS beacons. This is a method based on satellite geolocation that allows traceability outside the company’s facilities and is especially useful for tracking the vehicle fleet or in areas where it is difficult to use other methods.
• Enterprise management systems. Enterprise resource planner (ERP) solutions that allow centralised management of all areas of the company, providing automated utilities and an agile system to control the flow of information.
• Logistics management system. Specialised warehouse management software or WMS (warehouse management system) uses a system of maps generated dynamically using geographic information that allows for integrated logistics.
• Fleet management systems. Ideal for guaranteeing precise traceability in a business or industrial environment with vehicle control by means of TMS (transport management system) software.

Traceability: why is it so important?

Traceability provides numerous benefits, both to road haulage companies and to the consumers or consignees themselves. Let’s look at some of the advantages of traceability:

Guaranteed shipments

With traceability, carriers and other companies in the industry can ensure that goods are shipped to customers safely and in accordance with proper procedures.

Improve productivity

Traceability provides valuable information to improve all logistics and transport processes, helping companies become more productive, competitive and profitable.

Accelerate delivery times

Perhaps one of the most interesting advantages offered by a good traceability system in transport is that it speeds up distribution and delivery times (avoiding delays, optimising transport routes, speeding up the preparation of shipments, using a buffer warehouse to bring products closer to their final destination…).

Send your goods with Conde Fernández Hermanos

Among the transport companies in Coruña, at Conde Fernández Hermanos we stand out for our extensive experience and for offering really competitive prices for any type of shipment in Spain and throughout Europe.
With a philosophy focused on the use and optimisation of routes and free spaces, we offer you professional services so that you can outsource your logistics and transport and thus achieve a differentiation from the competition by having a fast, safe and efficient delivery system.
Through our web form you can request a personalised service, according to the characteristics and needs of your company, and we will propose you a very interesting solution free of charge and without any obligation.