Track and trace

The tracking (English: track and trace or tracking and tracing = tracking and tracing ) is a modern system with which the status of a delivery can be monitored and checked also after service both before. In most cases, this technology is in pursuit of cargo such as mailings, so the package tracking, and monitoring of registered mail is used. The tracking also facilitates the monitoring and improvement of the dispatch establishment and processing of investigation orders at no incoming shipments.

In logistics, instead of the term tracking of the more comprehensive English term tracking and tracing is often used ( with German capital letters ). Tracking and tracing provides information about where to find goods at a given time. It allows them also to capture, what happened to raw materials, semi-finished products and finished products during their passage through the production chain. If necessary, can thereby also subsequently the entire shipping process, and eventually the entire manufacturing process to trace.

Principle of operation

When tracking are mailings, for example packages provided with the machine-readable labels (such as a barcode, a DataMatrix code or an RFID chip). Automatic sorting stations can see from the label, where the consignment is to be routed. The result of the scan is stored in a central database. This allows both customers and the parcel determine to which point there was the Package where.

Process of tracking

The starting point is the order data that contain the target data for the transport process (in particular, time constraints ). You possible be captured by the consignor and sent to the courier, express and parcel ( CEP service). The information exist only in electronic form and can be easily transmitted, stored, processed and retrieved. Compared to paper-based procedures, the costs are significantly reduced.

When entering the program each package is assigned a barcode, so that an unambiguous identification of the package at any time during transport is possible. Is a collection at the shipper due to the very low mail volume is not possible ( eg in private mail ), then pick up the items together a short detection by the shipping carrier, where barcodes of prepared rolls applied to the packages and assigned to the corresponding shipment data be.

The corresponding data are transmitted via GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications, a mobile standard) to the headquarters of KEPS and the receipt note ("Proof of Collection" ) is generated. Depending on the agreed service level stakeholders ( forwarder, receiver) get delivered these and other status messages in real time.

According to this principle all packages are scanned at pickup and all transfer points and transfer of risk and the determined while actual data with the reference data, which were determined at the beginning, compared, and the transfer of risk documented ("proof of transfer ").

If the time window in which, for example, a certain transition point should be reached, exceeded, an error message is triggered. If the transport is more packages or shipments in parent units such as containers or truck, so are messages that refer to the parent units, assigned to the individual shipments and packages from the system. When you pick up or delivery vehicle scanner with the corresponding nominal data are preloaded. The processing of the results of the scan, ie the nominal / actual comparison, also takes place on the scanner. Thus, if necessary, at pick up or delivery immediately informed of an error ( " Proof of Delivery ").

The scans ( Proof of Collection → Transfer → Proof of Proof of Delivery ) to the individual envelope points result in a shipping history (trace), which allowed at any time a statement about the current status of the consignment or the package.

Example of a service

A packet is spent in the following real example from Leipzig to Dorsten and delivered there. The individual steps are listed in the tracking:

The two-time naming the destination is clear from the infeed steps: Sender: Leipzig, Leipzig package, parcel distribution center Dorsten, delivery point in the delivery area, receiver.

In the example, it should be noted that December 20, 2009 was a Sunday. Lying as delivery order within business days of the same week, the service is expected to last less one day.

Importance for the service provider

For the logistics service package tracking to protect against theft and loss, on the other, for tracking of the package during transport is used. So handovers of shipments can be monitored to participants of the supply chain and delivery errors are thus avoided.

Importance of customer service

The tracking also to satisfy the increased demand for information from customers about the current location of a delivery serves. The program should be able to be tracked by recording on the ramp of the supplier to the point of demand, even if several logistics service providers are involved in the transport chain. Tracking of shipments is usually with the help of information technology.

Labels

A label typically consists of the address in human readable form and a unique tracking number in human- and machine- readable form. Moreover, machine readable routing information is included that describe the path of the packet from source to destination. A service code can specify the priority of the consignment; a Express delivery at extra cost can be automatically preferred.

Tracking numbers

There are three types of tracking numbers:

• The Serial Shipping Container as a global unique numbering system
• Number ranges are assigned by the sender to the customer (for example DHL)
• Tracking number includes a customer identifier (UPS, Post)

Example, at a UPS tracking number:

1Z [ customer number of the sender ] [ service code] [ serial number ] [ checksum ]

Routing Information

The best known routing information is the postal code, another of the target code.

In addition, there are courier express parcel services, the airport of departure and arrival airport as a IATA codes use (DHL ) or proprietary codes ( for example, the URSA code at FedEx or hubs at General Parcel ).

Routing information can also be determined dynamically when shipping, for example on the basis of actual failure data.