Packwise is a B2B startup from Dresden, Germany. The company offers an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solution for smart container tracking and management of liquid goods. Customers are companies in the chemical, food, and logistics sector.
The new Plug & Play industrial solution Packwise Smart Cap brings new insights. The digital twin of the Intermediate Bulk Container (IBC) shows real-time, high- precision sensor data on location, filling level, temperature and motion. The platform informs about deviations of parameters and provides calls for action. It visualises and automates processes for various applications in the supply chain.
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
Packwise: Packwise‘s Industrial Internet of Thing (IIoT) solution “Packwise Smart Cap” creates a digital twin of intermediate bulk containers, which are the main packaging for liquids in the chemical supply chain. Insights into the customer’s state of consumption present industrial companies with radical new opportunities in production planning and designing business models, such as automatic reordering and inventory management.
Furthermore, having transparency regarding where your containers are and what state they are in enables you to increase container utilization and to reduce organizational workload by automating processes. The use and management of bulk containers – a traditionally very costly and inefficient system – becomes sustainable and simple thanks to our efforts.
E.E: What’s the news for 2020 about new products?
Packwise: Packwise Smart Cap, developed over three years, is being tested by businesses in the chemical production, chemical logistics, and food logistics sectors across Germany, Switzerland, UK, Netherlands, and Austria during the second half of 2020 with the aim of starting full scale production in 2021.
E.E: What are the ranges of traded products?
Packwise: The Packwise Smart Cap sensor, which does not require specialist instalment, provides users with track and trace capabilities, automatic reordering, automated damage notifications, demand forecasting, theft protection via digital alarm, best-before date surveillance, and the avoidance of cross-contamination. Packwise Smart Cap is easily mounted to combination IBCs of any type, including steel IBCs, and once the device is attached it is immediately ready for use where it will monitor fill level, location, temperature, and movement.
Container and product data for each user is encrypted and transmitted to the Packwise Flow web application where it can be analysed, set to trigger notifications/alarms, and interfaced with a pre-existing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system upon request.
E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
Packwise: Packwise Smart Cap is a key element to a digitized supply chain wherever Intermediate Bulk Containers are used. When it comes to digitized supply chains, things are still at a relatively early stage. We are noticing that companies are increasingly looking for innovative solutions that help them to make processes within the supply chain more efficient and that enable them to digitize workflows.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
Packwise: There is so much progress at so many levels that we find it difficult to have a clear picture. When it comes to our area of expertise, we see three trends that in combination will have a significant impact. First the rapidly growing amount of data that is generated, second the growth of computational power to process those data and third the understanding that there is real value hidden in those data.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
Packwise: Packwise Smart Cap revolutionises the functionality of industrial packaging. Rather than just being a means for transportation, they can now be used to forecast customer demand and to trace the consumption at the customer’s site. We combine the benefits of the newest available technologies such as 5G or ultra-low power radar in order to provide our customers a globally functional solution.
E.E: What estimations do you have for 2020?
Packwise: With regards to Industrial IoT we expect a tipping point in the process industry. The relevant technologies are mature enough and the willingness of companies to create value with the generated data. This combination will spur massive roll outs that will attract the attention of the more hesitant player in the market.