Returnable Transport Items (RTI) are packages, pallets, bins, containers, and others that can be reused to move goods between supply chain nodes. RTIs offer several benefits, such as reducing waste, saving costs, improving sustainability, and decreasing carbon footprint. This article explores the benefits and the use cases of RTIs, why it is important to track them, and how Chainlane can help.

RTI Use Cases and Benefits

RTIs are common in various industries, including retail, automotive, and food and beverage. They offer several benefits over single-use packaging, reducing costs, improving efficiency, and are more environmental-friendly. For example, reusable packaging can be utilized up to 100 times, reducing the cost per use significantly. Additionally, RTIs can reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating the need for single-use packaging, which often ends up in landfills.

Some of the most common RTIs include pallets, helps to transport goods in bulk, and plastic crates, whch are commonly used in the food and beverage industry. RTIs are also found in the automotive industry to transport parts and components between factories and suppliers. Other industries that take advantage of RTIs include pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and chemicals.

Why is it essential to track RTIs?

One of the biggest challenges with RTIs is they often get lost, stolen, or misplaced in the supply chain. This can result in significant costs for companies, as they have to replace the lost RTIs. Tracking RTIs can help prevent loss by ensuring that they are properly maintained and returned to their origins .

Tracking RTIs can also improve sustainability by reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions, as companies can ensure they are being utilized efficiently and are not wasted or discarded prematurely.

Additionally, Keeping track of RTIs can assist in their proper maintenance. Each RTI has a designated lifespan and must be replaced or examined after a certain level of usage. By monitoring RTIs, appropriate measures can be taken to ensure safety and optimize efficiency.

How Chainlane can help track RTIs

Chainlane is a supply chain transparency platform that can help companies track RTIs and other supply chain assets. Chainlane provides real-time visibility into the location and status of RTIs, allowing companies to monitor their use and ensure that they are being handled efficiently. Additionally, Chainlane provides analytics and reporting capabilities, helping companies to identify areas where they can improve their use of RTIs and reduce costs.

Chainlane uses a combination of IoT sensors and cloud-based software to track RTIs. IoT sensors are placed on the RTIs, enabling them to be tracked in real-time as they move through the supply chain. The data from these sensors is then stored on Chainlane’s cloud, ensuring it is tamper-proof and secure, presenting the data on a single dashboard for management to track.

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In conclusion, RTIs are used broadly in many industries and offer a lot of benefits such as loss prevention, cost reduction, and sustainability making tracking RTIs very important to better manage businesses' supply chain. The assets tracking solution provided by Chainlane helps businesses manage their entire supply chain, including RTIs, with real-time visibility, analytics, and reporting capabilities that ensure efficiency and prevent loss.

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Want to reduce lost or stolen RTIs? Contact our supply chain professionals!