By Greg Bartlett

In a recessive economy more and more companies turn to lean manufacturing processes. Many of these lean processes require that an absolute minimum of either raw materials or product be kept on hand in warehouses. The timing of deliveries and pickups is critical to the profitable operation of the company. To ensure this GPS tracking and logistics go hand in hand.

GPS technology can be installed in the trucks that deliver the raw materials to the factory. Should the amount of raw materials on hand reach a minimum level, the utilization of GPS technology ensures that the delivery of the materials will be made at a certain time. When the minimum level is reached, the logistics company knows that the needed material is on a specific truck and where that truck is.

Deliveries of finished goods from the factory to either regional distribution centers or the wholesaler are facilitated by the use of GPS technology. Many logistics companies utilize a technique known as cross docking. This technique removes goods from an inbound trailer and distributes the goods directly to an outbound trailer without ever stocking the goods in the warehouse. The proper coordination of inbound and outbound trailers can only be accomplished by knowing where the trucks are at any given time. GPS tracking ensures that the location of the trucks is always available.

The technology of GPS tracking has advanced by leaps and bounds. The physical size of the transmitter has, through the use of advanced electronics, been reduced in size while longer battery life and reliability has increased.

This reduction in size and long life means that a tracking device can be inserted directly into a pallet of goods. In this case, it is not the truck carrying the goods that is being tracked but the goods themselves. The ability to track the specific product ensures that the product is not lost in trans-shipment. Unfortunately goods do get lost in warehouses. The inclusion of a tracking device in the pallet of goods ensures that the pallet is never lost.

GPS tracking and logistics are an ideal marriage. The logistics company or department can through the use of tracking devices accurately know where trucks and or product on trucks are at the click of a mouse. The rapid and accurate delivery of goods or product ensures that production schedules are met and that sales goals for retail stores are met. The only accurate way to know where a truck is is through the utilization of GPS technology. For information that can help your company get on track with GPS, call Rocky Mountain Tracking, Inc today at 1-888-242-0500.