How Efficient RTI Tracking Can Transform Your Supply Chain

Returnable Transport Items (RTIs), including pallets, baskets, crates, reusable containers, and cylinders, play an essential role in modern supply chains, offering a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to single-use shipping materials. These reusable assets support economic and environmental goals by reducing waste and helping companies meet sustainability targets. However, the benefits of RTIs are only fully realized with efficient tracking and management. This blog explores how optimized RTI management can lead to significant cost savings and sustainability gains for any business.

RTIs’ Role in a Sustainable Supply Chain

RTIs are pivotal to a greener supply chain, providing a reusable solution that minimizes waste compared to disposable shipping materials. Unlike single-use items, RTIs reduce the need for frequent material production and disposal, thus contributing to lower carbon emissions. By enabling companies to reuse transport assets multiple times, RTIs help conserve resources and reduce the waste that would otherwise end up in landfills.

When managed effectively, RTIs can lower a company’s carbon footprint by reducing the frequency of new asset purchases. For instance, managing a controlled fleet of RTIs decreases the demand for manufacturing additional containers, further minimizing the environmental impact associated with production. In supply chains that transport high-value or delicate goods, effective RTI management also ensures safer and more secure handling of items, decreasing the likelihood of damage and loss. This longevity and sustainability value of RTIs aligns with growing regulatory demands and consumer expectations around environmental responsibility.

Cost Savings Through Efficient RTI Utilization

One critical financial advantage of RTIs is the potential for significant cost savings when assets are managed efficiently. With an advanced tracking solution, companies can maintain a lean, right-sized RTI pool that matches demand, eliminating the need for excessive safety stock. This right-sizing prevents unnecessary spending on excess RTIs and frees up resources that would otherwise be tied to storing and maintaining unneeded assets.

Advanced tracking systems provide real-time insights into RTI locations and statuses, enabling companies to streamline asset utilization and reduce inventory buildup. This ensures that RTIs are deployed where needed most, without delays, minimizing idle or underused assets. For example, a chemical manufacturing company that effectively manages its RTI pool can avoid costly emergency shipments by ensuring the necessary containers are always on time. This proactive approach reduces operational disruptions and prevents unplanned expenditures.

Moreover, effective RTI tracking helps optimize scheduling by reducing manual asset checks, saving time and labor. With accurate tracking data, logistics managers can make timely decisions that reduce rush orders and expedite fees, leading to a more efficient and cost-effective supply chain.

The Environmental and Financial Costs of Shrinkage

Shrinkage—the loss or damage of RTIs—remains a significant issue that can drain financial and environmental resources. Industry reports show shrinkage rates between 10% and 25% annually due to misplaced, damaged, or unreturned assets. Each unreturned or damaged RTI represents a financial loss and an environmental setback, as replacements must be manufactured and transported, adding to the carbon footprint.

The financial impact of shrinkage extends beyond the replacement cost of the RTIs themselves, which can range from $10 to $5,000 per item. Companies must also consider the costs of storing, cleaning, and maintaining excessive “safety stock” RTIs to compensate for the missing assets. These avoidable expenses, combined with the added carbon emissions from producing replacement RTIs, underscore the importance of effective RTI tracking to control losses.

An advanced tracking system provides visibility into the location and condition of RTIs, mitigating shrinkage by holding users accountable for returning assets and maintaining them properly. For example, a gas company implemented a tracking system to monitor gas cylinders, frequently delaying customer returns. The system enabled the company to enforce accountability, significantly reducing the accumulation of unreturned assets and the need for expensive replacements.

Innovative RTI Tracking Solutions

For companies aiming to enhance sustainability and reduce RTI-related costs, advanced tracking technologies such as IoT, RFID, and barcodes offer an effective solution. Our Returnable Asset Management solution is an industry-leading asset management platform that provides real-time visibility into the status and location of RTIs throughout the supply chain. By tagging each RTI with a unique identifier, the system allows companies to monitor assets across all journey stages—from dispatch and transit to delivery and return.

Our solution uses IoT and RFID technology to update RTI statuses instantly, allowing companies to know the exact location of each asset at any given time. This visibility not only supports real-time asset recovery but also ensures timely maintenance, prolonging the life of each RTI. With a digital record of each RTI’s lifecycle, companies can track patterns in usage and anticipate maintenance needs, contributing to cost savings and a sustainable asset lifecycle.

It also enables businesses to measure asset utilization rates and identify underused RTIs, helping companies achieve a leaner, more efficient asset pool. This approach prevents unnecessary capital investment in additional assets and lowers the environmental impact associated with excess production. As companies optimize their RTI usage with returnable asset management, they can also increase accountability among partners, further minimizing the risk of shrinkage.

Partner with Antares Vision Group

Partnering with Antares Vision Group equips companies with state-of-the-art RTI tracking solutions, combining environmental responsibility with financial efficiency. Our solution offers comprehensive real-time management, enabling businesses to maximize RTI utilization, reduce operational expenses, and achieve sustainability objectives.

With over 30 years of experience in supply chain visibility, we have deep expertise in asset tracking, serialization, and regulatory compliance. Returnable asset management advanced tracking capabilities support responsible asset lifecycle management, reduce shrinkage, and ensure that RTIs are used and returned efficiently, providing substantial cost savings. This commitment to innovation and quality makes us the ideal partner for companies that want to build a greener, more efficient supply chain. Don’t wait—contact us today!