Circular Supply Chains Inc.

“The parts of the supply chain don’t work together. They often work against one another. They may be linked physically but, rarely are they “plugged” into one another. They don’t have or share data and information about the plans and performance of their operations or their changing demand/supply requirements. They are consistently “out of sync” with one another. As a system of supply responding to demand variation, they generate uncertainty, waste, cost, time delays, over and under stock, increased transportation cost and inefficient capacity utilization. In short, supply chain management is managing the complexity of the never ending consequences of unplanned events. The supply chain is a dysfunctional system that increases the cost of all participants in the system”. – MHI

Supply chains need to network to realize greater efficiencies from common resources and the most efficient way to do that is to standardize the equipment and processes that can be common to all supply chains. Take reusable packaging in the grocery sector for example. There only needs to be six different types of reusable crates to handle everything in the grocery supply chain but every grocer has their own supply chain with their own systems that are different from all other grocers and yet they all handle the same basic products and often from the same supplier or producer.

We’re developing the Cargo Carousel System to change this and we recognize the potential for sharing standardized equipment and resources that are common to other supply chains to create networked systems between them. The Cargo Carousel System provides the necessary backbone to realize on a common network between operators by providing standard size modules that, regardless of their design or functionality, will all fit onto the same common Carousel so they can be utilized by everyone in the network. It creates a closed-loop system that is continuously reusable itself and insures that totes, trays and other reusable packaging is pooled and eventually returned to its origin so that it can actually be re-used without concern for theft. It allows all users to plan, track and trace in real time through its Internet of Things technology that also alerts in real time so unforeseen adjustments can be made on the fly.

Circular Supply Chains Inc. is developing the Cargo Carousel System to reduce empty back hauls and partial loads while also providing true “Control Tower” visibility throughout the value chain. Software alone will never achieve this even though some developers will try to convince you otherwise.

There have been great strides in the industry for integrated software systems, business models and improvements in material handling. There are many projects geared towards sustainability solutions but there has been a disconnect between these efforts and all the moving parts and partners within and between each of them.

We need a way to connect sustainability, data, processes and business models with the individual products the supply chains move, store and track every day. The Cargo Carousel System connects all the moving parts with true end to end visibility identifying every individual item within your value chain anywhere in the world in real time.