Maintaining the integrity of the cold chain is essential for retailers, especially when it comes to perishable goods. Grupo Bafar, one of Mexico’s leading food manufacturers and distributors, faced significant challenges in ensuring the cold chain was properly maintained at its retail stores. Issues like equipment malfunctions, unmonitored temperature fluctuations, and human error were putting products at risk. To address these challenges, Grupo Bafar implemented a smart temperature monitoring solution that provided real-time data, alerts, and proactive maintenance planning. Here’s how they overcame their cold chain difficulties in retail.
The Problem: Cold Chain Risks and Equipment Failures in Retail
Grupo Bafar’s retail operations depend on refrigerated storage to keep food products fresh. However, inconsistent temperature control, due to malfunctioning refrigerators and poor monitoring, was leading to frequent product loss. The company lacked an efficient way to continuously monitor the temperature in their retail stores, relying instead on periodic physical checks by staff.
Another challenge was human error: sometimes refrigerator doors were left open or not properly closed by staff, which could cause temperature fluctuations and risk product spoilage. Additionally, each refrigerator was equipped with only a single temperature sensor, which made it difficult to track temperature changes in different areas of the cold storage chambers. The manual checks were time-consuming and insufficient for preventing spoilage or reacting to issues in real time.
The Solution: Smart Monitoring for Retail with Wialon and Teltonika Sensors
To address these cold chain issues in their retail stores, Grupo Bafar partnered with CTTMX, a Wialon partner in Mexico, to implement a smart temperature monitoring system. The solution combined advanced GPS tracking, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) sensors, and remote monitoring to provide real-time visibility and ensure the integrity of cold storage in their retail locations.
Here’s how the system worked:
Teltonika FMB125 GPS Trackers
Installed in chilling and freezing chambers, these trackers collected data from the sensors and transmitted it to a central platform for continuous monitoring.
PUCK T ELA BLE Temperature Sensors
These sensors were placed in multiple areas inside the refrigerators to track temperature at various points. This allowed Grupo Bafar to monitor temperature fluctuations across the entire cold storage area, improving accuracy and control.
PUCK MAG ELA BLE Magnet Sensors
These sensors detected when refrigerator doors were opened. Alerts were triggered if a door remained open for too long, preventing temperature deviations from affecting the stored goods.
Real-Time Data Transmission via Flespi
The GPS trackers and sensors sent real-time data to the flespi platform, enabling seamless communication from hundreds of devices (each unit equipped with several sensors). The data was then transmitted to a centralized management system that could be accessed via a custom dashboard.
The Result: Improved Efficiency and Reduced Product Loss in Retail
Proactive Maintenance
Real-time monitoring allowed Grupo Bafar to anticipate and address maintenance needs before they resulted in equipment failures or product spoilage. This proactive approach helped avoid costly breakdowns and product loss, ensuring that refrigeration equipment remained operational.
Better Control Over Human Factors
A key issue in retail cold chain management was staff leaving refrigerator doors open. With the new system in place, Grupo Bafar was able to monitor and address these behaviors, ensuring that doors were properly closed, and temperatures remained stable.
Data-Driven Decision Making
The integrated system provided valuable insights into how different factors—such as door openings or power fluctuations—affected temperature stability. This data enabled Grupo Bafar to make more informed decisions about staff training, equipment maintenance, and operational improvements in their retail stores.
Conclusion
Grupo Bafar’s experience demonstrates how technology can help retailers maintain the integrity of their cold chain, improve operational efficiency, and ensure product quality. The company’s decision to implement a smart temperature monitoring solution—integrating GPS trackers, BLE sensors, and real-time alerts—has transformed its cold chain management, providing greater control and reducing the risk of product loss.
In the highly competitive retail food industry, maintaining a reliable cold chain is crucial for product safety and customer satisfaction. By adopting this innovative solution, Grupo Bafar has set a new standard for cold chain monitoring in retail, ensuring that perishable products are kept at the optimal temperature and reducing the risk of spoilage across their stores.
