Bread basket company Bakers Basco is rolling out the latest GPS tracking chips to its basket pool, in a move which will give a massive boost to the fight against equipment misuse and theft in the run-up to Christmas, the company’s busiest time of the year.
The decision follows last year’s highly successful implementation of tracking chips across Bakers Basco’s dollies (wheeled trolleys for moving the baskets around). That implementation saw evidence generated from GPS tracking chips introduced into a number of court cases against equipment thieves.
“Our innovative tracking system exceeded expectations when we used it to cut down on dolly losses,” said Bakers Basco General Manager Steve Millward. “It was a no-brainer to build on this by putting chips into the baskets, so we could better connect our products to the ‘Internet of Things’. In addition to helping us combat basket theft, the new chips will be able to show Bakers Basco the position of individual baskets and on-site movements, giving our operations team the added benefit of knowing if the baskets have been stolen or if they are being used for any purpose other than that for which they were designed. This will improve recovery levels by our special tactical team, which is dedicated to finding and reclaiming missing equipment.”
The festive period is Bakers Basco’s busiest time of the year. The extra demand for bread, and the slow-down in returns due to two days of shops being closed and deliveries and pick-ups not being made, means the company will deploy additional resources to combat losses and abuse of its equipment.
The extra demand for bread means smaller bakers and shops need more baskets and dollies to transport stock. Honest, well-run ones will make sure they hire additional baskets. However, less scrupulous people just ‘borrow’ other baker’s baskets, without asking and often without any intention of giving them back.
Steve Millward says: “At Christmas, there is a very real danger that basket theft could disrupt the bread supply chain which, in turn, could result in many families left without bread for their turkey sandwiches on Boxing Day. So we’re turning to the latest technology to help us deliver festive cheer for all.”