Use Access Controls to Maximize Opportunity in B2B Commerce
Shippers, 3PLs, motor carriers, receivers and other B2B partners already use visibility tools to monitor the status of product inventory and shipments from the first to the final mile. Similarly, supply chain partners are now utilizing technologies to maintain tight access controls at pickup and delivery exchange points.
Companies that use manual and inefficient access control tools, such as key locks and seals, have supply chains that are exposed to greater risks of loss, theft and mismanagement, especially for items that are in high demand and short supply during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now, and into the future, digital access controls will improve the security and efficiency of B2B transactions and enable supply chains to thrive. New technology makes it possible for companies of all sizes to quickly and efficiently implement access controls that will improve security and unlock new levels of flexibility, accountability and productivity.
Controlling access at scale
Unattended pickups and deliveries have become common during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the healthcare industry for transferring sensitive medical samples.
InterPath Laboratory, based in Pendleton, Oregon, provides a full range of diagnostic services to clinics, hospitals and physician practices in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada and Alaska.
In the Fall of 2020, InterPath began using BoxLock to limit human access to medical sample collection boxes. With BoxLock technology, the access to collection boxes is limited to the practitioner who is taking the sample and the assigned collector for each site.
BoxLock’s patented technology consists of a tamper-resistant device that immediately recognizes when an item is scanned and placed in the specimen collection box. The device leverages cellular networks for deployment anywhere to make unattended and contactless deliveries at scale.
Tailored for industrial use, the secure and rugged smart locks use integrated barcode scanners and real-time connectivity with a robust suite of access control, audit log and inventory management tools for securing and transferring assets.
InterPath uses secure API technology from the cloud-based platform to immediately inform its route management software that a collection is ready for pickup to ensure maximum security and efficiency.
The company’s drivers and couriers use a unique QR code to open the smart padlock devices when they arrive at clinic facilities to pick up available inventory of medical samples. The scanning provides immediate visibility to the status of the individual items in the lockboxes
as they are being picked up. It also facilitates tracking, audit logs and chain of custody features that create an immutable log of every step in the specimen collections process.
The chain of custody is assured by granular audit logs that include date and time stamps that cannot be disputed. The digital access control platform also expedites the speed and quality of response times should a sample or specimen be lost, mislaid or not picked up.
To learn more about how BoxLock’s software and hardware solutions are being utilized by fast-growth companies to digitize access control in supply chains for B2B commerce, visit https://www.getboxlock.com