A method and a system for automatically managing in real-time a total stability time budget profile assigned to a product

A method of automatically managing in real-time a total stability time budget profile assigned to a product the product is being transported or stored in a supply chain, where the supply chain comprises two or more different transport legs, where for a given transport leg selected from the two or more different transport legs, the method comprises:

• generating a shipment order for the product, where the shipment order comprises a unique shipment identifier for uniquely identifying the product,
• associating a wireless logger device to the product, where the logger device comprises a temperature sensor, a memory, a transmitter and a processor for managing the temperature sensor, the memory and the transmitter,
• regularly measuring, by the temperature sensor, the temperature of the product, storing the measured temperature data in the memory,
• transmitting, by the transmitter, the stored measured temperature data to an external control computer together with data indicating the geographical location of the product while the product is being transported or stored in the supply chain,
• determining, by the external control computer system, if the measured temperature deviates from at least one pre-defined temperature value,
• adding together, in case of a deviation from the at least one pre-defined temperature value, the durations of time where the temperature deviated from the at least one pre-defined temperature value,
• using the added deviation time as an input parameter in determining a remaining stability time budget profile assigned to the product, and
• utilizing the remaining stability time budget profile as an input parameter in deciding on whether to release the product to a subsequent transport leg, where in case the product is to be released;
• cascading the remaining stability time budget profile over to the subsequent transport leg together with the unique shipment ID,
• wherein the method further comprises the steps of:
• uniquely identifying the wireless logger device with a unique logger device identifier (ID),
• pairing the unique logger device ID with the unique shipment ID,
• transmitting the paired unique logger device ID and the unique shipment ID to the external control computer system where the paired logger device ID and the shipment unit ID are stored,
• wherein, while the product is being transported or stored in the supply chain, the logger device is further configured to, in addition to the regularly transmitted data indicating the geographical location of the product and the measured temperature data, transmit the logger device ID to the external control computer.

A system for automatically managing in real-time a total stability time budget profile assigned to a product while the product is being transported or stored in a supply chain, where the supply chain comprises two or more different transport legs, the system comprising:

• a computer device for receiving a shipment order for the product, where the shipment order comprises a unique shipment identifier (ID) for uniquely identifying the product, an external control computer system,
• a wireless logger device configured to be associated to the product, where the logger device comprises:
• a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the product,
• a memory for storing the measured temperature data, an external control computer, a transmitter for transmitting the stored measured temperature data to the external control computer together with the unique shipment ID of the product while the product is being transported or stored in the supply chain, where the external control computer is configured to:
• determine if the measured temperature deviates from at least one pre-defined temperature value,
• add together, in case of a deviation from the at least one pre-defined temperature value, the time where the temperature deviates from the at least one pre-defined temperature value,
• use the added deviation time as an input parameter in determining a remaining stability time budget profile assigned to the product, and
• utilize the remaining stability time budget profile as an input parameter in deciding on whether to release the product to a subsequent transport leg, where in case the product is to be released;
• cascading the remaining stability time budget profile over to the subsequent transport leg together with the unique shipment ID,
• wherein the system further comprises:
• an identifier for uniquely identifying the wireless logger device with a unique logger device identifier (ID),
• a pairing device for pairing the unique logger device ID with the unique shipment ID, where the transmitter is further configured to:
• transmit the paired unique logger device ID and the unique shipment ID to the external control computer system where the paired logger device ID and the shipment unit ID is stored,
• where the transmitter is further configured to, while the product is being transported or stored in the supply chain:
• transmit on a regular basis the positional data of the logger device, the stored temperature data and the logger device ID to the external control computer.