RFID & Returnable Assets

End-to-End Tote Tracking and Production Supply Management Solution

The tracking and optimization of Returnable Transport Items (RTIs)—such as pallets, crates, roll cages, and containers—across a supply chain helps to reduce operational costs, minimise excess inventory, lowers replacement costs.

Our customer ALPLA UK Ltd, is producing innovative packaging systems, bottles, caps and injection-moulded parts for a wide range of industries since 1955. It is delivering an important and active part in the £ 150m upgrade of the Unilever Port Sunlight site in Liverpool.

This investment includes the use of returnable tote boxes for intern transport of the homecare product bottles between the plastic moulding plant and the bottle filling plant.

The Challenge in Reverse Traceability

This process created several challenges:

• The bottle plant catches the granulate product code, lot numbers in the moulding process, together with the critical process data.
• Generating the Unilver internal product code for the bottles produced.
• The freshly produced bottles are transported and stored in Retunable Tote Boxes.
• All Tote Boxes have a Unique Identification number, human readable in a printed number, electronically readable with a barcode and RFID tag.

RFID is no longer the quiet backstage hand tracking inventory and logistics system. Today it is evolving to the brain and nervous system of intelligent manufacturing, supply line logistics, especially in sectors where JIT, accuracy, and reverse traceability are everything. In fast moving consumer goods reverse traceability from granulate source to final produced and filled bottle is essential. In general, RFID isn’t a “nice-to-have,” it’s becoming non-negotiable because product safety should be non-negotiable, too.

In January 2025, Dakota Integrated Solutions Ltd approached RFIDdirect with a key question:

Could RFID technology improve the identification and tracking of Returnable Tote Boxes adding value to the Alpla operations?

Discovery and Solution Design Phase

The project begins with a comprehensive scoping and requirements assessment phase to ensure the solution is fully aligned with operational, logistical, and production objectives. This collaborative process focuses on understanding the complete material flow and information requirements across the production and warehouse environment.

Key activities include:

Establishing data architecture and reporting requirements to ensure complete traceability and real-time visibility.

• Mapping the logistics and operational workflow from through to production stage to warehouse storage.
• Identifying the physical locations and processes where tote boxes are loaded, transported, stored, and despatched to the bottle filling plant.
• Defining the integration requirements with existing business and production systems.
• Determining the optimal method and locations for reading Tote Box IDs throughout the warehouse and supply chain.
• Establishing data architecture and reporting requirements to ensure complete traceability and real-time visibility.

Data Management and System Integration

At the core of the solution is a central SQL-based event management platform that captures and records all tote box movements and transactions throughout the operation.

Every RFID or scanning event is automatically logged with:

• Tote Box ID
• Device or reader identification
• Physical location
• Date and time stamp
• Event status

This creates a comprehensive digital record of material movements across the facility.

The event data is then seamlessly integrated with Alpla’s Production Management System. Production systems retrieve the event records and combine them with manufacturing information, including product codes, batch details, and production data associated with each tote box. This enriched information is subsequently stored within the customer’s MRP environment, creating a complete digital thread from production through to consumption.

Warehouse-to-Production Supply Automation

As a result, every tote box becomes a uniquely identifiable and traceable asset within the operation. By simply scanning the RFID tag or Tote Box ID, operators and systems gain immediate access to the relevant product information in real time. The RFID identifier effectively serves as the digital key that links the physical tote to its associated content and inventory data.

The solution extends beyond identification and traceability to actively support production supply operations.

Production Demand Management

Bottle filling line control systems generate requests for specific product types required for production. Through integration with warehouse inventory and tote tracking data, the system maintains real-time visibility of:

• Material movement status
• Product location within the warehouse
• Tote box identification
• Inventory availability

This enables the correct tote boxes to be automatically identified, selected, and prepared for dispatch to the production area.

As totes are collected and transferred to the dispatch line, additional scans confirm product allocation and record material consumption events, ensuring complete inventory accuracy and traceability.

Real-Time Supply Line Visibility

Upon arrival at the production area, tote boxes are scanned at multiple points throughout the automated conveyor and supply systems feeding the filling lines.

This continuous tracking provides real-time visibility of:

• The exact location of every tote box
• Product availability within the supply network
• Material flow through the automated handling system
• Supply status to individual bottle filling lines

By knowing precisely which tote box is located where at any given moment, production management systems can effectively monitor, control, and optimise the supply of materials to the filling lines. This ensures reliable product availability, minimises operational disruption, and supports efficient production planning.

Business Value

Rather than delivering standalone RFID equipment, the solution provides a fully integrated material tracking and production supply management platform that delivers:

• End-to-end product traceability
• Real-time inventory visibility
• Automated warehouse-to-production material flow
• Seamless integration with existing ERP, MRP, and production management systems
• Improved production continuity and supply reliability
• Comprehensive operational reporting and auditability

The result is a scalable digital infrastructure that connects physical material handling processes with production and business systems, enabling greater efficiency, visibility, and control across the entire operation.

Industry 4.0 isn’t about technology—it’s about clarity.