Dolly⁺: making logistics safer with the help of IoT

Thefts in the logistics sector have reached a sad record. The 2019 Annual Report of the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) shows that in 2019, the number increased by 114% in the EMEA region alone. Dolly+, ALSO's Smart & Secure Trolley, offers a clever, IoT-based solution to this problem and creates transparency by digitally capturing the entire process.

Within the dimensions of a common logistics trolley, Dolly+ offers theft protection before and during transport. Thanks to GPS-based tracking, customers always know exactly where valuable goods are located. Furthermore, they can also control access and removal. On top of that, Dolly+ offers mobile and secure storage at the recipient's premises. ALSO offers this solution in an "as-a-service" business model, initially for manufacturers and resellers in the ICT industry and their customers.

The user-friendly and interactive Smart & Secure application, based on the ALSO IoT platform, can be used to monitor and control the intelligent trolleys. Trolley data such as location, battery status of the sensor, number of available trolleys in the fleet, arrival at the destination, etc. are continuously collected and displayed in a dashboard, which was specifically designed for the purpose. This data not only enables full control of the logistics process, but also forms the basis for the analysis and optimization of these processes.

The respective location of the trolley can be tracked in real time using the built-in location tracker and access rights can be managed electronically. The risk of theft during transport is drastically reduced - and as a result, transport insurance costs are lowered. Thanks to the electronic lock, physical keys have been replaced by PIN codes. Codes can be sent by e-mail or SMS. This prevents unauthorized persons from opening the lock and prevents goods from being removed if they are delivered to the wrong place.

Simone Blome-Schwitzki, SVP Solutions: "A mature IoT solution is an ecosystem of hardware and software, connectivity and security, management and support. As a technology provider, ALSO is in an excellent position to put together convincing and complete bundles from the multitude of necessary elements for a wide range of applications. In the last three months, we have developed four offers for the logistics sector alone. This enables us to offer our partners concrete IoT products and scale quickly together with them."

Possible applications of Dolly+ are almost unlimited: from the theft-protected delivery of valuable electronic equipment for stores and corporate customers, to the secure storage of notebooks in companies and schools, or the packaging-free return of laptops with confidential data for certified data deletion. ITC partners who wish to expand their service portfolio or benefit from the delivery of the Smart & Secure Trolley themselves are asked to contact astrit.merditaj@also.com.

Direct link to media release: https://www2.also.com/press/20201022en.pdf
Direct link to images: https://www2.also.com/press/images/20201022.zip

Contact person ALSO Holding AG:
Beate Flamm
Senior Vice President Communication
Telefon: +49 151 61266047
E-Mail: beate.flamm@also.com

ALSO Holding AG (ALSN.SW) (Emmen/Switzerland) brings providers and buyers of the ICT industry together. ALSO offer more than 660 vendors of hardware, software and IT-services access to over 110 000 buyers, who can call a broad spectrum of other customized services in the logistics, finance, and IT services sectors, as well as traditional distribution services. From the development of complex IT landscapes, the provision and maintenance of hardware and software, right through to the return, reconditioning and remarketing of IT hardware, ALSO offers all services as a one-stop shop. ALSO is represented in 23 European countries and generates total net sales of approximately 10.7 billion euros with around 4 000 employees in the fiscal year 2019. The principal shareholder of ALSO Holding AG is the Droege Group, Düsseldorf, Germany. Further information is available at https://also.com

Droege Group
Droege Group (founded in 1988) is an independent advisory and investment company under full family ownership. The company acts as a specialist for tailor-made transformation programs aiming to enhance corporate value. Droege Group combines its corporate family-run structure and capital strength into a family- equity business model. The group carries out direct investments with its own equity in corporate spin-offs and medium-sized companies in «special situations». With the guiding principle «execution - following the rules of art», the group is a pioneer in execution-oriented corporate development. Droege Group follows a focused investment strategy based on current megatrends (knowledge, connectivity, prevention, demography, specialization, future work, shopping 4.0). Enthusiasm for quality, innovation and speed determines the company's actions. In recent years Droege Group has successfully positioned itself in domestic and international markets and operates in 30 countries. More information: https://droege-group.com