Digital traceability turns returnable packaging into a managed asset

Returnable logistics equipment is often treated as a low-tech part of the supply chain, yet losses can carry a substantial financial and environmental cost. Neovia Logistics has demonstrated how connected tracking can change that equation in a BMW Group UK parts network serving more than 230 dealerships.

The company now monitors reusable roll cages and tote boxes with a solution delivered by Peak Technologies and built around the Sensolus platform. Around 40% of the fleet, worth an estimated £320,000, had previously been vulnerable to disappearing from the returns cycle. The companies report that annual asset exposure has since been reduced by up to £800,000.

Closing the visibility gap

Barcode scans provided a record of dispatch from Neovia facilities, but not of what happened after equipment entered a third-party carrier network. That gap made it difficult to locate missing cages or establish accountability. A BMW Group UK requirement for GPS-based asset management created the impetus for a broader digital solution.

Following a tender launched in December 2025, Neovia selected Sensolus. The system reached full operation across 5,000 assets in under four months. The compact 1110 tracker can be attached to existing roll cages without redesigning sorting equipment. Geofencing records movements at dealership sites, orientation monitoring can identify a tipped cage, and configurations are updated remotely.

Resilience through operational data

The value of the project extends beyond recovery. Time-stamped movement records have encouraged the return of assets that previously disappeared into the network. Neovia can also study dwell times, dock throughput, warehouse efficiency and movement heat maps, creating evidence for process improvement and logistics planning.

The approach is scalable: a later batch of 3,500 tote boxes and 1,500 roll cages was made tracking-ready within four to five weeks. By reducing unnecessary replacement equipment and associated cardboard waste, asset visibility also supports sustainability objectives. For industrial operators, the case illustrates how a relatively light digital layer can strengthen control without demanding a major infrastructure programme.