Tracking Warehouse Pallets And Their Contents With Smart, Connected Technologies
In high-volume environments like warehouses, distribution centers, and manufacturing plants, knowing exactly where each pallet is and what is on it is essential
for maintaining operational flow and supply chain efficiency.
Warehouse pallet tracking software powered by modern technologies provides a centralized, cloud-based platform for tracking the real-time location,
movement, and contents of pallets, within a single site or a
multi-warehouse system.
This smart pallet tracking system offers real-time visibility into the pallets location and pallet-level inventory,
enabling logistics managers to optimize warehouse space utilization, streamline order picking and staging,
reduce inventory loss or misplacement, and accelerate outbound shipments.
Whether you are running a regional distribution center or a global supply chain, accurate pallet tracking is key to timely, error-free fulfillment.
Legacy methods, such as paper-based logs or disconnected barcode systems—often result in misplaced pallets, delays in inventory updates, and fulfillment errors.
A smart pallet tracking solution eliminates these problems by integrating
QR or barcode scanning, mobile apps, BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) tags, cloud-based data synchronization, and IoT gateways into a single connected infrastructure.
Warehouse personnel can easily record pallets relocation and movement with mobile devices and QR code scanning. An automated
BLE asset tracking system provides continuous
24/7 real-time pallet location monitoring without requiring manual scans.
All tracking data is securely synced to a centralized cloud platform, giving warehouse and operations managers instant access to critical information:
- where each pallet is
- what inventory it holds
- and how it is moving through the facility
Whether pallets are being received, stored, picked, or transferred between locations, this level of granular visibility and control enables
faster decision-making, higher accuracy, and improved warehouse logistics performance.
Key Features and Benefits of Smart Warehouse Pallet Tracking System
A smart pallet tracking system combines mobile, cloud, and IoT technologies to deliver accurate, real-time pallet visibility across your warehouse
or distribution network. Below are the core features that help streamline operations, reduce loss, and improve supply chain efficiency.
- QR Code & Barcode Scanning: Easily scan pallet movements, including receiving, relocation, and shipping,
using smartphones or tablets for fast, accurate data entry.
- Mobile App Integration: Perform pallet tracking tasks on-site from any mobile device,
eliminating the need for stationary workstations or manual logs.
- IoT Automation:
Attach BLE tags to pallets for continuous,
automated tracking without manual scanning. BLE tags are automatically detected by IoT gateway positioned
throughout the facility,
enabling 24/7 real-time pallet location monitoring.
- Centralized Cloud Platform: All pallet data is instantly synced to the cloud,
allowing all team members across locations to access up-to-date inventory and movement records.
- Multi-Warehouse Visibility: Track pallets across multiple warehouse locations from a single
dashboard, ensuring inventory accountability and operational consistency.
- Loss Prevention & Accuracy: Reduce pallet loss, misplacement, and shipping errors
with real-time alerts, digital records, and complete movement history.
- Improved Fulfillment Speed: Quickly locate and load the right pallets for outbound orders,
increasing throughput and reducing shipping delays.
- Analytics & Reporting: Use historical pallet movement and inventory data to optimize layout,
labor usage, and inbound/outbound logistics.
With all pallet tracking data unified in one real-time system, your warehouse can operate with greater speed, accuracy, and confidence - eliminating
inefficiencies and delivering better results.
Smart Pallet Tracking In The QR Inventory Software
A container module of QR Inventory software allows you to manage inventory in the moveable storage units, such as pallets, racks, skids, totes, bins, etc.
You can also use this module to create a granular multi-level location system within the warehouse.
Managing Warehouse Pallets And Pallet Inventory Tracking
Containers module of the QR Inventory software lets you create storage units (pallets, containers, skids, totes, etc.)
that are locations and inventory items at the same time.
As locations, pallets can contain inventory items, as well as other containers.
You can record putting inventory on the pallet and taking inventory off it with the QR code scanning mobile app.
As inventory items, you can move and transfer pallets between locations. When you move a pallet,
pallet contents moves along with it.
Tracking Pallets Using A Mobile App And QR Codes
QR codes is an efficient, low cost method of tracking warehouse pallets. With the minimal efforts from the warehouse employees you will know
where each pallet is and what is on it. You will be able to locate any asset or inventory item fast, without a need to do a lengthy search or unpack anything.
Here are the steps you will need to take for tracking pallets in the QR Inventory software using QR codes and the mobile app:
- Label each pallet with the QR code.
- Label inventory with the QR codes, or use existing barcode labels.
- When you put inventory on or take it off a pallet, scan a QR code on the pallet, then scan all inventory that you are moving with a mobile app.
- Submit recorded data from the mobile app to the back end cloud software with one click.
- When moving a pallet, select a new location in the mobile app, scan the QR code and submit this record to a back end cloud software.
- Review real time pallets location, inside inventory and movement history via a cloud software web interface.
Tracking Pallets Using BLE Tags And IoT Gateways
If you want to further automate warehouse pallet tracking process, you can use
BLE tags and
Bluetooth IoT gateways.
With this method all tracking will be done automatically by a gateway,
without a need for the warehouse employees to do extra work.
Here are the steps you will need to take for tracking warehouse pallets in the QR Inventory software using BLE tags and Bluetooth IoT gateways:
- Tag each pallet with the BLE tag.
- Install IoT gateways in the trackable locations. The more granular location system you will want to have, the more IoT gateways you will need.
- Each IoT gateway will scan for the BLE tags, and discover pallets within its range.
- An IoT gateway will keep track of the pallets it has seen internally. When a new pallet appears within its range, or a pallet
that was detected previously is no longer there, a gateway will send an update to a back end cloud software.
- You may still want to track inventory that you put and take away from the pallet using a mobile app and barcode scanning.
However, no scanning or extra work is required when the pallet itself is moved.
- Review real time pallets location, inside inventory and movement history via a cloud software web interface.
Using Containers Module To Create Granular Warehouse Locations
In addition to tracking inventory on the pallets and racks that can move around the warehouse, a containers module
allows you to organize warehouse inventory by
creating a granular multi-level location system. You can do it by using a containers module ability to
put containers inside other containers, creating a multi-level drill down system.
There is no limit on how many location levels you can create. You can have warehouse on the first level, rows on the second level,
shelves on the third level, bins on the 4th level, and so on.
A QR Inventory software will give you a
full path to each inventory item, such as Warehouse A->Row 3->Shelf 5->Bin 23. You will be able to quickly find everything,
and instantly see what is located
in each row, shelf and inside each bin by scanning a QR code with the mobile app.
Warehouse Pallet Tracking In The QR Inventory Software - FAQ
How Do We Locate A Pallet?
Use a QR Inventory software reports to check a location of the specific pallet (e.g. Warehouse A->Zone B), as well as check
a list of pallets in the specified location.
How Do We Locate An Inventory Item On A Pallet?
An inventory location report will give you the full location path for each item, so you could find it quickly.
An example of a full path would be Warehouse A->Zone B->Rack 123->Bin5->Widget X.
How Can We Check A Pallet And Inventory Movement History?
Transactions history reports show pallets movement between locations, movement of inventory in and out of the pallet,
as well as movement of inventory items as they move along with the pallet. You will be able to restore the history
of all units - pallets, containers and individual inventory items. You can also check historic pallet locations and the number
of days it has been at each site.
How Can We Find Out What Is On The Pallet Without Unpacking It?
If you are in the field or in the warehouse, you can scan a QR code on the pallet with a mobile app to see what is on it.
If you are in the office in front of the computer, you can use a cloud software web dashboard to see a list of
inventory inside each pallet.
What Will We See In The Report If A Pallet Has Other Containers Inside It?
You will see a list of the first level items on a pallet, whether these are inventory items or other containers.
You will be able to click on each container to see its content. In this manner you can drill down through all containers to
get the list of all inventory inside each container.
