Background

Keg tracking is the process of tagging and tracking kegs through the production and distribution process, gathering insights into where containers are and determining what's in them. For most breweries, the process involves a combination of scattered papers and scribbled whiteboards, but advancements in mobile keg tracking technology are helping to solve this.

At its core, Canadian-based Kegshoe is software for craft brewers that helps them to manage their inventory and keep track of their products and sales. However, in reality, it's so much more. Kegshoe provides an intuitive, mobile keg tracking solution, allowing breweries to track their entire fleet - including filling, delivering and returning - all with just the phone in their pockets. Kegshoe works to empower breweries to increase turnover, reduce keg loss, streamline their distribution cycle and make the most of their limited resources.

Properly tracking, maintaining and inventorying kegs using Kegshoe allows breweries more flexibility to brew the beer they want, ensure the product is fresh as possible and track their business's expensive assets. Simply put, keg management is an essential aspect of running a successful brewery.

Opportunity/Challenge

Kegs are an expensive yet essential asset for breweries, so they simply cannot afford to lose or misplace something that's so critical to the success of their business. According to Nick Amador, Kegshoe's Head of Growth, the average brewery should factor in a loss rate of 5-10% annually.

Kegshoe's challenge was helping customers to track their keg inventory. Information contained in the barcode links to the product inside the keg and all of the keg's history. The data derived lets brewers know what products are selling and how they can maintain a quality project. By identifying and tracking how many days the beer has been in the kegs, brewers can manage their inventory and deliver the best products possible to their customers - never, ever selling bad beer.

The software is just once piece of the puzzle. Breweries need to link the asset (keg) to the information being tracked about the asset (keg) and/or its contents. That's where the labels come in. "Labels are an important piece," said Amador. "They are the backbone of the software."

Amador goes on to explain that the company bounced around a lot with different label supplies. "The kegs go through a lot - both hot and cold temperatures, so the labels take a lot of abuse," said Amador. "We needed labels that would withstand those conditions."

Solution

After doing some research, Amador came across Metalcraft and got in touch with Territory Specialist Mike Winchell. "He's been great to work with," said Amador. "He explained the different materials and sent samples for us to test."

Ultimately, Amador and his team decided to go with Metalcraft's Premium Polyester Barcode Labels due to their flexibility and ability to withstand the rigors of the environmental conditions the kegs are exposed to. "The lead time is great," said Amador.

Adhesive performance is key to a successful implementation, and the Metalcraft labels have more than been up to the task. "The adhesive performance has been great," said Amador. "It's been tested on all kinds of kegs and coatings, from stainless steel to plastic and rubber.

Result

Kegs can last upwards of 20 years with proper cleaning and maintenance, so the labels really need to last the lifetime of the asset and track the entire history of the keg.

"We've been using them for 1.5 years and they've been working out great," said Amador. "The labels have received great reviews from our customers.

In addition of providing quality products, Amador reports that the customer service they received from Metalcraft was great. "It allowed us to be responsive to our customers because we had confidence in the service we received."

For more information about Kegshoe or how to get started with your keg tracking application, please contact Kegshoe at 1-888-815-5534 or [email protected]. You can also visit www.kegshoe.ca.

Please contact us at [email protected] for your barcode and RFID needs.

Sources:

https://kegshoe.ca/blog/the-importance-of-keg-management;

https://kegshoe.ca/blog/keg-tracking-costs