Back rooms fill up.
Totes collect in store back rooms until the next truck, or for good. A fixed collection schedule does not see it.
Q · A
What is tote tracking software?
Tote tracking software records where each returnable tote is, who holds it and how it cycles between suppliers, distribution centers, stores and wash centers. Rotion does this per tote for RPCs, KLT boxes, e-commerce and retail totes and bakery trays, on the QR, barcode or RFID labels already on them. Store balances, shrinkage and wash capacity then come from scans instead of manual counts.
- Per-tote identity on existing labels
- Balances per store and supplier from scans
- Autopilot flags stores that build up stock
01The problem
Why totes go missing.
Totes cycle weekly between DCs, stores and suppliers. Counts drift, replacement orders pile up, and nobody can say where the pool went.
Loops blur in the yard.
Inbound supplier totes and outbound store totes mix in the same yard. One shared count turns into one disputed number.
Peaks hide shrinkage.
Promotion weeks push extra volume through the same pool. Without rotation data, nobody knows how many came back after the wave.
02Loops
Three loops run through one DC.
A tote can leave for a store, a supplier or a customer’s door on the same day. Rotion keeps one record per tote and a return rate per loop, so the leak shows where it starts.
StartDC HalleWash line ARoute 0.5 dStore 4 dBack on the truck 0.5 dTo the supplier 1 dSupplier 2 dInbound, then store 1 d + 4 dVan 0.5 dCustomer’s door 6 dDriver pickup 0.5 dLongest stay: 6 d at the door
DC HalleWash line AStoreSupplierDoor 6 d
One tote, one record03Back rooms
Back rooms show up before losses do.
Each store holds a usual tote stock. Rotion compares what each store holds today with its usual stock and how long the totes have sat there.
| Store | Usual | Today | Stock against usual | Dwell | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Store 112 | Usual120 | Today118 | -2 | Dwell3 d | Normal |
| Store 115 | Usual90 | Today96 | +6 | Dwell3 d | Normal |
| Store 118 | Usual113 | Today340 | +227 | Dwell9 d | 3 × usual |
| Store 121 | Usual140 | Today131 | -9 | Dwell4 d | Normal |
| Store 124 | Usual80 | Today85 | +5 | Dwell3 d | Normal |
Usual stockHeld todayAbove usual, flaggedDwell is the median days on site
04Platform
Built for tote pools.
Everything a retailer, supplier or pool operator needs to run totes across DCs, stores and wash centers. Pick a feature to see it.
Explore the platform
Balance per storeShrinkage by loopRotation and dwell timeWMS and ERP sync Autopilot Balance per customerAll regions · last 30 days
| Customer | Out | Back | Open | Dwell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Store 2214 Ghent | 1,240 | 1,196 | 44 | 5 d |
| Customer 14 | 860 | 648 | 212 | 21 d |
| DC Zellik | 2,310 | 2,287 | 23 | 2 d |
| Grower Hoogstraten | 1,580 | 1,531 | 49 | 7 d |
| Store 0917 Leuven | 640 | 611 | 29 | 6 d |
Open total · totes357 · € 1,785 deposit value
Anomalies this week Autopilot
High
StockpilingRetailer 3 DC holds 1,140 more than its 90-day average
ReviewMedium
Breakage spikeFiller 07 damage rate 3.1%, usually 0.8%
ReviewLow
Slow returnsCarrier West average return 18 days
ReviewRotation and dwell timetotes
Avg cycle11.4 d
Dwell at customer6.2 d
Turns per year31
Dwell per customer, days
ConnectorsAll in sync
last 24 h · 18,240 events
| System | Data | Last sync |
|---|---|---|
| SAP S/4HANA | Orders and deliveries | 2 min |
| Odoo | Customers and stock | 5 min |
| WMS | Dock scans | live |
| TMS | Routes and stops | 14 min |
| Webhook | Autopilot actions | live |
Add connectorREST · webhooks · EDI · CSV
05Promotions
See how many came back after the wave.
A promotion pushes extra totes through the same pool. Rotion counts out and back per day, so you know how many are still out when the wave has passed.
Total out18,90028 days
Total back18,33328 days
Still out567Out minus back
Promotion, week 39GapWave comes back
W38W39W40W41
Out per dayBack per dayOut, not yet backBack above outPromotion week
Still out, running countPeak 1,479, day 14
1,479567
Still out after the wave: 567 totes.
Holding the most Store 118Store 115Store 124
| Week | Out | Back | Net |
|---|---|---|---|
| W38 | 4,200 | 4,074 | +126 |
| W39 Promotion | 6,300 | 4,947 | +1,353 |
| W40 | 4,200 | 5,238 | -1,038 |
| W41 | 4,200 | 4,074 | +126 |
| Total | 18,900 | 18,333 | +567 |
Field results from operators running Rotion across pools, retail and industry.
28%
S.01fewer assets lost
9%
S.02smaller fleet needed
575,310
S.03assets tracked
Trusted by these organizations.
06Field notes
What tote data shows.
Back rooms are where pools shrink.
Store-level balances show build-up per location, so collection runs go where the totes are.
Promotions bend the loop.
Rotation data shows how peaks travel through the pool, where extra totes are needed and how many return after the wave.
Supplier loops need their own record.
Separate loop views keep supplier balances, store balances and pool health from blurring into one disputed number.
Run more than one asset type?
Q.01Do we need to replace our WMS or ERP?
No. Rotion runs alongside your WMS and ERP and fills what they do not cover: tote-level history, loss patterns and per-partner balances. Connectors exist for SAP, Odoo, WMS and TMS.
Q.02Do stores and suppliers need to install anything?
No. Partners confirm handovers on the web or a phone, and drivers can scan for them. Adoption does not depend on every store cooperating.
Q.03Do we have to scan every single tote?
No. With SSCC batching, a pallet or roll cage of totes scans once per handling step while each tote stays traceable.
Q.04Which totes can Rotion track?
Any returnable tote: RPCs for fresh produce, KLT boxes for parts, e-commerce and retail totes, and bakery trays. Each type carries its own dimensions, deposit and wash rules, in one system.
Q.05How does Rotion reduce tote loss?
Every tote has a holder and a location at all times. Autopilot flags stores and suppliers that build up stock and proposes a return run, so recovery happens before a replacement order. Read more in how to reduce returnable container loss rates.
