From Idea to Innovation – How Identec Technology is helping Smart Tote Transform Logistics Visibility

A decade in the making, Smart Tote is tackling one of logistics’ biggest challenges: loss.

We spoke to Carl Mason, founder of Smart Tote, and Gary Vasey, Managing Director of Identec Ltd, about collaboration, technology, and why visibility is everything in modern supply chains.

Q: Carl, where did the idea for Smart Tote begin?
Carl Mason: The idea actually goes back about 10 years. I could see a clear problem in logistics - goods were moving constantly, but there was very little visibility or accountability once they left certain points in the supply chain. At the time, I started looking into solutions, but the technology just wasn’t there yet. It was frustrating because the need was obvious, but we couldn’t quite deliver it.

Q: What changed to bring the idea back to life?
Carl Mason: I later worked with the University of Sunderland and accessed European funding to try to move things forward. Unfortunately, that came to an end in 2020 with Brexit, so the project had to be put on hold. Then, completely by chance, I met Chris from Identec at a Northeast football club. That introduction led me to Gary - and that’s when things really started to move.

Q: Gary, what was your first impression of the concept?
Gary Vasey: It was immediately clear that Carl had identified a real, industry-wide problem. Loss, lack of visibility, and limited accountability are challenges we see across logistics operations every day. From our side, with over 40 years of experience in RFID, access control, and asset tracking, we knew we could develop the technology and had the expertise to help turn the idea into a practical solution.

Q: For those unfamiliar, what exactly is Smart Tote?
Gary Vasey: At its core, Smart Tote transforms a standard logistics container into a connected, intelligent asset. It creates a digital chain of custody - so every time a container is accessed, the system records who opened it, where and when. That data is captured automatically, without relying on manual checks or traditional seals.

Q: Carl, why is that level of visibility so important?
Carl Mason: Because right now, a lot of loss goes undetected. If you don’t know something’s gone wrong, you can’t fix it. Even when businesses do detect issues, they often can’t pinpoint when or where the problem occurred. That makes it really difficult to prevent it from happening again. Smart Tote changes that. It doesn’t just show that something’s been tampered with - it shows exactly when and where, when within the system infrastructure boundaries, and when outside those boundaries highlights the issue immediately upon reconnecting with the system.

Q: How does Smart Tote differ from existing solutions?
Gary Vasey: Many traditional systems are reactive. They might tell you a seal has been broken or highlight a discrepancy after the fact. Smart Tote is proactive. It provides continuous, real-time visibility and creates a reliable audit trail throughout the supply chain within the Smart Tote Communication System boundaries.

Q: What impact can logistics loss have on businesses?
Carl Mason: It’s much bigger than people think. Yes, there’s the cost of the lost goods, but there’s also increased insurance premiums, operational disruption, and the time spent investigating and resolving issues. It can also damage reputation and trust. It’s a ripple effect across the whole business.

Q: Which sectors stand to benefit most from Smart Tote?
Gary Vasey: Anywhere you have high-value or high-risk goods moving through the supply chain. That includes retail - things like tobacco products, electronics, clothing, and footwear - as well as pharmaceuticals. These are areas where visibility and accountability are absolutely critical.

Q: How does Identec’s expertise support the solution?
Gary Vasey: Our background is in RFID, access control and asset tracking, so we’ve built systems that can identify, track and manage large volumes of people and things automatically. With Smart Tote, that means businesses can monitor the movement of assets in real time, with accurate, reliable data feeding into their operations. It’s about improving both speed and precision in logistics processes.

Q: Carl, what has the journey been like bringing SMART Tote to market?
Carl Mason: It’s definitely been a long road, with a few setbacks along the way. But those challenges also helped shape the solution. Partnering with Identec Ltd was the turning point. It brought the technical capability we needed to finally make the idea a reality.

Q: Finally, what’s the long-term vision for SMART Tote?
Carl Mason: The goal is simple, to significantly reduce, and ideally eliminate, loss in the logistics industry. When you have real visibility, you can make better decisions, improve efficiency, and ultimately build more resilient supply chains.

Gary Vasey: And from our perspective, it’s about helping businesses move away from outdated systems and towards smarter, data-driven operations.

SMART Tote represents a step forward in how logistics is managed - combining proven technology with a fresh approach to visibility and control. As supply chains become more complex, solutions like this will be key to staying efficient, secure, and competitive.