@phdthesis{Lamberty2025, author = {Lamberty, Anna}, title = {Development of a generic concept for cross chain temperature monitoring using IoT-based sensor technology to optimize the product quality of fresh plant-based produce}, volume = {2025}, edition = {1. Auflage}, publisher = {Hochschule Geisenheim}, address = {Geisenheim}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:hebis:2083-1189}, school = {Hochschule Geisenheim University}, pages = {II -- 184}, year = {2025}, abstract = {The objective of this thesis was to develop a generic implementation concept for cross-chain IoT-based temperature monitoring in supply chains of fresh plant-based produce, including a cost-benefit-assessment. In the first step, a literature review was conducted to categorize fresh fruit and vegetables by their product-specific spoilage kinetics in relation to the main influential ambient parameters (temperature, relative humidity, ethylene, CO2, O2, vibration). In addition, the state-of-theart of relevant IoT technology was reviewed. This was followed by a systematic literature review and practical tests in four supply chains, focusing on data transmission reliability, temperature accuracy, location accuracy, battery life and sustainability, to identify technical, process-related and sustainability requirements for IoT-based temperature monitoring systems. Based on those results and a multi-dimensional field analysis including stakeholder interviews, a generic implementation concept was elaborated and validated in a real-world pilot study. Finally, the results of stakeholder interviews were used to create three application scenarios for IoT-based temperature monitoring. The costs and benefits of an IoT implementation were assessed for each scenario. The results highlight the complexity of fresh plant-based produce but also show the potential for optimizing product qualities by using IoT-based temperature monitoring, particularly for berries, leafy vegetables, climacteric fruit and chilling-sensitive products. While suitable IoT technology is available, the variety can make it challenging for supply chain actors to choose the right solution. Here, the identified technical, process-related and sustainability requirements can aid decision-making for potential users and provide development insights for IoT providers. However, needs for improvements of the tested IoT systems were found, particularly regarding data transmission reliability, temperature accuracy and sensor sustainability. The developed generic concept provides a blueprint for practical implementation in supply chains. The validation results confirm its operational feasibility. Further, it was found that IoT-based temperature monitoring can lead to monetary savings by reducing product losses, depending on the specific combination of IoT technology, product, packaging type, data use, and hardware reuse frequency. It must be highlighted that sustainable use of IoT devices enhances potential monetary benefits by avoiding subsequent sensor purchase costs.}, language = {en} }