Overhaul Co. Acquires SensiGuard, Expanding Supply Chain Integrity Services for Life Sciences

Overhaul has carved out its own space as a provider of supply-chain integrity solutions covering temperature, location, and risk management across multiple shipping modes. Now, in acquiring SensiGuard from Sensitech (a dominant provider of temperature and related datalogging hardware), it is doubling its staff to nearly 800 and bulking up its global locations and capabilities, according to Barry Conlon, CEO, adding that some 40% of the combined companies’ business is in life sciences logistics.

The combined business, says the company, gives it a “commanding share of the supply chain security market” and “the leader in protecting and optimizing global supply chains.” Parsing those claims closely is worthwhile, because the business of managing data from supply chain activities has become intensely competitive, with offerings from major logistics suppliers themselves, air or ground carriers, and other third-party software providers.

Conlon says that Overhaul’s service is entirely software-based: it is hardware-agnostic and no hardware is included (although it can be provided at customer request). In addition to monitoring condition, location, and other usual logistics data, Overhaul’s service includes loss prevention (i.e., anti-theft) and is integrated into law-enforcement agencies around the world. The service can also provide preventive actions, including a “countdown monitor” that anticipates delivery times within time and temperature limits.

Conlon also notes that the ability to aggregate data from the multiple carriers and freight forwarders involved in many long-distance deliveries remains a challenge, due to software integration issues and proprietary networks. To address that, the company has multiple existing relationships with hardware and software providers, including the leading freight forwarders.