In the building materials industry, storing products isn’t just about stacking them in the right spot. It’s about preserving their quality, ensuring compliance, and preventing losses due to temperature, moisture, or exposure.
Materials like insulation, drywall, adhesives, bagged concrete, and wood products are all susceptible to environmental damage—and monitoring these conditions manually across multiple yards or warehouses is time-consuming and unreliable.
Enter IoT sensors: a practical, scalable way to monitor storage conditions automatically and in real time.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to how IoT sensors work and how they can transform your yard or warehouse operations.
Step 1: Identify What Needs to Be Monitored
Not every product requires environmental monitoring, so start by identifying the materials that are:
Climate-sensitive (e.g. insulation, sealants, adhesives)
Moisture-prone (e.g. drywall, MDF, bagged cement)
Heat-reactive (e.g. chemical products or resins)
Stored outdoors or in semi-covered yards
✅ Tip: Walk your warehouse or yard with your inventory manager and flag risk-prone zones.
Step 2: Choose the Right Type of IoT Sensors
Not all sensors are created equal. Based on what you’re monitoring, choose sensors for:
Temperature – to ensure product stability in changing seasons
Humidity – to detect moisture that can damage packaging or internal contents
Air quality – for enclosed spaces storing chemical-based materials
Motion sensors – to track unauthorized movement or tampering in storage zones
Vibration sensors – to monitor areas where fragile or high-value materials are kept
✅ Look for rugged, weather-resistant sensors for outdoor yards.
Step 3: Install Sensors in Key Zones
Install sensors:
On racks, pallets, or bins that hold sensitive products
Inside containers or enclosed outdoor storage
In high-risk areas prone to condensation, leaks, or temperature swings
Near large doors, vents, or loading bays where airflow might fluctuate
Sensors can be battery-powered or hardwired, depending on your infrastructure.
✅ Most sensors can transmit wirelessly and run for months without maintenance.
Step 4: Integrate Sensor Data with Your ERP or Warehouse Management System
IoT sensors alone provide data—but it becomes powerful when connected to your ERP.
Your ERP can:
Alert you when thresholds are crossed (e.g., 85% humidity in insulation storage)
Flag at-risk SKUs based on location
Create automated tasks (e.g., move pallet, notify supervisor, block sale)
Maintain logs for compliance or vendor warranty claims
✅ Some ERP systems support API connections to major IoT platforms out of the box.
Step 5: Set Thresholds and Triggers
Every material has different acceptable storage ranges. Use ERP rules or IoT software to set thresholds like:
Humidity > 70% → alert for drywall areas
Temperature > 90°F → flag adhesives or sealants
Vibration alert → inspect fragile SKUs
Configure alerts via email, SMS, or directly in your ERP dashboard.
✅ Bonus: Create escalation rules—e.g., notify manager if issue isn’t resolved in 30 minutes.
Step 6: Track Historical Trends to Prevent Future Issues
Use ERP dashboards or IoT analytics to:
View condition logs by location or time period
Identify areas with recurring problems (leaky roofs, poor airflow)
Correlate material complaints or returns with storage issues
Provide documentation for insurance or compliance reporting
✅ Long-term tracking helps inform layout changes, capital improvements, and risk reduction strategies.
Final Thoughts
IoT sensors may sound complex, but they’re one of the simplest, most cost-effective ways to reduce material waste, prevent damage, and build confidence in your storage conditions—especially across multiple yards and warehouses.
📡 Interested in setting up sensor-based monitoring for your storage zones? We’ll help you identify the right tech, link it to your ERP, and turn alerts into automated action.
