Page 21 - Warehouse Annual 2022

WAREHOUSE SPATIAL INTELLIGENCE

Loading dock efficiency. WSI can significantly lower be deployed within warehouses, including automated storage
truck dwell time, while boosting dock-level efficiency and retrieval systems, Cobots (collaborative robots) and
and visibility across the entire warehouse. Operators can automated guided vehicles (AGVs). While these will have their
better track truck arrival and departure times across the own spatial analytic capability driven by commoditisation
facility, enabling renegotiated shipping contracts and of lidar (light detection and ranging), vision systems and
reduced costs through tighter dwell time limits, as well sensors, they will still co-exist with human workers and other
as decreasing the travel time and distance for loading. legacy materials handling systems. WSI solutions can play a
Moreover, WSI-based dock-level apps can be integrated key role in integrating the real-time location of workers, legacy
with truck appointment and scheduling apps, as well as materials handling and new automated material handling
IoT-based solutions (such as GPS) to accurately track the equipment for seamless interoperability.
arrival of trucks at the warehouse. Overall, communication
can be vastly improved and labour-intensive processes Additionally, WSI systems can be used by operators to
can be eliminated with automated and real-time alerts and gain operational visibility across all their facilities at the
integration with data-entry systems. same time, leading to substantially better forecasting and
strategic planning. To date, many warehouses operate
Safety. Real-time location data and heat maps are crucial on siloed information, resulting in significant inefficiency.
for warehouse safety as operators can leverage detailed WSI is key to breaking these silos as it pulls and analyses
congestion analysis to improve routing and movement within data from multiple sources in a common interface to
the warehouse. This allows operators to increase productivity provide clear visibility and productivity metrics. For all
and safety by optimising warehouse layout and operations warehouses, having operational visibility across all parts
to maintain safety. When integrated with forklifts, WSI can of the operations, whether it’s picking, replenishment or
assess and improve driver behaviour as well as create alerts docking picking, is mission critical. WSI can provide the
to mitigate dangerous forklift and worker interaction. spatial and analytical lens needed to form actionable
insight when operators review workforce schedules,
Integration with robotics. As warehouses continue to warehouse layouts, asset and space utilisation and other
evolve, more automated materials handling equipment will operational costs. •

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