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Going Beyond the Label:

Advances in Inventory Tracking Methods

Revealed

Welcome to Session 207

Sponsored by: Presented by:

Larry Mahan

Michael Wack

Data requirements for intralogistics:

Topic: Inventory Tracking

1. Load Identification

What is being moved?

2. Location Identification

Where is it moved from/to?

? ? ? ?

? ? ? ?

OBJECTIVE :

Improve this core supply

chain management process

• 100% accurate

• Zero cost

Bar code scanning for data entry to WMS

• What: pallet label

• Where: location label

Issues:

• Data quality and accuracy

• The human element

• Location verification

• Tied to transactions, not moves

• Pervasive Costs

• Data collection labor costs

• Cost of errors and exception handling

Inventory Tracking:

Current State

ADC is NOT Automatic!

1. Load Identification

What is it?

Several technology options

2. Location Identification

Where is it?

Must be accurate to inches

Solved by Optical RTLS

New State: Automated

Inventory Tracking

GOAL :

• Automate tracking the

“what” and “where”

• A “Smart Truck” Solution

• Drivers don’t do data

collection – no scanning!

Automation Delivers Accuracy

and Cost Reduction

An Optical Real Time Location System

• Digital imaging with image processing

• Mature and proven technology

• Look at ceiling overhead to know location

• Strips of markers in ceiling

• Sensor on vehicle looking up

• Accurate to a few centimeters everywhere

• Works in any building

• Data like GPS

• Precision X,Y

• Bearing or angle

• Speed

Automating Location

Tracking : “Indoor GPS”

Real-Time Viewer

1. Optical RTLS tracks truck with inch-accuracy

Calibrated for center of pallet location

2. Fork height sensor

Know height of forks (pallet position)

3. Pallet detector

Pallet-on, Pallet-off events

The Smart Truck: Pallet

Location Tracking

1. RFID

2. Fixed Scanner

3. Optical Imaging

4. Track By Location

Automating the Load

Identification

Technology options for automated pallet tracking

and verification

The Common Issue: Labels

Laser scanning, imaging, and RFID all depend on

labels and a labeling process.

Issues:

• Label placement requirements

• Sensitivity to label quality

• Access limitations to data

• Cost of labels

• No control of labels

New solution: Track By

Location (TBL)

uses the new precision optical

RTLS to track inventory

without dependence on labels

• Uses the precision of the optical RTLS position tracking

to track load IDs after a one-time initial bar code scan

• The Logic:

1. Pallet N is put down at location (x,y,z);

2. The next pallet picked from location (x,y,z) must be pallet N

• Every pallet move and exact location is tracked

• Only need to identify the load one time – no scanning

after initial ID read

– Simple, lower cost solution

– No RFID, laser scanner, or optical imager needed

– Eliminates label dependencies

Automated Load ID – Track

By Location

Real

• Every pallet move

tracked

• Every pallet ID @

location (x,y,z)

stored

Inventory Tracking Database

Virtual

TBL pallet IDs outside target cube

not considered part of target load

X

Y

X

X

X

X

Load Identity Tracking

Algorithm

Track By Location Summary

• Tracking load identities without scanning

• Enabled by optical RTLS with inch-accurate tracking

• Requires a “disciplined operation”

• No pallets moved except with TBL vehicles

• No pushing or shoving pallets

• Driver operations are under control

• Great solution for

• Racked storage facilities

• Roll handling operations

• Handling of product difficult to label

• Unusual shapes

• Large variations in shape and size

• Hard to attach a label or keep a label flat



Michael Wack, CEO

Case Study: Sprick Paper

3D-Tracking & Tracing of

Paper Rolls by Position

only.

1 Identification, Localization, Authentication

2 Turnkey RFID- and RTLS-Systems

3 Focus: Industry, Production and Logistics

IdentPro – Who we are

Sprick: A German Paper

Manufacturer



Sprick: Business case

3

2

1 Cut cost with handling of rolls

Improve quality during outbound

Transparency in paper roll stock

1. Optical Position Marker

2. Optical Position Sensor

3. Vehicle Terminal

4. Height Sensor

5. Cargo Sensor

1

2

3

4 5

Solution Main Components

Truck-Terminal

Forklift WMS

System

TCP/IP

ERP

System

SQL

Database

Access

Point

IT-Architecture



3

2

1 Cut cost with handling of rolls



Sprick: Business case



3

2

1 Savings: 200 man-days / year



Sprick: Results



3

2

1 Savings: 200 man-days /year

Quality: No errors in outbound


Sprick: Results



3

2



Transparency: All rolls are visible

Sprick: Results



3

2



Transparency: All rolls are visible ROI feasible in

12 Months

Sprick: ROI



QUESTIONS?



For More Information:

Speaker: Larry Mahan

[email protected]

Home Page: www.totaltraxinc.com

Visit MODEX 2012 Booth 2923

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