Page 24 - Logistics News - May 2021

L O CATI O N TECHN O L O GY

technology helps warehouse operators improve internal
operations and quickly react to supply-chain disruptions.

Integrated, intelligent RTLS solutions go beyond
just data collection. They also help warehouse operators
use that data to keep operations running smoothly. For
instance, say a truck scheduled for a particular dock door is
stuck and will arrive two hours late, but staging has already
begun in anticipation of its arrival. The obvious question is:
how quickly can the warehouse yard team pivot?

When RTLS technology is integrated with the
transportation management system (TMS) and yard
management system (YMS), the warehouse team is notified
manually scanning each product’s barcode when a when a truck will arrive late, allowing employees to use
shipment arrives or leaves. analytics to adapt to the new reality. With prescriptive
analytics, warehouse operators can immediately determine
Instead, entire pallets containing dozens of tagged which truck should be directed to the scheduled dock door
products can be automatically scanned in seconds as the instead, so that the shipment can still get out on time.
pallet passes a fixed RFID reader installed near the dock
door. Workers can also use mobile handheld readers to Previously, warehouse managers had to deal with
quickly scan an entire pallet versus individually scanning these situations manually. But today’s RFID solutions do
each item’s barcode. The collected data is automatically more than just tell them that something that might affect
uploaded to the WMS or enterprise resource planning operations has changed. The RFID data is integrated with
(ERP) system and compared against advanced shipping back-end systems and gives front-line workers specific
notices or shipping logs to check accuracy. directions on how to quickly adapt to those changes.

Inventory accuracy That’s why 46 percent of the warehouse operators in
RTLS technology also helps improve inventory accuracy the recent BizTechInsights survey say the most important
by delivering better visibility into the location of inventory feature of a modern warehouse system is the ability to
as it enters the warehouse, is moved to a storage location integrate it with existing warehouse applications.
or leaves the warehouse. Operators are finding that with
greater accuracy, they can dramatically reduce out-of-stocks The days of printing out a paper pick list or relying on
(OOS), which has long plagued the industry. According paper shipping logs are over. Nevertheless, implementing
to NielsenIQ, OOS in just 10 product categories, ranging the right technology remains a struggle for warehouse
from toilet paper and cleaning supplies to dog food, cost US operators. Fifty-seven percent of respondents to the
retailers more than $3 billion in lost sales from May 2020 BizTechInsights survey say their biggest challenge is
to February 2021. ensuring their workers have the right tech tools to operate
efficiently and accurately.
Across the globe, warehouses are adopting these real-
world applications in ever-increasing numbers, thanks in The good news is that RTLS technology, particularly
large measure to changes in cost that are making them when combined with back-end software systems and
L O GI S T I CS NEWS much-needed efficiencies in their warehouse and supply scanners, helps workers do their jobs more efficiently. It
much more affordable. Now, companies of all sizes can gain
wearable solutions such as heads-up displays and ring
chain operations.
also enables them to quickly identify and solve problems.
So, it’s no surprise that these tools are becoming
When integrated with back-end systems, RTLS
increasingly popular with warehouse operators of all sizes. •

22 M A Y 2021 www .l o g ist i csn e w s .c o .z a