DHL Supply Chain a subsidiary of DHL will use Internet of Things in warehouses in the future. Together with Cisco Systems and Conduce, a visualization specialist from Silicon Valley, pilot projects will initially be launched at three locations.
More efficient processes
The aim is to make the processes in the warehouses more efficient and to monitor data streams. The data comes from different scanners and transport and loading devices as well as the own warehouse management system.
Graphical visualization through heatmaps
DHL can visualize the operational processes graphically in the form of heatmaps. The new user interface improves the analysis of the processes, helps to better track assets like fork-lifts and to identify traffic hotspots.
Image: DHL
“Monitoring real-time operational processes allows us to better analyze data and adapt processes or designing warehouse space as needed,” says Markus Voss CIO at DHL Supply Chain.
The data used is collected in a single interface. The pilot projects have already yielded better insights into peak times and consequent bottlenecks in logistics activities among employees and equipment.
Suppy Chain get disrupted by IIoT
Supply Chain Management is one of the sectors most affected by the industrial IoT revolution. But the hurdles are huge, as many legacy systems need to be digitized, networked, and equipped with existing sensors. The resulting flood of data will then also be a challenge for big data systems. One of the areas that need to be optimized is to replace the widely used bar code scanners with modern RFID tags and GPS, which automate the tracking and make the work much less error-prone. However, most companies are still a long way off, and this not just because of the costs involved.
