The logistics business is fundamentally all about moving the correct goods from one location to another in the most speedy, reliable and efficient way. In this respect, location technologies such as GPS or GSM based location services as well as the use of bar code for identification have become essential to the industry. The introduction of the Ubisense precise real-time location technology provides the logistics industry with entirely new possibilities to improve the quality of service and reduce costs. In particular

• Accuracy - the ability to locate and track in real-time objects to an accuracy better than 30cm provides the ability to understand, improve and automate dynamic operational processes;

• Reliability- user acceptance is key to the successful introduction of new technologies and the responsiveness and reliability of operation in often challenging environments provided by the unique Ubisense sensor technology will ensure rapid acceptance of the system;

• Versatility- the system may be operated both in the warehouse and out in the yard in environments where traditional technologies such as GPS or WiFi based solutions cannot deliver, while offering a choice of accuracy, range and cost enabling it to be tailored to the specific requirement;

• Multi applications - once an area is covered by Ubisense sensors, different applications using the same infrastructure may be operated, for example locating bar code scanners as well as tracking forklift truck movements, leveraging the investment in the most efficient way possible;

• Scalability, flexibility - the Ubisense system has been architected to scale seamlessly both in terms of coverage area as well as number of objects tracked. The location and tracking is modelled in a virtual environment which may be easily modified as needs changed without needing to make changes to the hardware infrastructure.

Whether the requirement is in the area of cargo management, freight forwarding, warehousing, Just in Time / Just in Sequence operations or retail, the Ubisense system will deliver customers strategic benefits not achievable before. We will describe a number of typical applications to illustrate these benefits. 

Freight Forwarding

In a cross-docking warehouse, the operation is of necessity highly dynamic to meet the customer expectation of rapid forwarding at low cost. Shipments may easily become misplaced resulting in expensive search effort and perhaps lower quality of service. If a shipment is not where it is supposed to be, it is important to be able to find it immediately. On the other hand, it is not practical in an open loop environment to tag every pallet or item flowing through the warehouse. The solution is to combine a visual record with a method of finding the relevant video sequence instantaneously. CCTV cameras are mounted to view all docks and working areas and the digital video data is stored in an archive with around 20 Terabytes of data being generated over a 30 day period. Instead of tracking the pallets the Ubisense tags are used to track the bar code scanners which are used to record shipments as they enter the warehouse and subsequently every time they are moved until they leave the warehouse. The scanners are on-line to the warehouse management system via a conventional wireless LAN. When a shipment is scanned, the location of the scanner is used to identify the camera viewing the event in that instant and the barcode is stored with the camera ID and the date / time. Later if there is an enquiry regarding the shipment, the video pictures capturing the scanning events related to that barcode may be recalled instantly and the problem quickly identified. A major improvement in responsiveness to customer enquiries, a reduction in time taken to search for missing shipments and an improvement in the quality of service offered. 

Building on exactly the same Ubisense sensor infrastructure, a second application involves attaching tags to forklift trucks, thereby visualising their movements in real-time and recording the usage. In this way it is possible to understand if unusual activity is taking place in a particular area and intervene operationally as well as analyse usage patterns and take measures to improve overall efficiency and reduce the number of vehicles needed.

Warehousing 

The key to improved productivity in warehousing is the reduction of human error and the increase in integration between the warehouse management system and the forklift trucks being used to store and fetch shipments. Typically the forklifts have a mobile data terminal in the cockpit which informs the driver where to store a shipment he has just picked up or which he uses to record the location used for storage. The forklift is fitted with a Ubisense tag and thereby the location actually used to store the shipment is known to the WMS automatically when the driver sets the load down. Each possible storage space can be modelled in the Ubisense platform and an appropriate event telegrammed to the WMS when the forklift enters it. A similar workflow applies to retrieving shipments. If the warehouse layout is changed, this may be reflected in a simple change to the geometry and the spaces modelled with no need to change any infrastructure.

A further refinement to this integration is to mount passive a RFID reader on the fork of the trucks and tag the pallets with passive RFIDs. When the shipment is retrieved or set down then not only the location but also the pallet ID will be automatically sent to the WMS.

For warehouses with shelves it is possible to place a Ubisense tag on the fork of each truck. This tag will not only report the location of the forklift but also the shelf height at which the shipment has been deposited.

These are just some of the example applications now possible with the Ubisense precision real-time system and we will be extending this area continuously as we encounter new ones.

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Ubisense Logistics Presentation (pdf)

Ubisense Logistics Video