Harland Simon is currently completing the installation of a revolutionary warehouse control and tracking system that transforms the management of big warehouses and reports product movements with 100% accuracy to the Warehouse Management System (WMS). The Sky-Trax™ system also monitors and reports on every movement by each fork truck enabling managers to access previously unavailable data to significantly improve warehouse productivity and record warehouse activity in precise detail.
Sky-Trax™ is proven technology that has already been installed in warehouses throughout the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden and now in the UK. Harland Simon is delighted that they will be able to show potential customers a live operation and to demonstrate the remarkable improvements that are possible in warehouse control and inventory accuracy.
Sky-Trax™ uses simple and well tested technology to track trucks in the warehouse. A grid of 2D barcodes is suspended in the eaves of the warehouse or attached to the warehouse roof and an infra red camera with patented optical processing technology tracks the truck’s movement between the bar code markers. The system calculates the speed, direction and time taken for each fork truck movement and information is recorded in real time.
A forward facing camera on the FLT automatically captures product detail as it is being picked up and a height and load sensor records precisely where the pallet is deposited; by rack position and height level.
The system is simple to install, easy to use and is the envy of every warehouse manager and their fork lift truck drivers because product is found first time, every time and more efficient warehouse processes and layouts can be designed.
Warehouse managers describe their experience with Sky-Trax™ system as “having the lights turned on for the first time seeing what is really happening inside the warehouse”. The speed and quality of the data collected is significantly better than information provided by traditional data collection systems and this allows managers to analyse workflow processes and process interaction and not just the time taken for a specific task.
Integration to incumbent WMS delivers accurate data on each pallet movement into and out of the warehouse and every stock transfer that takes place inside the warehouse. 100% inventory accuracy enables warehouse managers to minimise perpetual inventory checking and enables FLT drivers to find product precisely where they are directed by the WMS. The information is provided to the driver via simple, user friendly screens displayed on a truck mounted touch screen.
Eliminating manual scanning and improving the data location accuracy significantly improves productivity in busy warehouses. Recording and analysing what drivers do, where pinch points occur and identifying how to improve operational processes is key to help improve warehouse productivity by 15% to 25% or even greater.
Harland Simon has a wealth of experience integrating software systems and can seamlessly feed the data collected by Sky-Trax™ with every major WMS. The quality of the reports package makes it possible for warehouse managers to analyse activity by driver, shift or process and provides a wealth of graphical tools to help understand the ‘actual’ workings inside the warehouse and the interaction between the equipment, inventory and materials handling equipment.
Sky-Trax™ can also improve warehouse safety because the exact time, location and personnel involved in accidents or “near misses” can be analysed precisely and solutions designed to stop further incidents occurring. Personnel safety is improved and damage costs are brought under control. Safety zones can be designed using the software to issue warnings to pedestrians or limit FLT speeds in areas of high activity.
A Sky-Trax™ solution offers dynamic cost saving opportunities to busy, large scale warehouse operations and it can deliver a return on investment in less than twelve months. In the competitive market place of today, this is one new product that can offer significant continuous improvement to improve operational performance and increase profit opportunities.
Harland Simon
Tel: 01908 276700
Email: sales@harlandsimon.com
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