Operating in 20 countries, this global logistics leader specializes in Service Parts Logistics, efficiently managing spare parts and components for leading automotive brands. With a steadfast commitment to 100% order accuracy, the company has built a reputation as a trusted partner in the competitive automotive supply chain.
To address inefficiencies in managing warehouse scanners and mobile devices, the company leveraged Xerafy’s asset tracking expertise to implement advanced RFID automation. This collaboration transformed operations at their UK warehouse, enhancing efficiency, reducing costs, and ensuring seamless workflows. The project’s anonymity safeguards proprietary strategies and customer confidentiality while demonstrating the potential of RFID technology in solving warehouse automation challenges.
Challenges in Managing Warehouse Scanners at Scale
The company’s UK warehouse serves as a critical hub for automotive supply chains:
Facility size: 1.5 million square feet.
Operations: 24/7 with successive shifts.
Volume: Sorting and shipping millions of automotive parts worldwide.
The company faced significant inefficiencies in managing its fleet of handheld RFID readers, barcode scanners, and other mobile devices essential to warehouse operations:
Scanner mismanagement: Devices were frequently misplaced, lost, or accidentally shipped.
Operational downtime: Managers and employees spent significant time locating scanners, disrupting workflows.
High replacement costs: Over USD 100,000 was spent on replacement scanners in just three months.
Lack of operational visibility: Inadequate systems for managing and monitoring device usage led to inefficiencies and increased costs.
These challenges underscored the need for a robust solution to enhance scanner management, reduce costs, and automate operations.
Automating Warehouse Scanner Management with RFID
To address these challenges, the company implemented an advanced RFID-enabled device management system designed to improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and minimize disruptions.
The RFID tracking solution is built on a foundation of industry-leading components, ensuring reliability, scalability, and efficiency:
Smart Lockers Deployment:
280 RFID-enabled smart lockers strategically placed throughout the warehouse to allow up to ten operatives to simultaneously access or return scanners. These lockers are located near high-traffic and operational zones to minimize travel time, reduce workflow disruptions, and ensure device availability during shift changes.
Seamless integration with employee ID badges automates access and shift handovers.
MICRO series – The MICRO Power is a small rugged RFID tags engineered for smaller devices
PICO series – Small RFID tags for metal or plastic surfaces, such as the PICO On and PICO Off
METAL SKIN series – On-metal RFID labels, such as the METAL SKIN Titanium smallest RFID sticker
TRAK series – Durable inventory RFID tags like the Slim TRAK work on both metal and plastic surfaces
Enhanced Tracking and Monitoring System:
Real-time tracking pinpoints scanner locations and usage history, enabling resource allocation and bottleneck resolution.
Implementation of a Last-In, Last-Out (LILO) approach ensures even usage and reduces wear and tear across devices.
Streamlining Warehouse and Inventory Management with RFID Automation
Deploying smart lockers to manage a large fleet of warehouse scanners exemplifies how RFID-enabled storage units, such as cabinets, cribs, toolboxes, and vending machines, extend asset management capabilities across diverse industrial setups:
Power Tools and Equipment: Ensuring accountability, reducing loss, and offering charging points.
Protective Equipment: Maintaining inventory levels and meeting safety standards.
Consumables: Tracking usage to optimize restocking schedules and minimize waste.
The integration of these storage solutions provides real-time visibility, enhances security, and automates inventory management, enabling seamless operations across various workflows. The flexibility of RFID tagging ensures compatibility with assets of different materials and usage conditions, delivering scalable and reliable asset tracking.
Best Practices for Automating Warehouse Scanner Management
Strategic Placement of Smart Storage Units: Positioning RFID-enabled storage units in high-traffic areas ensures seamless access for operatives and reduces bottlenecks.
Integration with Existing Systems: Leveraging employee ID badges or existing infrastructure streamlines adoption and minimizes disruptions.
Tailored RFID Tagging Solutions: Choose tagging options that align with asset materials and usage conditions to maximize reliability and durability.
Real-Time Visibility: Implementing tracking and monitoring devices maintains accountability and prevents asset mismanagement.
Proactive Maintenance: Use data insights to enforce even device usage and schedule preventive maintenance, extending the lifespan of critical equipment.
These best practices serve as a blueprint for organizations seeking to improve asset management and operational efficiency through RFID solutions. They are applicable across industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics, where precise tracking and efficient management of critical assets significantly enhance operational performance.
Xerafy is a pioneer in Industrial RFID, bringing to market several innovations that enable advanced identification and automation capabilities in Inventory.
In addition to a complete range of field-proven RFID tags available off-the-shelf, Xerafy offers Custom RFID Tags services, covering everything from a personalization service bureau to custom-design engineering capabilities.
