EASTPACK, one of the largest Kiwi Fruit pack houses in New Zealand, is the first to implement a new RFID and indoor vehicle management supply chain solution from Peacock Bros.
Combining RFID, indoor vehicle tracking, mobile data capture and inventory management software, this solution is said to have achieved a ROI for EastPak just months after its deployment.
The supply chain management system now tracks the movement of all the fork lift vehicles and pallets every second of the day, within centimeters.
Continuous monitoring of activities allows for full inventory reporting on where stock is located, the quantity of the stock, expiry date and more.
The system also analyses the performance of indoor vehicles such as forklifts to ensure optimal efficiencies within the warehouses.
The forklifts are fitted with special Sky-trax optical cameras that identify the relative location of position markers suspended from the warehouse ceiling.
The location information is fed to a vehicle mounted mobile computer which continuously relays data such as location, speed and direction to the main warehouse management system.
By adding automated RFID pallet tag readers and height sensors to the forklift, the warehouse system now knows the location and height of the tagged pallets even if they are in motion onboard the forklift.
EastPack maintains three warehouses that contain 42 refrigerated storage rooms, which receive, store and dispatch as orders are placed.
The solution was deployed throughout their entire operation, which incorporates 25 forklifts that move more than 13.5 million trays of Kiwi fruit.
“Knowing the exact location of a pallet at any given time is vital,” EastPak company administrator Donna Smit said. “Because Kiwi fruit is a perishable product, we have to be sure that the pallet taken by the forklift is the right one every time.
“Previously warehouse staff read a barcode with a scanner and manually typed in the pallets location. We could not depend on the accuracy of the information being entered and interpreted.”
Warehouse operational efficiency has improved thanks to the monitoring program integrated into the company’s warehouse management system, which provides the warehouse manager with a real-time view of the vehicles movements and stock locations.
Because all activities are monitored to an accuracy of 5cm, the system can provide reports on vehicle use effectiveness, stock status and warehouse layout.
Additional OH&S benefits can be retrieved from this solution, including the “breadcrumb trail” function which will identify the heavily congested sections within a warehouse.
Proximity alerts can be added when approaching a pedestrian area and even an optional speed limiter fitted to reduce accidents with pedestrians or other forklifts.
Key contact:
Peacock Bros.
craigm@peacocks.com.au
www.peacocks.com.au
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