The Value of Integrated Real Time Location and Asset Management Systems

1
The Value of Integrated Real Time Location and
Asset Management Systems

• Royston Rodrigues

2
Intercode Solutions in RTLS
3
Enterprise Information Systems
4
AssetsThe Missing Link
5
Solution Components
6
Solution Components
7
Solution Components
8
Solution Components
9
Where is WhereNet used Today?

• Ford Motor Company
• Wireless Kanban on the assembly line
• Vehicle Inventory Management
• Container Management
• Yard Management
• Coca-Cola
• Yard Management for scheduling and use of syrup
  shipments
• Associated Food Stores
• Yard Management of trailers
• Temperature monitoring of trailers
• American Airlines
• Cargo vehicle tracking on the tarmac
• Cisco Systems
• Test Equipment tracking

10

• Case Study Yard Management

11
Overview

• Setting the Stage
• Common Yard Problems
• How RTLS Enhances Yard Operations
• Summary
• Associated Food Stores

12
A Little Perspective
A Trailer Yard Is the Critical Interchange Point
Between Manufacturing, Distribution, And
Transportation
Receiving is about getting right product to the
right door at the right time Shipping is about
getting the right product on the right trailer
and out the gate on time
13
Common Yard Problems

• Product Spoilage
• Inaccurate Yard Inventories
• Late Deliveries
• Lost Trailers
• Excessive Equipment Inventory
• Long Line-ups at Gates
• Inefficient Trailer Moves within Yard

14
The RTLS Advantage
RTLS Real-Time Location System

• Wide Area (campus) Asset Tracking
• Presence Detection
• Portal Visibility
• Wireless Data Link

15
RTLS Usage in Yards

• Automatic Yard Inventory
• Fast Gates
• Remote Site Monitoring
• Remote Sensor Monitoring
• Confirmation of Correct Trailer Moves
• Real-time Switcher Location

16
Automatic Yard Inventory
1. Tag is Associated with Trailer
Location Antenna
Location Antenna
2. Trailer Tag Transmits its ID
3. Each Antenna Receives ID and Sends it to a LP
4. LP Determines Tag Location using Differential
Time of Arrival (DTOA) at Each Antenna
5. Database Server Receives Tag ID and Location
Data From LP
Location Antenna
Location Antenna
Location Processor
Server
17
Automatic Yard Inventory
Yard inventory is conveyed to users through maps
and reports
Colors indicate trailer status and alert
conditions
18
Automatic Yard Inventory
Benefits

• Reduce Trailer Search Time
• Maximize Switcher Utilization
• Eliminate Manual Yard Checks
• Increase Dock Door Utilization
• Increase Yard Throughput
• Improve Yard Safety

19
Fast Gates
Overhead devices cause RTLS tags to transmit at
exit and entry points, providing real-time portal
visibility
20
Fast Gates
Benefits

• Reduce Trailer Line-ups at Gate
• Decrease Labor Expense
• Reduce Time to Dock Door (Receiving)
• Reduce Time to Customer (Shipping)
• Interface with Mechanical Gate

21
Remote Site Monitoring
Site 2
Site 1
Site 3
Trailer presence at remote sites is automatically
captured and forwarded to a central system
Site 4
Site 5
22
Remote Site Monitoring
Benefits

• Improve Forecasting and Scheduling
• Optimize Route Plans
• Increase Trailer Utilization
• Increase On-Time Delivery Performance

23
Remote Sensor Monitoring

• Tag is integrated with door, fuel, and
  temperature sensors
• Sensor data is transmitted every few minutes

Temp 52 F Fuel 1/2 tank Door Closed
24
Remote Sensor Monitoring
RTLS antenna receives sensor data
25
Remote Sensor Monitoring
Benefits

• Eliminate Product Spoilage
• Reduce Product Theft
• Decrease Loss Prevention Labor Expense
• Increase Quality of Perishable Goods Shipments

26
Trailer Move Confirmation

• RTLS Device on Switch Tractor Causes Trailer Tag
  to Transmit with Device ID
• Software Verifies that the Right Switcher is
  Pulling the Right Trailer

27
Trailer Move Confirmation
Benefits

• Verification that the Right Switcher Selected the
  Right Trailer
• Verification that the Switcher Dropped the
  Trailer in the Right Spot
• Maximize Switcher Productivity
• Increase Yard Throughput
• Decrease Equipment Expense

28
Switcher Location

• RTLS Tag on Switch Tractor Enables Continuous
  Location Reporting
• Dispatcher uses Switcher Location to Assign
  Trailer Move Jobs

29
Switcher Location
Benefits

• Allows Dispatcher for Software to Assign Jobs to
  Switchers in an Efficient Manner
• Maximize Switcher Productivity
• Increase Yard Throughput
• Decrease Equipment Expense

30
Summary

• RTLS Enhances Yard Operations Through
• Real-Time Yard Inventory
• Fast Gates
• Remote Yard Monitoring
• Remote Sensor Monitoring
• Trailer Move Confirmation
• Switcher Location
• ROI Justification Includes
• Reduced Equipment and Labor Expense
• Increased Yard Throughput
• Reduced Product Loss due to Spoilage
• and more

31
Associated Food Stores
Wholesale food distributor serving 600 grocers
across 8 states in the Intermountain West Region
Cutting the number of trucks we have to lease
saves us money and accounts for a huge part of
our ROI
Our RTLS-based yard system will pay for itself
in seven months
32
Associated Food Stores
In our business, we are not making money if our
assets are not moving
We cannot afford to lose a truck or trailer
loaded with perishables such as produce and
frozen food
If these trucks are lost for too long, the
perishables spoil. This happens often in a field
of our size
33
Questions?
34
WhereNet Intercode SolutionsThe Market Leader
in Wireless Visibility Applications