Customer Use Case: Maintenance – small C-parts in your warehouse
In our new “Use Cases” series we want to regularly present best practice examples from our customers. This time we will show you how our customer solved his problems in the maintenance warehouse with small C-parts using TeDaLoS sensors.
The Problem: Material not managed as inventory, manual processes
In the maintenance warehouse, employees help themselves to the materials stored in supplier containers or bins (often called „kanban bin“) as required. Due to lack of space, a “multi-bin Kanban” cannot be implemented. Article diversity and inaccuracy (“a handful of screws”) make withdrawal lists worthless. In order to ensure material availability despite fluctuating consumption, a decision on replenishment is made on a gut feeling basis with daily visual checks. The material groups are typically either not managed in the company‘s inventory management system at all or the bookings in the system only correspond to the order and delivery data, but not to the actual times of consumption. For all these reasons, companies often have these stocks managed externally by material suppliers. This binds companies to C-parts suppliers for an undesirable length of time. It is not possible to record consumption accurately and to take action in case of unnatural peaks. Physical annual inventory counting lock personnel resources and block daily operations. In times of COVID19 the reorder point determination by personnel presence on site is not desired or prevented. Digital information from the warehouse is created late in the process, often retrospectively.
The Solution: TeDaLoS intelligent sensor units
Wireless sensor units are retrofitted to the storage shelves. Existing bins and supplier containers can still be used with the sensor units afterwards. The virtual association of sensor unit to article, department, storage location, cost centre, etc. is done remotely and can be changed remotely at any time. Training of maintenance personnel is not required. The automatic monitoring of content quantities with piece-wise accuracy now makes automatic inventory management possible. The sensor units remain mobile and can be repositioned if necessary. The digital measured values of the current stock level transferred without manual operation and wirelessly to the TeDaLoS cloud software several times a day. The cloud also displays historical charts via smartphone or PC. Defined threshold values trigger online reorder requests. Purchasers for “indirect spend” can view current stock levels across all locations.
The Result: Time- and piece-accurate inventory management, inventory countings with a single click
The consumption of C-parts is automatically detected by sensors and stored online as digital information. Warehouse management and buyers always see the actual physical stock levels, with piece-wise accuracy. Collective orders are thus made easier. Below a self-defined minimum level, an additional alarm notification is sent which contains all important data for reordering. This way, urgent requirements are no longer overlooked. Standard interfaces in IT systems ensure that the theoretical inventory data is transmitted and corrected. Intermediate inventory countings are now available online at the push of a button and with real inventory quantities. Manual processes have been reduced, the dependence on on-site personnel and the “gut feeling” of experienced employees has been eliminated, material availability has been improved through early recognition of demand and “inventory counting at the push of a button” has been realised.
If you have a similar problem, have a look at our 2-month test packages!
