Toolstation, one of the UK’s largest suppliers of tools, accessories and building supplies, is revamping its inventory management. With over 25,000 products available online and in over 590 stores nationwide, Toolstation has partnered with Slimstock, a knowledge partner and provider of the supply chain planning platform Slim4, to boost product depth across its multi-channel retail operation.
Laying the foundations for operational excellence
As a strategic brand within the Travis Perkins Group, Toolstation continues to invest in its supply chain, building upon its service standards. The latest partnership with Slimstock will lay the foundation for a more efficient and connected supply chain planning operation.
Jonathan Rendall, Head of Supply Chain at Toolstation, states: “With great service, top trade brands, and nationwide convenience, our customers can count on us to get the job done. But to ensure fast, reliable service in-store and online as our operation scales, we need an integrated and scalable supply chain framework.”
The right tools for the job
Toolstation will adopt Slimstock’s advanced supply chain planning platform, Slim4, to address challenges around forecasting, inventory management and replenishment. As part of the transformation project, Slimstock will also support Toolstation in empowering the planning team through upskilling and enabling improved cross-functional collaboration.
By streamlining processes, improving visibility and automating planning workflows, Slimstock will underpin Toolstation’s goals to:
• Improve product availability and deliver a seamless customer experience across every channel
• Improve operational efficiency to accelerate business growth
• Navigate increasing operational complexity, unlocking greater value for customers
“This initiative marks a real commitment to ensuring we satisfy every customer, every time. Slimstock will play a pivotal role in unifying our operation, driving efficiency as we better position the business to meet its promise to thousands of customers across the UK,” adds Rendall.
Following an extensive review of the market, Toolstation selected Slimstock to support its ambitious supply chain transformation. Slimstock’s industry experience and robust implementation process were decisive factors.
Rendall concludes: “We needed a partner who could offer not only a proven technology solution but also work with us to create more effective processes. The strong chemistry between the Toolstation and Slimstock teams throughout the selection process assured us that Slimstock is the right partner to deliver value to our customers.”
One of the UK’s largest and longest-standing redistributor and retailer of surplus products, Company Shop Group (CSG), has announced a strategic partnership with Dexory, a leading provider of real-time warehouse visibility and automation solutions, to transform inventory accuracy, reduce waste, and improve product flow within its ambient warehouse operations.
The partnership, which uses Dexory’s autonomous robot and AI-driven platform, is delivering transformational results across CSG’s Barnsley, South Yorkshire warehouse, which holds a wide range of surplus stock across food, homeware, personal, and pet categories.
Due to the fast-paced nature of surplus redistribution, accurate and timely stock processing is critical. Historically, inaccuracies in stock levels have led to some picking and dispatch delays. By deploying Dexory’s real-time data and automation solution, CSG is now able to track stock with a level of accuracy and speed not previously possible – with an increase of over 300 pallets added to the warehouse management system (WMS) during the trial period alone.
AI-Powered Robotics
“The Dexory solution stood out as the most effective and least disruptive option after reviewing several providers,” said Martin Upton, Operations Director, Company Shop Group. “It’s fast, flexible, and has integrated seamlessly with our existing warehouse management system. The system has also significantly increased visibility into our Dispatch area – something we had limited access to before. This has dramatically increased efficiency and enabled smoother product flow throughout our operation.”
Dexory’s solution is now used not only for stock integrity – ensuring stock is stored in the right location and allowing for rapid issue resolution – but also to support dispatch operations by providing by-date priority lists and real-time views of dispatch pallets. The robot’s ability to perform multiple autonomous scans per day empowers operational teams to act quickly, identify root causes of issues, and implement targeted training and continuous improvement efforts.
“We’re proud to support a mission-led business that is tackling waste reduction across the industry,” said Oana Jinga, Chief Commercial & Product Officer and Co-founder of Dexory. “By combining our AI-powered robotics and real-time data platform, we’re enabling their team to spot issues sooner, react faster, and ultimately deliver a more effective and efficient end-to-end process – turning warehouse visibility into tangible operational and environmental impact.”
Oana Jinga, Dexory
The project has already freed up valuable time for the client’s stock control team, enabling them to focus on wider efficiency initiatives across operations. With the proven benefits in inventory control and process flow, Company Shop Group sees this partnership as a key pillar in achieving its long-term goal: creating a world where no surplus product goes to waste.
Dexory has added a view optimisation module to its existing suite of warehouse optimisation technologies. Peter MacLeod, Editor, finds out more.
In the fast-paced world of logistics, visibility and efficiency are no longer luxuries – they’re necessities. UK-based scale-up Dexory is addressing these needs head-on with cutting-edge automation and AI-powered optimisation tools. What began as a solution for real-time stock reconciliation has rapidly evolved into a comprehensive warehouse intelligence platform, and its benefits are being harnessed across industries and continents.
Understanding Customer Needs
Customers don’t always know exactly what they need, at least not at first. That’s something Dexory understands deeply. “They come to us with a specific pain point,” Tatiana Kalinina (pictured, below), Dexory’s Vice President Business Development told me during a break in activities at LogiMAT, “but as we dive deeper into their operations, we uncover opportunities for broader value.”
Dexory’s approach begins with a detailed discovery process, analysing a client’s unique warehousing challenges. The initial offering is straightforward: an impressive robot-enabled solution that performs daily, wall-to-wall inventory scans, a tried-and-tested bit of tech about which we’ve previously written in Logistics Business. These scans eliminate the visibility gaps that plague many warehouses and reduce the need for time-consuming, error-prone manual stock checks.
Tatiana Kalinina, Dexory
The benefits extend beyond the bottom line. By automating low-value tasks, employees are freed up to focus on higher-level work. One client saw warehouse staff transition from stock counters to operations analysts within weeks. This shift not only boosts morale but also strengthens staff retention – an increasingly critical factor in today’s competitive labour market.
ROI Speaks for Itself
Return on investment is top of mind for every warehouse manager. While Dexory’s solution may seem intangible at first glance, the company has taken a pragmatic approach to proving its value. “We don’t throw numbers around,” Kalinina explains. “We assess each client’s operations in detail and create quantifiable value buckets.”
This method allows Dexory to show measurable ROI, often within 12 months. For some, the savings come from eliminating stock inaccuracies that cause delays or missed deliveries. For others, it’s about reclaiming labour hours or optimising warehouse space. The point is, the ROI is real, and Dexory takes the time to tailor the metrics to each customer’s priorities.
One of the strengths of the Dexory solution is its scalability. The company frequently starts with a pilot deployment in a single warehouse, often chosen for its high complexity or interesting operational issues. From there, expansion tends to happen quickly. “With many of our 3PL customers, we’re seeing growth across multiple sites in under three months,” says Kalinina. “Sometimes even faster.”
This rapid scale is driven by Dexory’s ability to deliver consistent value across varied environments, from massive DCs in Germany to smaller, bonded warehouses where stock traceability is paramount. Whether the goal is speed, accuracy, or compliance, the system has the capability to adapt.
Optimisation Module
Dexory’s latest innovation is its View Optimisation Module, a powerful extension of its core offering. This new capability taps into the company’s digital twin and data collection backbone to provide actionable insights into warehouse layout, space utilisation, and process flow.
“Inventory accuracy is just the beginning,” says Kalinina. “Now, we’re feeding in wider KPIs, things like congestion, replenishment cycles, outbound flow, and item velocity, to recommend operational changes that drive further efficiency.”
It’s a major leap toward intelligent, self-optimising warehouses. Customers can identify in real-time high-traffic zones, consolidate storage for efficiency, and streamline picking operations.
While Dexory’s roots are in the UK, the company has its sights firmly set on international growth. With a strong presence in Europe, it is investing heavily in its global operations. In particular, the US market, where it has a growing presence, is a major focus.
“We’ve already got our office in Nashville, and our head of US operations is embedded in the market,” Kalinina says. “That boots-on-the-ground presence helps us connect with customers quickly and deliver seamless service.”
The Middle East is also on the company’s radar, especially following a recent funding round that included investors from the region. However, Dexory remains focused on cementing its position in its core markets before expanding further afield.
Best of Both Worlds
Despite its rapid growth, Dexory retains the agility of a startup. The team appears to be able to move quickly, iterate constantly, and maintain a close connection with customers. At the same time, they’ve implemented the processes and systems necessary to scale sustainably.
“We’re already supporting deployments in Australia and delivering hardware on tight timelines,” Kalinina notes. “But we’re also preparing for the future – whether it’s 10, 50, or 100 new warehouse sites.” This blend of startup agility and enterprise readiness is rare, and it’s helping Dexory earn the trust of some of the logistics world’s biggest players.
The Road Ahead
Looking to the future, Dexory is not standing still. The company’s digital twin technology and robust data infrastructure provide a strong foundation for ongoing innovation. “We’re constantly building new modules, always based on customer needs,” Kalinina tells me. In the near term, that means deeper insights into space occupancy, pick path optimisation, and even real-time replenishment recommendations. Over time, it could mean even more predictive and prescriptive capabilities.
Perhaps the strongest testament to Dexory’s value is its customer retention. In the past year, the company has experienced rapid expansion and not a single customer has walked away. “Zero churn,” Kalinina smiles. “We’re proud of that.”
In an industry where time is money and margins are tight, Dexory has demonstrated that visibility, automation, and optimisation aren’t just nice to have – they can prove to be game-changers.
DCL Logistics, a provider of fulfillment and inventory management services for high-growth omni-channel brands, has partnered with Dexory to implement DexoryView, an advanced robotics and data intelligence platform that streamlines and automates inventory audits. Since deploying DexoryView, DCL Logistics has seen a 14% increase in pallet location accuracy and a tenfold improvement in inventory counting speed, enabling the business to save time, costs and eliminate interruptions to its core operations.
DCL Logistics supports brands looking to scale quickly without compromising inventory accuracy. Traditionally, continuous cycle counts required significant hours of manual labour to physically verify stock levels and that goods were stored in the right locations. This was a time-intensive process that could disrupt operations. For many brands, inventory is equivalent to cash and accuracy is paramount for confident decision making and financial reporting. In addition to this, end customers have high expectations for accurate and timely order fulfilment, which in turn is key to customer retention.
By implementing DexoryView, DCL Logistics now has the ability to perform inventory audits on a daily and weekly basis and provide real-time data to its customers so that they are confident in knowing exactly what inventory they have on hand. This consistency allows DCL Logistics’ customers to ensure that their order fulfilment is uninterrupted, and end-customers receive their products quicker, while DCL Logistics is able to save valuable hours of conducting manual inventory checks.
Key results and benefits
Since deploying DexoryView, DCL Logistics has seen the following benefits and impacts to its business:
• 14% improvement in pallet location accuracy – this has resulted in more consistent and trustworthy inventory data.
• Tenfold increase in inventory counting speed – compared to drone-based cycle counting which the company trailed previously.
• 16 hours of labour saved per day – freeing up the inventory team to focus on higher-value planning and strategic initiatives such as warehouse space optimisation and customised customer projects.
• Less reliance on annual physical inventory counts – Greater trust in product availability allows a reduction in costly, time-intensive annual physical inventory counting, eliminating operational disruptions and improving fiscal accuracy.
“DexoryView has allowed us to significantly improve the quality of our inventory accuracy, ensuring that our teams have rich and reliable data at their disposal at the start of every shift ensuring discrepancies are fixed before they have a negative impact on our operations,” says Dave Tu, President at DCL Logistics. “Robotics automation most obviously increases the speed of our daily cycle counting, but it’s the substantial increase in accuracy rates over an accelerated time period that allows our operations to move faster and smarter for our customers, while giving our teams more time focus on higher value initiatives.”
The availability of real-time data from the warehouse ensures that DCL Logistics is able to catch and correct discrepancies before they escalate into business disrupting events. This, in-turn, increases customer satisfaction and confidence that DCL Logistics is the partner of choice for brands looking to scale quickly.
“Operating in an environment where accuracy is key, DCL Logistics has shown how automation and real-time data can elevate inventory management to meet the needs of modern commerce,” says Oana Jinga, Chief Commercial and Product Officer at Dexory. “Together, with DCL Logistics, we are enabling not just the transformation of how data is used in the warehouse but allowing the brands they work with to scale confidently with real-time accuracy.”
Dexory aims to help its customers enter a new era of warehouse intelligence with the introduction of DexoryView, offering warehouses unparalleled real-time visibility and actionable insights.
In today’s fast-paced, high-stakes supply chain landscape, warehouses are under increasing pressure to deliver faster, more accurate, and more scalable operations. For logistics leaders, the pursuit of operational excellence begins with a simple but crucial question: How accurate and reliable is your inventory data? Without a solid foundation of stock integrity and inventory health, even the most ambitious optimisation strategies can falter.
Enter DexoryView, the ultimate warehouse intelligence platform designed to empower warehouses with unparalleled real-time visibility and actionable insights. DexoryView transforms how warehouses operate, combining cutting-edge data analytics with seamless integration into your Warehouse Management System (WMS). The result? Greater efficiency, fewer errors, and a clear pathway to operational excellence.
Before optimisation comes precision. Maintaining accurate, up-to-date records of inventory is the bedrock of any successful warehouse operation. Mismatches between system data and physical stock can lead to inefficiencies, delays, and even reputational damage. In an era where agility and precision are critical, outdated or unreliable inventory systems simply won’t cut it.
DexoryView changes the game by offering real-time, data-driven insights into stock levels, movements, and discrepancies. It not only identifies problem areas but also uncovers opportunities for improvement. Armed with trend analysis and historical data, warehouse managers can pinpoint the root causes of errors, implement corrective actions, and focus their teams on high-value tasks. By securing stock integrity, businesses can confidently scale operations and prepare for more advanced optimisation strategies.
Setting a new benchmark for warehouse management and operations efficiency
The DexoryView Integrity module brings together existing and new functionality that has already allowed customers such as Maersk to reduce their Warehouse Management System (WMS) errors by 15% and save 6 hours per day by quickly locating stock. It has allowed companies like Yusen Logistics to save 98 hours per month by moving to daily wall-to-wall counts.
Key new features include:
• Basic inventory checks – Through the use of fully autonomous robots, DexoryView Integrity will help businesses automate their inventory checks and establish a single source of truth for warehouse efficiency.
• Bulk and block stack volume assessment – Provides accurate item counts of non-palletised units in block stack floor locations helping operators promptly address discrepancies and maintain inventory accuracy.
• Pick volume assessment– Provides count estimates for inventory stored in pick locations, helping operators track remaining cases and detect discrepancies, enabling exception-based pick area management with reduced risk and clear visibility on replenishment needs.
• Pallet analysis – Identifies and tracks rental pallets, reducing costs associated with lost or misplaced assets.
• Empty location checks – Allows businesses to determine which locations currently have no inventory, removing the need for manual checks.
For organisations like vente-unique.com, the DexoryView Integrity has allowed the organisation to move from 92% to 98% accuracy in the matter of days. With businesses like GWC, DexoryView has allowed for an impressive 99% accuracy in tracking and identifying inventory, which has allowed the business to streamline its processes and achieve significant cost savings.
DexoryView doesn’t just identify inefficiencies—it helps you understand their true cost. Its impact assessment tools give logistics leaders a clear picture of where operational pain points are draining resources and holding back growth. By prioritising stock integrity and leveraging optimisation strategies, businesses can unlock measurable improvements in efficiency, customer satisfaction, and profitability.
The logistics industry is pumping a massive £185 billion into the UK economy each year and providing jobs for around 8% of the workforce. That’s over 214,000 companies working tirelessly to keep goods moving across the country and the globe. With trade volumes surpassing £1 trillion annually, the sector is the backbone of our economy.
Unsurprisingly, this growth, coupled with last year’s Electronic Trade Documents Act (ETDA), is driving a tech transformation in logistics, with companies increasingly turning to automation and IoT (Internet of Things) to keep up with demands.
How IoT is transforming logistics:
1. Real-time tracking and visibility: With IoT sensors on vehicles, containers, and packages, logistics teams can monitor every step of the journey, from location to temperature, ensuring compliance and safeguarding sensitive goods like pharmaceuticals.
2. Smooth inventory management: Automated tracking through IoT sensors reduces manual errors, while cloud platforms enable instant access to inventory status, improving forecasting and reducing costs.
3. Predictive maintenance: IoT sensors monitor equipment health, predicting maintenance needs before breakdowns, which keeps vehicles on the road longer and reduces unexpected disruptions.
4. Optimised route planning: Cloud-based route planning backed by IoT data helps avoid traffic, save fuel, and cut down emissions — making deliveries faster, cheaper, and greener.
5. Enhanced demand forecasting: IoT and cloud analytics allow companies to predict demand spikes, keep shelves stocked just right, and spot new market trends in real time.
6. Streamlined collaboration: Cloud platforms improve communication across the supply chain, with real-time data sharing between suppliers, distributors, and retailers, keeping everything in sync.
7. Boosted customer experience: Real-time tracking and personalised offers create a smooth and tailored experience for customers, fostering loyalty and satisfaction.
8. Upgraded security: With advanced cloud security and IoT-enabled monitoring, logistics companies can protect their assets and data, reducing risks of theft and cyber threats.
David Ritchie, co-founder of Propel Tech, which specialises in bespoke software for supply chain companies, says, “The Internet of Things (IoT) is revolutionising logistics, enabling businesses to achieve greater efficiency and prioritise customer needs. Success lies in the synergy of smart technology and custom software. Tailored solutions that seamlessly integrate IoT and cloud platforms, empower real-time, data-driven decision-making and optimise operations for each unique business.”
The digital twin in logistics market is set to grow from its current market value of more than $1.2 Billion to over $9.4 Billion by 2032′ as reported in the latest study by Global Market Insights, Inc.
By creating a virtual replica of their physical logistics network, companies can monitor and analyze every facet of their operations, from warehouse management to route optimization, significantly boosting operational efficiency through real-time insights.
End-users are increasingly integrating digital twins with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies. This fusion amplifies the predictive prowess of digital twins, leading to sharper forecasting and optimization. AI and ML algorithms sift through vast data from digital twins, discerning patterns and making instantaneous decisions. For example, in route optimization, AI-enhanced digital twins can modify delivery routes in real-time, factoring in traffic, weather, and historical data.
The market is segmented by component into software and services. In 2023, the software segment accounted for roughly $893 million. The capabilities of digital twin software have been significantly bolstered by the integration of Internet of Things (IoT) devices and sensors. These enhancements facilitate real-time data gathering from assets, vehicles, and infrastructure within the logistics network. Such detailed data is vital for crafting precise digital replicas of tangible systems. For instance, in March 2024, DHL harnessed digital twin technology to craft virtual models of its warehouses.
The market categorizes the digital twin in logistics by deployment model into cloud-based and on-premises. The cloud-based segment is projected to surpass $7.5 billion by 2032. These cloud solutions offer unparalleled scalability, allowing logistics firms to modulate computing resources in response to demand shifts. During peak times or unforeseen surges, businesses can swiftly upscale their infrastructure without hefty capital outlays. This adaptability not only ensures peak performance but also bolsters efficiency and customer satisfaction.
In 2023, North America led the digital twin in logistics market, capturing about 31% of the revenue share. Spearheaded by the U.S., this region stands at the vanguard of technological advancements. The swift evolution and adoption of IoT, AI, and big data analytics are pivotal in driving the uptake of digital twins in logistics. Companies in this region harness these technologies to boost operational efficiency, refine decision-making, and secure a competitive edge.
Warehousing and industrial facilities can now benefit from outsourced stock checks, thanks to pioneering new technology created by RGIS.
RGIS is a provider of inventory management solutions, providing outsourced stocktaking services which save its clients time and money. Established in the retail industry for over 65 years, the company now also serves a growing base of industrial clients, thanks to its innovative RGIS Vision technology.
RGIS Vision is an advanced industrial solution that goes beyond barcode scanning to speed up stocktaking and inventory checks by eliminating paperwork and manual data entry. The versatile technology can scan part numbers, product codes and barcodes, boosting the operational efficiency of RGIS’s auditors during industrial inventories. An RGIS team equipped with this hardware can deliver quicker and more accurate results than an in-house stock take, offering companies significant productivity savings, and often financial ones too.
Kiran Soni, Managing Director – UK and Ireland of RGIS said: “RGIS Vision enables industrial facilities to realise the benefits of outsourcing their inventory checks – even those who don’t have a barcode system in their warehouses. Some businesses still don’t understand the high internal expenditure required for an in-house stock take. And others don’t think they can outsource unless they already have a barcode system in place. RGIS Vision fully addresses these issues, making outsourcing viable for many more companies.”
RGIS Vision uses pioneering camera handset technology to capture part numbers, QR codes and product codes as well as barcodes. It can even read smudged, faded or blurred part numbers. The cloud-based system creates a data file that can be imported into any system or spreadsheet, alleviating what can sometimes be hours of manual data entry, and significantly reducing the need to manually correct line-item variances on an inventory tracker.
RGIS has teams of auditors located across the UK and Ireland, providing local expertise to industrial clients. Outsourcing an inventory check to RGIS allows manufacturing facilities to maintain smooth operations without the disruptions caused by shifting staff. The company says it understands the importance of accurate stock data in helping management make informed decisions, ensuring optimal quantity levels, reducing over-ordering, and improving cash flow. By providing clear insights, the company can help businesses identify areas where stock-handling processes can be enhanced for greater efficiency.
For those still operating on pen-and-paper systems, RGIS Vision eliminates manual data entry and paperwork. It is also a cost-effective alternative to implementing barcodes, which often involves changing existing inventory systems as well as physically printing and applying the codes. RGIS Vision can deliver the same digital benefits and inventory check accuracy of barcodes, but with much more convenience.
“RGIS Vision can speed up stock-taking for any business that holds an inventory of items, such as parts and components,” added Soni. “Ultimately, it enables manufacturing and distribution companies to make better-informed decisions about outsourcing their inventory checks. It builds the business case for employing outside experts rather than relying on their own employees and time-consuming manual processes.”
AI and IoT are redefining the future of supply chains and revolutionising logistics, writes Adrian Negoita (pictured below), CTO and Co-Founder of Dexory.
In the warehousing industry, every detail matters and precision is paramount. Any business involved in the selling of physical goods needs efficient supply chain management. However, the dynamic nature of the business environment, currently characterised by geopolitical tensions, fierce competition, and increasing costs, has meant supply chain disruptions have become a major obstacle.
The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and The Internet of Things (IoT) brings about a paradigm shift, providing real-time insights and revolutionising the way businesses manage their logistics. Thanks to these technologies, businesses can better react to challenges, improving their resilience and streamlining operations like never before.
What distinguishes AI from the Internet of Things?
AI and IoT work harmoniously but have unique functions and capabilities. AI is a machine’s capability to emulate the intelligence we typically associate with human minds. In the context of logistics, algorithms analyse vast data sets, garner insights, predict outcomes and make informed decisions based on the collected data. This process happens continuously, meaning performance can be enhanced over time. For instance, AI-powered solutions enhance operational efficiency through improved inventory management, space optimisation and forward planning. Businesses that can rapidly learn from previous operation patterns up to the present can make adjustments simultaneously, improving their resilience.
The Internet of Things describes when objects are fitted with sensors, software and other technologies to connect and exchange data over the Internet. In warehousing, IoT sensors and radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags can be used to provide insights into the supply chain’s inventory, assets and environmental conditions.
The advantages of AI and IoT in collaboration
Ultimately, the integration of AI and IoT results in warehouse systems that are more agile, responsive, and efficient. An essential advantage is the provision of real-time data insights. IoT devices consistently transmit data, offering insights into inventory levels, asset performance, and environmental conditions of the warehouse. Following this, AI algorithms analyse the data, providing logistics managers with actionable insights that facilitate prompt and effective decision-making.
AI is capable of processing and anticipating future fluctuations in demand using historical IoT data. This helps to identify any potential constraints and disruptions. All this means warehouses can adapt quickly to overcome obstacles.
IoT and AI also enhance traceability and transparency. Tracking devices powered by IoT illustrate the movement of products throughout the supply chain. AI compiles and then uses this data to adjust inventory levels appropriately, monitor goods, and enhance delivery precision. It also can monitor the whereabouts of shipments, thereby enabling logistics firms to provide the best possible customer service, giving accurate information and comprehensive delivery predictions to customers.
Optimising visibility
The lack of visibility in supply chains is a critical factor impeding operational efficiency, exposing organisations to potential risks and inefficiencies. An over-reliance on outdated data means warehouses respond too slowly to challenges. To attain true resilience, supply chains require the availability of dependable information.
The implementation of autonomous mobile robotics substantially increases productivity. Enhanced sensors and digital twin technology, which simulates the physical environment, in conjunction with industry-leading robotics, provide unprecedented visibility and control. Technological innovations have brought about a paradigm shift in warehouse operations by enhancing problem identification and resolution, in addition to environmental monitoring. The faster a problem or technical issue can be identified and resolved, the higher all-around efficiency is in response to complex and ever changing demands placed on the warehouse industry.
Conventional systems fail to adequately handle the volume and speed of data, resulting in decisions made from outdated or incomplete information. Nevertheless, by integrating AI-powered analytics and IoT real-time data, organisations can enhance operational resilience, predict results, and make well-informed decisions. As these technologies continue to advance, warehousing will evolve alongside them.
Stock-taking in a warehouse is a time-consuming, manual process. Until now. David Priestman visited a British supplier of a robotic alternative.
Real-time data, including inventory, enables structural visibility in logistics, which leads to better resource allocation, reduced downtime and improved customer service. Dexory’s robot (pictured) automated inventory management, providing instant, continuous data. It can scan a medium-sized distribution centre in two hours, whereas doing it manually could take months. It corrects WMS errors and provides a ‘digital twin’ of the facility with 3D mapping.
Dexory offer this on a subscription model – RaaS, or robots-as-a-service – with no capital investment required. The company’s target are tier 1 customers with multiple locations, including third party logistics (3PL) firms, often with shared-user facilities. Maersk and Schenker have both invested in Dexory and Maersk are also using the product. I visited the production and demonstration site in Wallingford, Oxfordshire to understand why the company is making such rapid progress.
Tatiana Kalinina, VP of Sales, told me that Dexory has grown from 17 staff last summer to a likely 100 by this Christmas. She describes the machine as an ‘autonomous data capture unit’. The new model (RE4) is silent, handles precarious routes well and fully navigates a 3D space. The stopping distance is amendable and it can move around obstacles. It features an emergency stop button, though Kalinina says that has never needed to be used.
At 3.25m high the RE4 extends to 12m and can thereby scan up to 13.5m in a warehouse. Future models will be even taller. It lights up in a pleasant way and can work through the night. On average there are 16 LiDAR (light detection and ranging) cameras on each robot but sometimes up to 20. The LiDARs scan and produces high-res photos. The bot utilises a wireless docking station (supplied by Wiferion) for charging and recognises when it needs to charge, with an 8-hour battery life. Customers can choose bespoke options (such as height), their own livery colours or ‘skin’ and give the bot a nickname. It is easy to see why the bots are popular with warehouse workers.
“3PLs can invest in our system knowing this helps them to win business,” Kalinina told me. “We test each machine here with the customer’s bar codes before shipping it out to their site,” she added. Quality assurance testing of the tower extensions and cables, for example, is done here in Wallingford before shipment, vertically, using specially-designed transport trailers. Training and final testing is then done at the customer’s site, with remote monitoring and diagnostics provided.
All the design is done at this centre, as well as 3D printing of various plastic and carbon-fibre parts. The cameras are bought in, as are the batteries. The base is made first, then the tower. The target is to produce one robot per day by next year, in order to meet demand, and Dexory is scaling-up to that level. The whole unit weighs 600kg. It can work in ambient temperatures and within chilled areas of DCs, anything above zero degrees as the cameras cannot operate in frozen environments.
Dexory View
The platform that the robots work on is called ‘Dexory View’ (see image). This provides web-based reports, data interpretation and visualisation. KPIs can be measured. “It provides the capability to optimize your warehouse,” Kalinina explained. “It’s a Digital Twin – a like-for-like copy of your DC. All the aisles and location numbers are inputted in the first week of installation.” Given installation is usually just a week, quicker than for AMRs or AGVs, there are low barriers to entry. “There’s very little we ask for from customers,” she informed. “We do all the mapping for them and build the optimal path through the DC.”
A 2D ‘birds eye’ view is provided, which is intuitive to use and has zoom functions. Red is used to highlight errors detected. Options include not scanning reserve stock or very slow-moving products on site. Customers can choose which items are scanned daily. Dexory View provides a summary of each scan: time taken, locations scanned, missing items, places occupied with the incorrect item, unreadable barcodes, wrong items, put-away accuracy, volumetrics and more. It truly is ‘big data’ in action.
Warehouse managers can therefore compare, on a daily basis, each metric and see the trends – for example replenishment and stock turnover. These statistics can then be compared across different warehouses operated by the customer for best practice targets. The 3D view shows every location, with each one clickable and showing a photo. This enables errors to be checked and escalated without physically visiting the aisle in question. Tasks can be allocated from these findings. A photo scan of the whole aisle is also provided.
“We eliminate manual, repetitive tasks,” Kalinina concluded, “and provide a single source of the truth, alongside WMS and ERP, because of the regularity of scans. The bigger the facility, the greater the benefits and efficiencies.”
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