Logistics and Warehousing
11 Apr 2022 13 min

Published: Nick Rozaev

Last update 16 AUG 2022

Pallet tracking in warehouses

Logistics and Warehousing
Navigine - Pallet tracking in warehouses
11 Apr 2022 13 min

Published: Nick Rozaev

Last update 16 AUG 2022

Source- Nikita_Krushko

Large warehouses can store dozens of thousands of commodity types which are often placed on pallets and trays. In most cases they are not located in convenient places and, as a result, searching for them takes away much of the working time. The optimal solution for improving the efficiency of the warehouse staff performance is the geolocation-based pallet tracking technology. It allows defining the exact location of goods and finding them on the warehouse map in real-time.

Pallet tracking technologies

Since using GPS/GLONASS doesn’t ensure exact indoor asset tracking, such modern technologies as Wi-Fi and iBeacon are applied for monitoring and navigation. They are most suitable for positioning inside warehouses, logistics centers, and other enterprises. Their implementation into the company’s infrastructure enables high-precision pallet tracking and goods on them.

iBeacon

iBeacon-based warehouse pallet tracking enables product monitoring in real-time. The system works in the same range as classical Bluetooth but it is characterized by lower energy consumption, which allows saving on energy resources. Special beacons, mounted on pallets, help warehouse employees to find the necessary goods.

The use of iBeacon navigation systems has a number of advantages:

  • Low-cost equipment for the integration into the company’s infrastructure;
  • Simple deployment and installation;
  • Detailed information about goods and their movement;
  • Tray and pallet tracking on the interactive map;
  • High speed and security of data transmission.

The technology is easily adapted to users’ needs. Beacons can be mounted both on stationary and moving objects and can be integrated into the already existing warehouse infrastructure.

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Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi technology provides the exact localization of goods, the monitoring of their movement trajectory, and successful business process optimization in warehouses. As in the case with iBeacon, asset tracking is implemented via special tags able of scanning the environment.

Wi-Fi technology is widely used in positioning systems at enterprises. The reason for this popularity lies in the following:

  • Low energy consumption (search for points of access takes several seconds);
  • Minimal implementation costs since the existing infrastructure can be used for monitoring;
  • Simple integration with other navigation and positioning systems;
  • Assets monitoring in real-time.

The pallet tracking software enables pallet localization with an accuracy of 5-10 m. The higher the density of points of access is, the higher accuracy of positioning can be achieved.

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How does the warehouse pallet tracking system work?

The performance of the positioning platform depends on the chosen technology. If pallet tracking in a warehouse is carried out using Wi-Fi, special tags track assets in the building and then send the signals with the information about their location to the server where the data is processed and delivered back to users.

While using the iBeacon technology, each tracked object is equipped with an iBeacon tag that emits radio signals at the preset intervals. These impulses are detected by the readers and sent to the cloud where they are processed and delivered to computers or smartphones in the form of ready-made information.

The use of tags and beacons ensures the digitization of the whole process of tracking and provides comprehensive data on the tracked goods. In other words, the implementation of the pallet tracking solutions makes it possible to know where a pallet is at the moment, where it was earlier, how many times and where it was moved within some definite period of time. This approach gives detailed analytics and significantly improves the control over the goods.

Advantages of pallet tracking solutions

The integration of pallet tracking into the existing infrastructure of the warehouse simplifies the work of the staff and allows the management to optimize working processes. Thanks to this system, companies acquire a set of benefits:

  • Time saving. 19% of the working time is wasted on searching for goods. The use of this technology minimizes these figures since the warehouse employees always know where the goods are. They can immediately learn the number of pallets ready for dispatching and can easily define the status of the order.
  • Theft and loss prevention. The system simplifies the search for goods that can be stolen or lost. If any pallet or tray leaves the monitored area, the platform automatically informs the responsible person about this.
  • Easy stock management. Thanks to the technology, companies can easily monitor the shelf life of the items and optimize the space for storing them.

Navigine is ready to provide effective software for tracking pallets based on Wi-Fi or Bluetooth LE technologies. We will help you with the realization of the tracking system and the adaptation of the platform to the needs of your enterprise.

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