How DHL is increasing efficiency and reducing distance traveled across the warehouse with the IoT

In a warehouse, distance traveled by an individual either on foot or by MHE (material handling equipment) is an essential metric to measure and reveal operational productivity. For example, distance traveled directly impacts the efficiency of loading operations where workers select items from warehouse storage areas and load in a loading area. Any extra distance humans or equipment must travel to perform these operations decreases the velocity and number of loads achieved in a given period of time. Each extra step taken by a human or distance traveled by a piece of equipment incurs additional costs of extra time and money.

DHL has partnered with Conduce to provide a human interface that provides real-time visualizations that track and analyze distance traveled by personnel and warehouse equipment, all calibrated around a center of activity. Michael Troughton explains how this immersive data visualization gives DHL unprecedented insight to evaluate and act on everything that occurs in its warehouses. DHL management and warehouse personnel alike now share a single, unified environment to see, share, and collaborate across warehouse supply chain operations, reduce distance traveled to locate, retrieve and distribute warehouse assets, unlock more accurate and timelier insights, and ultimately make better strategic, operational, and tactical decisions. By identifying and tracking the movement of humans and equipment, DHL is able to optimize operations in warehouses or similar environments.