In the last article, we explained how Business Intelligence (BI) can help logistics companies cut costs while also being carbon conscious through transport optimisation solutions. This is, of course, just one example of the endless applications BI can have. Along with finding the optimal route to reduce gas bills, BI strategies can be applied to analyse the data provided by warehouses in order to control the procurement, movement and storage of goods.
Data from logistics equipment and machines can also be analysed to check if they run properly, do not consume more energy than they need to and do not cross the CO2 emissions threshold.
Idling engines can emit significant amounts of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds because a typical truck burns around 4 litres of fuel for each hour it idles, a publication of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows. Another example of driving that causes pollution is aggressive acceleration and braking.
If you would like to gain insight into how these factors influence a fleet's performance and safety while also knowing its whereabouts, you might want to consider investing in telematics devices. Telematics can be considered a part of the Internet of Things (IoT) umbrella because it is responsible for GPS tracking, monitoring driving behaviour and remotely managing vehicles.
If you wish to also make sense of operational costs, for example, from compliance documents, fuel transaction records and maintenance schedules you should integrate these telematics devices into a fleet management solution.
Asset management roughly refers to the process an asset goes through (in our case trucks, forklifts, warehouses, distribution centres and other logistics equipment) to maintain its life cycle as long as possible in a cost-effective manner by monitoring its performance and taking action based on it.
Qubiz is involved in a similar project that is focused on offering a powerful, web-based platform where fleet managers can take full control of fuel consumption, driver hours and back-office performance improvement. Having at their fingertips detailed metrics about the performance of vehicles and drivers, they’re able to optimise transport activities and increase operational efficiency.
Main benefits:
The three main areas that consume the most energy in a warehouse are lighting, temperature, waste of consumables, and additional resources. There are many solutions to reduce their consumption like installing LED lights, smart lighting solutions, electric heat pumps and solar panels, insulating the building and also using lithium-ion batteries because they last longer and don’t take up much space to store.
Aside from infrastructure solutions, which might be challenging in some cases, an additional way to save at every level is to improve on wasteful operations. Therefore, the more redundant movements within a warehouse are reduced, the less energy a warehouse uses. With energy optimisation in mind, another way to reduce carbon footprints in a warehouse is to have an automated solution that anticipates cycles to fulfil operational and capacity requirements.
A good example is CORAX, Davanti’s warehouse management system, for which Qubiz designed a high-availability and high-scalability software architecture and developed new, innovative features in addition to the standard setup and functions of a WMS.
CORAX’s main modules allow logistics professionals to:
This case study explains at length how the Qubiz and Davanti team approached this project.
As transportation plays a crucial role in Europe's economy and in just about any industry, technological innovations are essential to making it more connected, sustainable and safer.
So what's next for your bespoke challenges?
Drop us a line with what are your main concerns regarding your company's efforts towards being compliant and efficient in energy saving, and we'll get back to you with a free consultation regarding energy optimisation services.
