COGNOSOS'S IOT ASSET TRACKING TAG - LOCATING INVENTORY AND ASSETS IN SECONDS - LOCATING INVENTORY AND ...
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SPRING 2020
automotivelogistics.media
Bringing together the latest trends, innovations and developments across inbound and outbound logistics
Cognosos’s IoT asset tracking
tag - locating inventory and
assets in seconds
PLUS
How US trucking companies GM’s Sulaiman Pallak discusses How JLR is facing adversity with
are trying to deal with the the challenges and opportunities innovation and a stronger focus
continuing driver shortage of the Middle East and Africa on electric vehicles
Tag team
Sponsored by
With breakthrough technology from
Cognosos, Finished Vehicle Logistics
teams can transform operations
through access to real-time vehicle
location data and analytics.
Locating inventory and assets in real time can be a challenge alerts when vehicles enter, exit or are
present in designated zones (geofenced
for the finished vehicle logistics industry, but US company areas). “We aggregate movement over
Cognosos says its IoT asset tracking tag finds them in seconds time, so we can also provide analytics
around workflow, including dwell-time aging
of vehicles across the facility,” adds Robb.
V
ehicle Processing Centres (VPCs) rates.” The Cognosos tracking device allows the
and finished vehicle logistics Customers, Robb continues, are vehicles to self-report geolocation data and
companies rely on their ability benchmarking vendor performance on eliminate the error-prone human element.
to handle thousands of vehicles processes. “Without metrics and alerts, “This ensures vehicles are staged and
every week – and doing so efficiently. poor employee productivity and inefficient shipped, complete and on time, with the
Locating these volumes of inventory across processes drag down business performance ability to trigger alerts when unexpected
multiple, massive lots is necessary for – it’s opening the doors to error.” vehicle movements occur.
processes including accessory installation, This, says Robb, provides customers,
quality auditing, battery charging, On the right track hauliers and other stakeholders with
investigating any suspected manufacturing In 2016, recognising the need for real-time visibility on vehicle location. “With IoT-
problem and retrieval for shipment. results, Cognosos developed a small, smart, based tracking, you can find 100% of
However, Steve Robb, CEO of software hardware tag to be placed in the vehicle, your vehicles, 100% of the time with GPS
provider Cognosos, believes that the which has the ability to take GPS location accuracy, eliminating the need for manual
finished vehicle industry is still struggling readings every time the vehicle is moved, location scanning.”
to locate inventory and assets. “Finished triggered by the tag’s accelerometer. Cognosos’ initial target market has
vehicle inventory location and tracking are The tags incorporate an innovative been the automotive industry, including
age-old problems, and the technologies to wireless protocol that enables long-range OEMs and their logistics providers, vehicle
solve them, such as bar codes and RFID, communication of up to two miles with auctions and dealerships. “Generally, we're
have fallen short. Until the recent maturation the company’s gateways. As a result, the working with companies that have large
of IoT technologies, there simply hasn’t system requires minimal infrastructure that inventories of vehicles,” says Robb.
been a cost-effective alternative.” can be deployed quickly and inexpensively. Helping Hyundai and Kia
According to Robb, manual barcode “Every time a vehicle moves, even it’s The first OEM to use Cognosos’ technology
scanning of inventory locations results in from one row to another, the tag will take 18 months ago was Hyundai Glovis at the
missed scans, inaccurate locations and bad GPS readings and then communicate them 2,200-acre Kia plant in West Point, Georgia,
or lost data. Moreover, the cost of these over our proprietary wireless network to US, which operates the Vehicle Processing
labour- intensive solutions is too high, he one of our gateways,” explains Robb. Centre (VPC) that receives more than 1,000
says: “Extensive deployments of scanners, Once the gateway receives location new cars coming in every day, creating a
readers, and access points result in high information from the tag, it sends this tremendous tracking challenge to locate
costs of installation, maintenance and data to Cognosos’ application platform in specific units when they are scheduled for
replacement”. Amazon Web Services, from where the processing..
“Inaccurate location data leaves real-time location can be provided in a web “Being able to find a specific vehicle
employees searching,” Robb continues. browser, on a laptop or on an application on in a timely manner is a challenge,” says
“Solutions like RFID and manual scanning the iOS (Apple) or Android smartphones. the plant’s VPC general manager, Robert
don’t provide real-time, accurate location The platform also provides more advanced Carmichael. “To get those cars through our
data. The vehicle is out there, but where analytics and application features to assist in plant processes normally involves having
exactly? In practice, a GPS-enabled hand streamlining operations. to move them, on average as many as ten
scanner may not acquire position properly Cognosos offers IoT-enabled tracking different times.”
with multiple cars scanned into the exact tags to improve visibility on finished vehicle Tracking vehicle movement at the VPC is
same location.” movements the responsibility of Hyundai Glovis, which
“Vehicle process and logistics operations “You have a map with a dot where the depended on manual scans carried out by
are further burdened by the rapidly rising vehicle is located and a directional indicator employees using personal digital assistants
cost of labour, spurred on by lower on how to reach it,” explains Robb. (PDAs) since the beginning of operations
unemployment and rising minimum wage The tag also enables users to generate in 2009.
Cognosos offers
IoT-enabled
tracking tags to
improve visibility
on finished vehicle
movements
“Manually scanning vehicles to vehicle’s power source and gives real-time 24 hours per day, 365 days a year” – Robert
record their location in the yard had visibility every time a vehicle moves,” states Carmichael, VPC general manager, Glovis
the highest turnover of any position,” Carmichael. America
reveals Carmichael. “It was probably the
most physically demanding job we had.” Real-time results Another advantage is the tag’s open,
According to Carmichael, personnel using Since starting to use the Cognosos tag, intuitive platform, including cloud-based
manual scanners can often walk 10-12 miles Carmichael reveals that at least nine fewer applications that are easily integrated with
(16-19km) per day, often in extreme weather personnel are needed to scan the yard full companies’ business systems. With a range
conditions. time. Reports from the processor’s Process of 1.5 miles, Robb says there is no need
Moreover, this method made it difficult Improvement Group in California also show to install a lot of infrastructure. At Hyundai
to hold accurate data. “The location is only that significant improvements have been there are three gateways, which have been
as good as the last time it was visited by made in the VPC’s cycle times (the time it installed with antennas that cover all the
a scanner: as soon as it moves, it’s ‘lost,’” takes to retrieve a vehicle from its storage lots and assembly plant.
states Carmichael, who revealed that more location and get it to the point needed for Carmichael appreciates this integration
than 20 cars a day were designated as processing.) capability, which has allowed the
‘missing’. “There is a measurable improvement in technology to be incorporated into the
Some of the vehicle tracking alternatives efficiency because I’m receiving real-time plant’s existing software. “I have my own
the vehicle processor looked at included location updates for 100% of my inventory, vehicle management system, that we have
cellular-based solutions, which Carmichael 24 hours per day, 365 days a year,” states used since the beginning and our users are
says were “prohibitively expensive”, as well Carmichael. very familiar with how it works,” he reveals.
as other options requiring attachments to Cognosos’ Robb states that both “A big part of that is being able to know
the vehicles that were inefficient and costly personnel and the company benefit which location the vehicle is in. It was very
to manage. from the tracking tags. “It’s the perfect easy for my IT group to integrate the data
“Some required an extensive opportunity to apply technology to automate that we were getting from the Cognosos
infrastructure of wireless access points and a mundane task and let employees focus platform in the form of the latitude and
other devices. There was always something on more valuable work. Not only are costs longitude GPS coordinates and to convert
which didn’t work for us,” explains reduced, revenue is accelerated as vehicles those into my known location at the facility.
Carmichael. are shipped to dealers more quickly.” It was much easier than we thought it
"Every time a vehicle moves, even it’s According to Cognosos, the assembly would be.”
from one row to another, the tag will take plant also benefits from the solution. Looking ahead, Cognosos wants to
GPS readings and then communicate them “Should there be a suspected issue expand internationally and add value around
over our proprietary wireless network to with a manufacturing process or vehicle location data, with services including
one of our gateways” - Steve Robb, CEO, component, all affected vehicles must advanced analytics which provide insights
Cognosos be located and checked in storage lots. into vehicle workflow and yard processes.
Due to the long-range wireless capability With the ability to quickly locate groups of Given its versatility, the system has also
of the Cognosos system, the vehicle specific vehicles, the timeframe to process been adapted to tracking other forms
processor installed just three gateways and and close out these plant quality sorts have of assets, such as trailers in distribution
associated antennas in order to cover the been reduced from weeks down to a matter centres, lot equipment such as battery
entire facility, including both plant areas and of days,” says Robb. chargers, and returnable transport
storage lots. With 90,000 tags currently deployed at packaging used in supply chains.
By using the Cognosos tag, employees customer sites across the US, Cognosos’ Robb concludes: “Businesses of all sizes
use a smartphone application to search for technology is delivered as a service with an should be able to use ubiquitous, low-cost
vehicles. A wide range of attributes can be all-inclusive monthly subscription price that wireless technology to harness the power
searched for, including VIN number, model includes implementation, training, updates of the IoT and we believe, going forward,
and manufacturing date. The result is a map and enhancements, ongoing support and there’s even more we can do to help
displaying the exact location in the yard. system monitoring. customers tighten up their supply chain
“It is the most cost-effective solution “There is a measurable improvement in processes.”
with very little additional infrastructure efficiency because I’m receiving real-time
requirement, completely independent of the location updates for 100% of my inventory,
Visibility Unlocks Your Full Potential
True, real-time inventory tracking can transform your supply chain operations, providing the data-driven
insights needed for decisions that unleash value. We combine our patented RadioCloud wireless network
with a functionally rich application platform, delivering a complete tracking solution that generates value for
your business faster than anyone else in the industry. Contact us today and we’ll demonstrate it at your site
tomorrow.
• Easiest to Deploy.
• Easiest to Use.
• Easiest to Own. Learn more at www.cognosos.com
Follow us at https://www.linkedin.com/company/cognosos/
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