Inventory accuracy can make or break warehouse efficiency, customer satisfaction, and overall operational performance. In this episode of The New Warehouse Podcast, we speak with Jim Mass, Rajiv J Gandhi, and Mouhyemen Khan from Sientis, a Nokia venture, about their Autonomous Inventory Monitoring Service (AIMS), recently rebranded to Sientis. Sientis leverages drone technology to streamline warehouse operations, significantly improving inventory accuracy, efficiency, and ROI. By deploying drones with advanced AI and computer vision, Sientis addresses the tedious and error-prone nature of traditional manual counting methods, transforming inventory control into a seamless, highly accurate digital experience.

Why Inventory Accuracy Matters

Mass highlights the critical pain points that warehouses face today. “A lot of operators right there are counting inventory manually right now. They’re going out there in scissor lifts. They’re going out there with clipboards,” he explains, noting this approach leads to costly errors and inefficiencies. Sientis drone technology allows warehouses to shift labor from tedious counting tasks to more strategic operations like order management. “Employees aren’t showing up, they’re making errors regularly and that type of stuff adds up,” says Mass. Sientis solution enhances operational accuracy, significantly reducing disruptions and improving customer satisfaction.

Drone Technology: Small, Agile, and Effective

Sientis chose drones due to their agility and efficiency. Mass adds, “ Our drones can fit in smaller aisle spaces, right? So we got the right size, the right fit for small, medium, large companies and warehouses.” Unlike bulky robots, drones easily navigate narrow aisles, accommodating warehouses ranging from 100,000 to over one million square feet. Rajiv J Gandhi from Sientis explains that the drone’s efficiency is impressive, stating, “You see like 1200 scans here…and that’s all within approximately a half an hour scan.” This high-capacity scanning capability means drones can rapidly capture thousands of inventory locations, significantly outperforming traditional methods. Moreover, these drones autonomously operate without additional infrastructure or external markers, simplifying deployment.

A Powerful, User-Friendly Interface

Beyond just scanning barcodes, Sientis platform provides comprehensive analytics. Rajiv demonstrates how their intuitive user interface categorizes inventory into segments such as “lost inventory, found, and misplaced.” The system even identifies practical warehouse issues, like pallets obstructing aisles. Sientis emphasizes that its advanced analytics provide valuable insights, including box counting and optical character recognition, enabling deeper inventory accuracy and visibility.

Key Takeaways on Inventory Accuracy

• Drones significantly reduce manual inventory errors and labor costs.
• Autonomous drone deployment streamlines operations without additional infrastructure.
• High-resolution imaging and analytics improve inventory accuracy and operational visibility.
• Sientis solution identifies warehouse inefficiencies beyond simple inventory counting.