Sick Auto Ident, Inc.
Aigner Label Holder Corp.
Progressive Microtechnology
Mini-Mover Conveyors a div. of Whipple Enterprises, Inc.
Dynamic Systems Inc
Data Decisions
Toshiba America Business Solutions, Inc.
PINC Solutions
Fastpic Systems
Episode 129 – IBM and Cognitive Process Reengineering
In this episode, I was joined by Jonathan Wright of IBM. Jonathan is the Global Head of Cognitive Process Reengineering at IBM Global Business Services. I last spoke to IBM on Episode 72 with Jeanette Barlow where we discussed the impacts of COVID-19 and opportunities that have arisen from them. Jonathan and I discuss how companies will be moving forward after COVID, what cognitive process reengineering is, and how AI can help companies come out of the negative impacts of COVID. Key Takeaways Cognitive process reengineering is the core consulting arm of IBM and looks at re-imagining how businesses do work. They do this by using the latest technologies like AI and blockchain. While they work with all different aspects of the business, they have been focusing more on the supply chain as that has proven to be one of the hottest areas of a business during the pandemic. IBM recently released a report that found that 70% of surveyed supply chain executives say they will be utilizing AI or intelligent automation to help support demand planning and forecast within the next three years. Jonathan explains what is driving this adoption of AI and how it will help companies to get a better hold of their demand planning and forecasting. He brings up an interesting point of how (pre-COVID) everything was fairly stable so there was not necessarily a high need to worry about volatility. In contrast, the pandemic caused high volatility that many were not prepared for. Adopting AI or intelligent automation can help to manage and prepare for these disruptions to your supply chain. Jonathan discusses the need for being able to increase your focus on value-added tasks instead of mundane tasks. As we look at the increased demand and how to handle it we need to look at how to automate and make mundane tasks easier. While we often talk about these mundane tasks on the work floor, Jonathan mentions being able to look at analytic work in a better way as well. He discusses IBM’s technology and how you can ask for information from an office virtual assistant similar to voice assistants now found in many homes. This helps to give you data at your fingertips in an immediate way instead of going through multiple reports or having to generate spreadsheets to get the information you need to make a decision. This can greatly increase the speed at which decisions are made. Listen to the episode below and let us know if you will be looking to AI for help in the comments. The New Warehouse Podcast EP 129: IBM and Cognitive Process Reengineering
Seeq Number 76 Fastest-Growing Company in N.A. on Deloitte’s 2020 Technology Fast 500
Recognition for Seeq revenue growth and innovation reflects the success of their customers for improving business and operations outcomes through advanced analytics Seeq Corporation, a provider in manufacturing and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) advanced analytics software, announced that it ranked 76 on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500™, a ranking of the 500 fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, and energy tech companies in North America now in its 26th year. Seeq also announced it was chosen as a 2020 Red Herring Top 100 North America Winner which recognizes the continent’s most exciting and innovative private technology companies. 2020 Red Herring Top 100 winners were chosen from thousands of entrants, whittled down to hundreds, and then judged on a wide variety of criteria including financial performance, innovation, business strategy, and market penetration. Earlier this year, Seeq landed at No. 261 on the Inc. 5000 list, a prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies published by Inc. magazine. Seeq enables engineers and scientists in process manufacturing organizations to rapidly analyze, predict, collaborate, and share insights to improve production outcomes. Seeq customers include companies in the oil and gas, pharmaceutical, chemical, energy, mining, food and beverage, and other process industries. Now in its 26th year, Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 provides a ranking of the fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, and energy tech companies — both public and private — in North America. Technology Fast 500 award winners are selected based on percentage fiscal year revenue growth from 2016 to 2019. In order to be eligible for Technology Fast 500 recognition, companies must own proprietary intellectual property or technology that is sold to customers in products that contribute to a majority of the company’s operating revenues. Companies must have base-year operating revenues of at least $US50,000 and current-year operating revenues of at least $US5 million. Additionally, companies must be in business for a minimum of four years and be headquartered within North America. “Analytics software for manufacturing customers is an area overdue for innovation,” says Steve Sliwa, CEO and Co-Founder of Seeq. “Spreadsheets replaced pen and paper 30 years ago for analytics and haven’t changed much since. By leveraging big data, machine learning, and computer science innovations, Seeq is enabling a new generation of software-led insights.” Seeq’s innovation and market traction enabled it to close a Series B expansion in September with an investment from Cisco Investments and existing investors. Renewed participation came from Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures, Altira Group, Chevron Technology Ventures, Second Avenue Partners, Next47, the venture group for Siemens, and other existing investors. The Series B expansion increased capitalization by approximately $30 million, which is in addition to previous Series B funding led by Altira Group and Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures, bringing the total investment in Seeq since its inception to approximately $65 million. Seeq’s rapid growth is being fueled in part by its partnerships and commitment to cloud-based computing. Seeq is available in the AWS marketplace, is an AWS Industrial Competency Partner, and supports many AWS services including Redshift, Timestream, SageMaker, and others. On Azure, Seeq has been available in the Azure Marketplace since 2018 and was recently recognized as a 2020 Microsoft Energy Partner of the Year Finalist. Support for Azure services includes Azure Synapse, Azure Data Lake, Azure Data Explorer, Azure Time Series Insights, Azure Notebooks for machine learning integration, and Power Automate. In addition to cloud data services, Seeq connects to an extensive set of data storage platforms from vendors including OSIsoft, Siemens, GE, Honeywell, Inductive Automation, AVEVA, AspenTech, Yokogawa, InfluxDB, Snowflake, and others. Seeq is available worldwide through a global partner network of system integrators, which provides training and resale support for Seeq in over 40 countries, in addition to its direct sales organization in North America and Europe.
Stoecklin announces latest version of WMS to improve performance of the entire Picking and Put-away process
New capabilities make product throughout more efficient and provide advanced analytics Stoecklin Logistics, a supplier of innovative supply chain solutions, is upgrading its Logistics Operations Suite warehouse management system (Stoecklin logOS) to help current and future users better control all product movement activities in their distribution and manufacturing centers. The new Stoecklin logOS includes an updated material flow module available now and a comprehensive solution upgrade available in the spring of 2021. Features of the revamped WMS module include an expanded toolbox with many functionalities to choose from based on each customer’s requirements. Prominent among these is a costing tool that calculates extraneous process fees, a hazardous materials module, and new controls for value-added services. There are also added analytics to help drive throughput performance. “We worked with our customers to develop the new warehouse management system, and they first and foremost wanted the solution to manage their entire facility operation including manual picking. Other benefits they asked for and we delivered include improved usability, enhanced data analytics, and more possibilities for the customer. The bottom line is that users now have one system and one platform to make all of their product handling more efficient,” said Marcel Schaub, Head of System Engineering at Stoecklin. The first clients trialing the new solution are a major food and beverage manufacturer in Mexico and a third-party logistics company in Switzerland, both of which are seeing dramatic improvements in product throughput and system controls.
IDEC KW2D Series Smart RFID Reader safely and simply secures Industrial Equipment
Built for easy integration into industrial environments and systems, this new RFID device lets OEMs and end-users implement secure equipment identification, access control, and traceability IDEC Corporation announces the new KW2D series of smart radio frequency identification (RFID) readers. These intelligent RFID readers are designed for easy installation into the typical 22mm panel-mount holes used with machinery, are readily integrated with automation systems, and enable OEMs and end-users to easily apply advanced authentication and authorization measures. Industrial-Grade Identification and Authentication Authenticating users and authorizing them to perform actions and equipment control is fundamental to maintaining safety and security for any operation. Access management also provides traceability for regulatory and analytical purposes. RFID cards and tags are simple and inexpensive to manage, secure, contactless, and robust for industrial environments—while providing flexible ways to configure, manage, and modify privileges. These benefits overcome the problems with other traditional or complex methods such as key switches, magnetic strip cards, passwords, and biometrics. Built for the Field The IDEC KW2D series RFID readers are compact UL listed all-in-one devices installed into typical 22mm panel-mount holes right along with other switches, buttons, and lights. They maintain IP65/67 water-, dust-, and oil-proof ratings and feature push-in power supply terminals. A built-in Ethernet port facilitates easy connectivity to host devices like PLCs and HMIs using Modbus TCP. Three-color white/green/red LED lighting is clearly visible from the front and sides—even at a distance—to indicate standby, successful verification, or error respectively, while a built-in auxiliary buzzer provides audible feedback of successful and error conditions. Users can mix-and-match various RFID tag formats: commercial-style cards, wristbands, stickers, and IDEC-supplied color-coded key fob or card-style tags. The key fob tags are available in five colors, are durable for field conditions, and include enhanced encryption compared with other tag types. RFID Benefits RFID tags are low cost and passive, responding to a short-range radio signal generated by the RFID reader when the two are in close proximity. The KW2D operates at standard 13.56 MHz high-frequency (HF) providing a reading distance of up to 15mm depending on the tag style. Several ISO/IEC communication speeds (type V, A, or F) are supported. IDEC provides the Windows-based RFID configuration software tool free of charge, so users can set up the reader IP address, Modbus TCP server details, tag information, and passwords. Users can take advantage of default authorization levels, or they can customize up to 500 tags with up to 255 authority levels. Configurations can be quickly modified, and lost tags can simply be blocked. Safe and Secure Applications RFID systems are useful for machine tools, material handling, and manufacturing machinery for industries like automotive production, food and beverage, life sciences, plastics, and others. Designers can use the IDEC KW2D RFID reader and tags to supersede traditional locking methods, providing advanced user-level access and safety-related authorization. Traceability is established with RFID-sourced timestamped logs detailing operator activities and operations. RFID tags help end users improve productivity in a convenient and cost-effective manner, maximizing the safe and secure operation of equipment. As with all its products, IDEC offers free tech support for the RFID readers, with no service or support contract required.
Episode 126 – COVID-19 Safety with Zebra Technologies
In this episode, I was joined by former guest Mark Wheeler of Zebra Technologies. Mark is the Director of Supply Chain Solutions at Zebra Technologies and he has also been a previous guest all the way back in Episode 21. In this episode, we discuss how Zebra is helping companies through COVID-19, proper sanitization of devices, and their recent Food Safety Supply Chain Vision Study. Key Takeaways When I last spoke with Mark we were both at MODEX in person back in March of this year and little did we know how much things would change in the months since. With Zebra Technologies being so involved in different aspects of the supply chain, I wanted to get a sense of how they are seeing the supply chain change from the pandemic. Mark points out that e-commerce has seen four-six years of growth push forward to this year which has really created a spike in demand and operations have had to keep up. Many of Zebra’s product offerings are handheld and often are shared between employees or shifts. This passing from shift to shift was not something we have necessarily been so conscious of in the past but with COVID the idea of sanitizing these devices has become very important. Mark discusses the sealing that their devices have always had which allows them to be safely sanitized without fear of damaging the unit. Additionally, many of the wearable devices like ring scanners or headsets for voice picking have accessories that can be easily personalized that attach to the hardware itself. When there is increased demand we see an increase in workers, as well as warehouse operations, need to ramp up their capacity and throughput. One of the pain points of utilizing these temporary workers is getting them trained quickly so they can be up and running. Mark discusses how their devices and the switch to the Android operating system has helped to create better user experiences. With a better user experience, it can decrease the amount of time needed to get someone started in their job and also help to reduce their frustrations as they use the system. Typically we look at reducing touchpoints to help throughput and cycle time but with the pandemic, we have looked at reducing touchpoints to reduce the risk of contamination. We discuss how technologies or rethinking process flows can help to reduce touchpoints or accommodate social distancing. Mark has an interesting point when it comes to picking by suggesting that zone picking is a great way to ensure that employees are not crossing paths or have a need to come within six feet of each other. Additionally, goods to person robots are also helping to keep individuals separated from each other by being the means of the handoff and transfer of product. Listen below and check out the Food Safety Supply Chain Vision Study here. The New Warehouse Podcast EP 126: COVID Safety with Zebra Technologies
U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders totaled $373.7 million in September, an increase of 26.4% from August
U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders totaled $373.7 million in September 2020, an increase of 26.4% from August 2020, and the highest monthly total of the year, according to the latest U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders report published by AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology. The September total decreased 3.2% from September 2019, and orders to date reached $2.32 billion, nearly a quarter lower than the 2019 YTD total. “In addition to the positive numbers this month, we are now seeing the economic recovery reach a broader spectrum of the overall capital equipment market,” said Douglas K. Woods, president of AMT. “Manufacturing is ramping back up as production, shipments, and order levels continue to improve throughout most sectors. The high demand for mold-and-die products during the height of the pandemic led to reshoring portions of the industry’s output. Additionally, a strong housing market continues to expand demand for household appliances, creating backlogs that will keep production lines busy into the winter.” “Unfortunately, there are still a few soft spots. The aerospace and oil & gas sectors, representing almost a third of our industry’s orders, will likely need several years to return to pre-COVID levels of shipments and capital spending. Still, opportunities exist, even in the hardest-hit sectors, such as growth in space and defense sectors in the aerospace industry.” “Unlike the recovery from the great recession, this recovery will not impact manufacturing sectors equally. Material handling, mold and die, and firearms will have a better year in 2020 than in 2019. Manufacturing technology, cutting tools, and industrial machinery will return to 2019 levels sometime next year, but some key sectors will not see growth until after 2021.”
IDEC introduces HG1P Handheld HMI
Easy to hold due to its small form factor and lightweight—and includes a touchscreen, function keys, and switches—making it a good fit for machine tending and robotics applications IDEC Corporation introduces the new 4.3” LCD screen size HG1P handheld human-machine interface (HMI). This lightweight and robust HMI is the right-sized way to enhance operator interactions for automated machine tending and robotics applications, and it is the most cost-effective device of its type. User-First Design At only 500g and with contoured hand grips, a hand strap, and a wall hanging bracket, the HG1P’s ergonomic design makes it comfortable for long duration and fatigue-free use by technicians and engineers. The hardy design is tested to withstand 1.5m drops, and it uses a flush mount selector switch to prevent breakage. Competing products in this category are typically heavier, bulkier, and more prone to inadvertent damage. Visualization and Control A high-resolution 4.3-inch TFT color LCD touch panel displays at 480×272 pixels to provide clear and informative visualization. The touchscreen is bordered with 12 physical momentary function keys (F1 to F12) with click-feedback, which write to internal memory bits within the HMI. In addition, a hardwired emergency stop button, selector switch, and a 3-position enabling switch make this unique handheld HMI flexible for designers and convenient for users. Users will appreciate the rapid and industry-leading start-up time, which is usually less than three seconds. The usability and feature set of the HG1P combine to help users maximize productivity and minimize downtime while delivering dependable safety in any production environment, for operations such as machine setup, calibration, normal operation, and maintenance. Easy Configuration The HG1P is configured with the same WindO/I-NV4 software as other products offered in the IDEC HMI portfolio, which means users will be very familiar with the development environment. A common mini-USB cable or USB-A memory stick can be used to download configurations and save data. Multilingual capability is built-in, and languages can be selected and changed on the fly. Field Friendly Connectivity to automation platforms is via a standard 19-pin connector, using optional cables from IDEC up to 7 meters long or user-created cables up to 15 meters long, which are easily replaced if damaged. The cable transmits power, hardwired signals, and digital communications. Available in both serial and Ethernet models, the HG1P supports major industrial communication protocols such as Modbus TCP/IP, Modbus RTU, FTP client, FTP server, web server, and user communication. In operation, the HG1P consumes only three watts, a category best. Applications Abound Designers can use the HG1P handheld HMI anywhere a traditional HMI is used, gaining the additional features of portability and onboard switches. It is well suited for robot teaching applications, machine tending operations, and wherever operators need to move among various locations during the course of their work. The hardwired emergency stop and enabling switch devices are crucial for implementing safety-related applications where workers are near operating robots and machinery. The HG1P handheld HMI improves operator efficiency while minimizing field hardware by eliminating the need for multiple operator interface devices on large machines.
Zethcon’s Synapse WMS selected to support 3PL Midwest Warehouse’s 17 U.S. facilities
Zethcon Corporation, a provider of modern warehouse software, has successfully implemented its flagship product, Synapse WMS, to manage 6 million square feet of warehousing space across 17 facilities for Midwest Warehouse, a third-party logistics (3PL) company. Specifically designed for the unique needs of 3PL providers, the software provides Midwest Warehouse with real-time operational views, customized automated billing and other robust capabilities to better serve customers and improve operational performance. “We needed a more robust WMS that could provide accurate, real-time information to our customers, support a high-volume business-to-consumer ordering platform and improve our operation’s overall efficiency,” says Ed Borkowski, CEO and President, Midwest Warehouse. “We’re very glad that we partnered with the professionals at Zethcon for a project of this magnitude and look forward to working on additional projects with them in the future.” With 225 customers and a combined throughput of 510,000 truckloads per year, Midwest Warehouse looked to Zethcon to keep critical operations on track through the implementation and maximize value from the new WMS. The company experienced immediate benefits upon implementation, including increased inventory accuracy, improved labor forecasting, and increased throughput from 125 pieces per hour up to 325 pieces per hour. Synapse WMS also allowed Midwest Warehouse to optimize its billing processes through automation, with easy configuration according to the needs of each individual customer. “This project demonstrates just how powerful our highly configurable and comprehensive package is for the unique, varied needs of 3PL providers,” says Chris Oechsel, CEO, Zethcon. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with Midwest Warehouse and supporting their needs in an evolving market.” Building on the success of the WMS implementation, Midwest Warehouse has plans to partner with Zethcon on additional packaging, automation, and robotics projects. For the full story of the Midwest Warehouse WMS implementation, watch this video.
Episode 117 – NetSuite
In this episode, I was joined by Ranga Bodla of NetSuite. Ranga is the VP of Field Engagement and Marketing for NetSuite which is an Oracle business unit. We discuss NetSuite, supply chain impacts from COVID-19, and the idea of reshoring. Key Takeaways NetSuite is a robust software platform that can manage many aspects of the business from financials to CRM and of course supply chain. Ranga gives a brief overview of how NetSuite is able to track products through the entire supply chain in real-time and how the size of the businesses that are using NetSuite is very broad. He mentions how the capabilities are suitable for even just a company starting out with a few people who need flexibility and the ability to grow. One of the big shocks to the supply chain from the pandemic this year was how supply quickly dried up for certain items due to closures in certain regions of the world. Ranga discusses how companies might have become dependent on single sources because it had been so easy to get materials in the past. Due to this and trying to run leaner many companies say that this strategy does not work for mitigating risks and might not be the way to operate going forward. Additionally, he points out how it is not easy to just quickly setup manufacturing somewhere else. From this realization, organizations are looking at how to make themselves more nimble. One way to do this is through the concept of reshoring which means bringing certain aspects of the supply chain to a more local location. Ranga discusses how this does not mean uprooting your entire supply chain and moving it but can refer to just starting to move only certain aspects. Most commonly a company would look at manufacturing to be closer but Ranga also points out that sourcing and other aspects of the supply chain can be brought closer to start off with a slower transition. He also mentions the idea of being closer provides an option to not be dependent on ocean freight which can help to improve lead times on certain materials and reduce potential issues during transport. Overall, the pandemic has certainly made us all look at business in a different way. With most of the podcasts that I have done through this time, there is an underlying theme of pivoting and adjusting. The idea of reshoring is just another way to look at pivoting and adjusting your business to adapt to the current times. While it has been a dark time, it has also been a time for a lot of opportunities to emerge and some very different thinking of how to make things still happen. Listen to the episode below and let us know if you are adjusting your supply chain in the comments. The New Warehouse Podcast EP 117: NetSuite
Crosby|Straightpoint launches multi-function INSIGHT Software
Crosby|Straightpoint has launched its multifaceted INSIGHT software that allows users to monitor up to 126 load cells from up to 700m (2,300 ft.) away, before and during a lift Using the multi-channel display and data logging mode, users can view and log load data from connected individual and multiple load cells, live on-screen, and directly into a .csv file for later analysis at speeds of up to 200Hz. The visualization mode is designed for more complicated lifts and allows the import of a photo of the lift, in addition, to drag and drop load cell displays. In other words, it makes the screen look like the lift. Proof load testing capability allows real-time graphing of load tests and auto-generates test certificates. Finally, INSIGHT can be used to weigh and calculate the center of gravity of large items and structures. David Mullard, business development manager at Crosby|Straightpoint, said: “Each of INSIGHT’s main features represents cutting-edge load monitoring technology in their own right, but what really distinguishes the system is its ability to perform all of those tasks—from multi-channel data logging to center of gravity—with one single software purchase and wireless dongle. Compared to alternative solutions on the market, INSIGHT offers superior functionality and user-friendliness. What we’re delivering is therefore unprecedented.” Mullard explained that INSIGHT is used to scan for wireless load cells within a 700m (2,300 ft.) area, which allows an entire site to be monitored, or a select number of load monitoring products on a planned critical lift. Users can select load cells within the system based on their serial numbers. “You can remotely wake-up load cells that are already rigged in the application, get the signal, and start monitoring to keep equipment, loads, and people safe.” INSIGHT utilizes Crosby|Straightpoint’s Proof Test plus software to record data gathered by a Radiolink plus load cell, load shackle, or compression load cell, for example. It can create a pass or fail certificate that includes test data and graphs charting data from the load versus time throughout a test. Another INSIGHT feature is a visual and audible alarm that indicates overload, underload, low battery, and communications errors. “The user might want to know when a 1t capacity hoist is at or approaching capacity, and / or a 5t capacity crane is nearing its working load limit. All data can be captured and presented in a report or verified on a certificate, giving users and their customer’s complete insight and traceability,” added Mullard. INSIGHT is separate from Crosby|Straightpoint’s Handheld plus device and Bluetooth app. Mullard said that the transition to INSIGHT will typically happen when more than four load cells are being employed and monitored.
JLT Mobile Computers launches 10-inch rugged Android VMT to future‑proof warehouse productivity
Engineered to fit into tight vehicle cabins, JLT’s new RISC-based VM3010A computer brings the operational efficiency advantages of Android to a rugged vehicle-mount form factor JLT Mobile Computers, a supplier of reliable computers for demanding environments, announces an addition to its rugged vehicle-mount portfolio to help customers in logistics, warehousing and other demanding industries boost productivity. The new JLT VM3010A computer is an Android 9.0-based rugged vehicle-mount terminal (VMT) that packs the high computing performance of a Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 660 Octa-core 2.2GHz RISC processor into a 10-inch form factor. This combination makes for a powerful yet compact rugged unit that fits seamlessly into the tightest vehicle cabins to increase and future-proof warehouse productivity. “With Windows Mobile going end of life this year, the demand for Android in the rugged industrial space is growing rapidly as customers are looking for a future-proof solution to sustain their operational efficiency,” notes Per Holmberg, CEO of JLT Mobile Computers Group. “The new JLT VM3010A addresses both these needs from a design as well as a service perspective. That’s because the new VMT not only ticks all the boxes on the specification sheet; it also comes with the complete peace of mind guarantee of JLT’s no-questions-asked service agreement and commitment to keep devices up and running long after deployment.” Thanks to its familiar capacitive multi-touch Android user interface, the new JLT VM3010A computer is easy and intuitive to use, which helps to minimize input errors and increase workforce productivity. The powerful Snapdragon chipset provides a further efficiency boost by speeding up operation. Add to that the tough magnesium alloy housing, IP65 sealing, wide range of power input and power isolation, rich set of I/O ports, versatile wireless connectivity options, and quick-release docking station, which allows the device to be removed with a single click, and it becomes clear that the JLT VM3010A vehicle-mount computer is an optimal choice for any application where industrial-grade computing performance, enterprise mobility, and ruggedness are key. Designed for the most demanding environments, the JLT VM3010A rugged computers are also supported by JLT’s comprehensive and no-questions-asked service commitment that guarantees maximum uptime for years after deployment. Called JLT: Care, this unique service agreement is devoid of the usual limitations and exclusions, giving customers complete peace of mind that JLT will keep their devices up and running. To learn more about the new 10-inch JLT VM3010A rugged Android VMT and the company’s other computer products, services, and solutions,