Logistics manager, supply chain manager, logistics analyst… Are you wondering what is the best warehouse equipment for carrying out your high rack inventories: the traditional scissor lifts, or the innovative drones? This is a crucial choice for you, as it has a direct impact on productivity, safety and therefore the cost of stocktaking including indirect costs. At EYESEE, we’ve studied the issue in detail to help you choose the best warehouse automation solution for your business. Let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of each. 

Scissor lifts: a safe bet, but…   

Scissor lifts are THE tried and tested solution for accessing high racks in your warehouse. It offers a number of advantages: 

  • Safety: You benefit from a stable platform and personal protective equipment to carry out your checks in complete safety.  
  • Accuracy: Detailed visual checks mean you can accurately inspect every location.  
  • Flexibility: The scissor lifts give you access to all types of goods, including those on pallets. 

However, working with scissor lifts also has its drawbacks: 

  • Cost: Hire, staff and maintenance represent a significant budgetary burden.  
  • Productivity: Productivity is limited by the manoeuvrability of the platform and the number of operators.  
  • Space requirements: The access platform takes up floor space and can interfere with normal traffic flow in your warehouse. 

Drones: nothing less than a revolution! 

Welcome to the 21st century! The logistics drone is THE key to the intelligent warehouse of tomorrow. The drone offers a whole host of advantages:     

  • Speed: Drones scan many locations in record time, multiplying your productivity.  
  • Accuracy: Thanks to its high-performance sensors, the drone collects precise data on the state of your stocks, as well as photographic evidence.   
  • Safety: The risks associated with working at height are reduced to zero.  
  • Automation: The drone can be programmed to carry out semi-autonomous inventories under human supervision, but with neither piloting skills nor telepilot certificate needed 
  • Flexibility: The number of drones can be adjusted according to inventory needs and constraints.   

Of course, nothing is perfect! Using drones also has its limitations: 

  • Preparation: Implementation requires prior training and meticulous preparation. However, this preparation is included and fully managed by EYESEE in the case of our inventory services.  
  • Environment: The drone may be sensitive to electromagnetic interference and harsh environmental conditions.  
  • Technical limitations: The drone cannot completely replace operators for certain tasks, such as handling parcels. 

What choice should you make? 

While both solutions have their advantages and disadvantages, how do you make the best choice for your warehouse? It depends on a number of factors that are inherent to your environment: 

  • The size of your warehouse: small, medium or large? For medium-sized and large warehouses, the drone is particularly interesting. To test your warehouse’s eligibility, see here 
  • The height of your racks: The drone is ideal for warehouses with high racks (above 4 levels).  
  • The complexity of your products: If your pallets are regular in size and easy to identify, the drone is an excellent option.  
  • Labelling standards: The more standardized the traceability, the more effective the drone.   
  • Your budget: The cost of acquiring and maintaining a drone can be quickly recouped through productivity gains and reduced downtime.   

To help you clarify matters, EYESEE has produced a detailed infographic comparing the advantages and disadvantages of the two solutions. 

In conclusion, the drone represents an innovative solution for optimizing your inventories of pallet racks in closed, temperature-controlled warehouses. The scissor lifts remain a relevant solution for certain specific cases. Which solution best meets your needs? Our experts can help you decide.  

Would you like to find out more? Contact us now for a personalized study of your needs. 

As a supply chain manager, you face many challenges on a daily basis: Inventory Shrinkage (IS) is one of them. This phenomenon, which corresponds to the difference between theoretical and actual stock levels, generates considerable financial losses, seriously disrupts your supply chain, and even damages the reputation of your company and your teams. A recent study by the Conseil National de la Sécurité des Magasins revealed that shrink represents almost 1% of French retail sales, or several billion euros each year. 

No worries though! EYESEE offers you an innovative solution to take control of your IS and optimize your operations. 

IS: a complex nuisance 

IS is a complex problem that spares no industry: from pharmaceuticals to retail, all logistics activities are affected. But what are the causes? 

Administrative errors 

  • Incorrect entries in inventory management systems.  
  • Double counting during physical inventories.  
  • Transfer errors between warehouses. 

Damages 

  • Products damaged during transportation or storage.  
  • Products that have expired, particularly in the food and pharmaceutical sectors. 

Theft 

  • Internal theft: committed by employees, often motivated by financial difficulties or a sense of injustice. 
  • External theft: burglary, shoplifting, theft of transport vehicles.  

Process-related losses 

  • Demand forecasting errors, leading to overstocking or stock-outs. 
  • Product obsolescence, particularly in technology sectors.  
  • Losses during picking and packing operations, due to handling errors or unsuitable packaging. 

Forgery 

  • Counterfeit products, particularly in the fashion, cosmetics and pharmaceutical sectors. 
  • Substitution of products by equivalent products of inferior quality. 

How does IS affect your business? 

The consequences of inventory shrinkage are manifold and have a direct impact on your business: 

  • Direct financial losses: each missing unit represents a loss in sales of up to several percentage points, reducing your profit margin.  
  • Reduced customer satisfaction: stock-outs lead to dissatisfaction, order cancellations and can damage your brand image. Customers may choose not to return after an out-of-stock situation.  
  • Increased forecasting complexity: IS makes it difficult to forecast demand, leading to overstocking or stock-outs, and thus increasing storage and transport costs.  
  • Increased costs: costs linked to stock management, inventories, customer complaints and replenishment operations are all impacted. For example, a company may see its storage costs increase due to high IS. 

Measuring the IS: the first step towards improvement  

Calculating the IS rate is essential to assess the extent of the problem within your company. This metric is calculated as follows:  

IS rate = (Registered stock level – Actual stock level) / Registered stock level  

By regularly monitoring your IS rate, you can implement corrective actions and measure their effectiveness. 

The keys to mastering the IS 

To significantly reduce your SI, it is essential to implement actions targeted at the identified causes: 

  • Enhance security: access control, video surveillance, alarms, regular audits.  
  • Optimize processes: standardize procedures, train staff, use high-performance WMS systems, implement rigorous quality controls.  
  • Improve traceability: use technologies such as RFID, barcodes, IoT, inventory drones to better track products throughout or at a particular stage in the supply chain.  
  • Implement rigorous quality controls: carry out regular checks on incoming and outgoing products, set up return procedures.  
  • Optimize returns management: implement clear and efficient procedures to manage customer returns, avoid accidental re-injection into stock.  
  • Improve demand forecasting: use predictive analysis tools, take into account historical and seasonal data. 

EYESEE: your partner for optimized inventory management 

The EYESEE solution gives you complete visibility of your inventory thanks to: 

  • Real-time traceability: precise tracking of each pallet, detection of inventory errors.  
  • Early detection of losses: rapid identification of missing or damaged SKUs.  
  • Process optimization: automation of a repetitive task, reduction of manual errors.  
  • Easy integration with your existing systems: import-export compatibility with market WMSs and specific integrations. 

Ready to boost your inventory management? EYESEE offers you a powerful solution that will enable you to significantly reduce your losses, optimize your supply chain and, consequently, increase your profitability. By offering an enhanced customer experience, you lay the foundations for sustainable growth. 

Ready for the challenge? 

Contact us today to find out how EYESEE can help you optimize your inventory management and boost your competitiveness. 

New feature available for inventory by reference 🚀

The EYESEE drone inventory solution can now be used in multi-spot mode, ideal for inventory by reference or location samples. Check a selection of locations according to the criteria of your choice in just a few minutes.

When to use the multi-spot feature

  • To check only a sample of locations on a side required by the customer, instead of scanning all the locations on that side (3PLs).
  • To check only a sample of locations (or inventory by reference) on one side required by the WMS/ERP rotating inventory module.
  • To check the presence of strategic products prior to shipment.
  • To check that all consolidation movements (error correction) have been carried out on the given locations.

Who is it for?

3PLs who manage logistics for several customers.

Manufacturers & retailers who need to carry out inventories by reference

How does it work? 

If you’d like to find out more about the advantages of using an EYESEE drone, and the use cases for the multi-spot feature, please contact our teams or fill in the form below to test the eligibility of your logistics site. 

Every company, whatever its size or sector of activity, is required to take an inventory of its stock at least once a year. In addition to this legal obligation, stocktaking can meet other challenges throughout the supply chain: providing reliable financial indicators, improving overall company performance, improving the accuracy of inventory data, etc. To meet these challenges, a number of stocktaking techniques have been developed: originally manual (using binoculars and paper/pencil, for example), inventory can now be carried out using a barcode scanner, assisted or not by WMS-integrated inventory management software, and more recently, greatly optimized by the emergence of new technologies including RFID, weight sensors, AI solutions, drones, and inventory robots.      

In this article, we’ll be focusing specifically on the inventory drone, how it works, its advantages and disadvantages for companies, and the selection criteria that may justify its application.    

Inventory drones: What are they? 

Contrary to popular belief, a drone is not necessarily a flying device. In reality, it is a flying or ground-based device, without a crew or pilot on board, and whose operation is fully automatic or remote-controlled. 

Inventory drones incorporate advanced technologies such as sensors, high-resolution cameras, and sophisticated navigation systems to scan barcodes while navigating their environment. They are designed to optimize and automate inventory processes in various environments. Operating fully autonomously or semi-autonomously with the supervision of a logistics operator, they are equipped with cameras capable of reading barcodes (1D or 2D) or other merchandise identification systems (RFID, artificial intelligence, etc.) allowing them to collect information on stored units, their location or condition. The collected data is then transmitted and analyzed in inventory management or corrected directly in the warehouse management software (WMS).

What are the main uses for an inventory drone? 

Inventory drones can be used in various sectors, with storage requirements varying according to the type of material stored. Among these sectors, we will distinguish between indoor and outdoor environments, as well as specific storage modalities for which drone use seems relevant.  

Indoor environments:   

In warehouses:  Inventory drones are particularly well-suited for logistics warehouses as they can perform rapid and accurate inventories of products that are sometimes stored high up or difficult to access. Several storage methods are possible, each with its own characteristics in terms of automating logistics inventory. Logistics warehouses have the advantage of being standardized controlled environments on an international scale, facilitating the deployment of automatic systems (drones or robots). 

Agricultural greenhouses: Greenhouses, like warehouses, contain a large quantity of stock in production. Equipped with multispectral cameras and environmental sensors, drones can, for example, detect early water stress, deficiencies, or diseases, optimizing the quality and yield of harvests. 

Hangars: Just like warehouses, the use of logistics drones in hangars can enable stocktaking of stored products, by identifying and locating units stored on the ground.

Silos: Equipped with LiDAR sensors or thermal imaging systems, flying or rolling drones can accurately monitor and measure the level of stored materials and the presence of contaminants. 

Outdoor environments: 

While drones can be used in a multitude of outdoor environments, their use is particularly relevant in certain specific industries. 

This is particularly the case for: 

  • The mining industry: Drones are used to monitor stockpiles of minerals and other bulk materials. They can also be equipped with special sensors to accurately measure the volume of stored materials and provide real-time data on stock levels, create topographic maps, or perform career surveys. 
  • The agricultural industry: Drones are used to monitor and analyze crops, quickly detecting problems related to diseases, pests, weeds, or water stress. 
  • The forestry industry: Drones can be used to create precise maps of forests, estimate timber volume, and track tree growth. This information will help forest managers plan and optimize forest harvesting, reforestation, and maintenance activities. 
  • The automotive industry: Drones can be used to perform precise inspections of factories, warehouses, and vehicle storage yards. This will also allow monitoring the condition of equipment to prevent accidents. In the context of material and vehicle inventory management, drones contribute to the inventory and precise location of spare parts, finished vehicles, and raw materials. 

Other industries can greatly benefit from the use of inventory drones. These include the port, oil and gas, recycling and building and construction industries. 

Storage methods: 

Inventory drones can adapt to a variety of storage methods, including: 

  • Rack storage: They can easily navigate between aisles and capture HD images of pallets, allowing for precise identification and location. 
  • Floor storage: The use of drones for floor inventory is possible, but it presents some challenges. Integrated drone lighting or depth sensors are technologies under development to overcome these obstacles. 
  • Bulk storage (high-volume storage): Bulk storage of products such as metal coils can also benefit from drone inventory. Using 3D image capture, drones can accurately estimate volumes. However, the complexity of some shapes and the variety of materials can limit the effectiveness of this technology. 
  • Bulk storage (sand, gravel, coal…): Drones will make it possible to accurately measure the volumes and fill levels of silos, hoppers, and storage areas. This information will help managers optimize production planning, prevent stockouts and overstocks, improve material traceability, and reduce the risk of work accidents. 
  • Tank storage (liquids, petroleum, chemicals): Drones will accurately measure fill levels, detect leaks, and assess the condition of structures (pipes, valves, safety systems) to detect potential damage or maintenance issues. In addition, they improve worker safety by reducing exposure to risks associated with confined spaces, hazardous substances, and heights. 
  • Stacking (tires, waste): Drones will measure the volumes, dimensions, and positions of stacks, which will ultimately optimize space utilization, improve production planning, prevent stockouts and overstocks. They will also be used to monitor the condition of storage facilities, such as support structures, access roads, and drainage systems. 

 

Advantages and limitations of adopting an inventory drone for use in warehouses with racked goods   

Inventory drones offer many benefits to companies, not least in terms of overall improvement in financial and logistical performance, and staff safety. These benefits include:   

Time and efficiency savings: drones can scan hundreds of products in just a few minutes (by way of comparison, with traditional methods, an operator scans an average of 1 location every 70 to 90 seconds). 

Improving the accuracy of stock data: high-resolution cameras guarantee the reliability of scanned data. Drones also reduce human error (duplicates, omissions, etc.). 

Enhanced employee safety: By flying up to several dozen meters, the use of inventory drones eliminates the need for logistics operators to work at heights or in dangerous areas (limiting the risk of falls or work accidents). 

Cost reduction: The use of an inventory drone reduces the need for additional human resources, as well as the rental of heavy, expensive equipment (“aerial platforms”, forklift trucks). What’s more, the improved accuracy of inventory data has a direct impact on the company’s operational, and therefore financial, efficiency. 

Less downtime: Annual stocktaking often requires several days’ downtime. As a much more efficient alternative to a traditional inventory, the inventory drone drastically reduces downtime (only 1 day’s interruption to scan 25,000 locations with the EYESEE drone). In some cases, when drone operation allows co-activity, no downtime is necessary.   

  • A deeper understanding of inventory status: The use of inventory drones allows for more frequent inventories, greatly improving the relevance of stock data.

    Often perceived as a miracle solution, there are nevertheless several drawbacks that can hinder the adoption of an inventory drone solution, including: 
  • High initial purchase and maintenance costs: Like many industrial machines, the acquisition cost of a drone can be a barrier for companies with limited budgets or low stock quantities. To these initial costs can be added specialized training depending on the characteristics of the drone and its environment (pilot’s license required or not, indoor or outdoor environment), which requires mobilizing time and human resources. Rental or one-time service solutions can nevertheless be implemented to limit acquisition costs. 
  • A solution not necessarily suitable for all environments: Depending on the chosen solution, drones may be limited in their ability to evolve in constrained environments (storage height, storage temperature, etc.) 
  • A solution that requires uniform processes: In order to function optimally, goods must be properly labeled with barcodes or QR codes that are sufficiently readable. When reading is made difficult (brightness, plastic filming, absence of labels, no standards in the naming of packages, irregular placement of labels, etc.), this can greatly hinder the effectiveness of a drone. 

Overall, the advantages of inventory drones often outweigh the disadvantages, especially for companies with large warehouses and large inventories. However, it is important for companies to carefully evaluate the costs and benefits before deciding to adopt this technology. 

Some criteria for choosing your inventory drone 

To choose your inventory drone, it is important to consider different selection criteria. 

Warehouse size: The larger the warehouse, the more efficient the drone must be in terms of ease of implementation and speed, and it should not generate significant infrastructure costs (base, codes, beacons, etc.) to cover large distances and complete the inventory within a reasonable timeframe. It is therefore important to choose a drone that can fly for a sufficiently long time without infrastructure and fast enough to cover the entire warehouse within a reasonable timeframe. 

Type of identification of logistical units: Inventory drones can be equipped with different types of sensors (barcode readers, Datamatrix, QR codes, RFID, etc.) to identify products. It is therefore important to choose a drone equipped with the type of sensor adapted to the logistical units used in the warehouse. 

Possibility of implementing coexistence: The inventory drone must be able to operate safely and without disrupting other warehouse activities for too long, such as order picking or pallet movement. 

Type of storage of stored logistical units: Goods stored on the ground, stacked, stored in high racks, one or more deep, or on accumulation racks do not require the same control methods. Some types of storage complicate controls or may require specific sensors or cameras to be properly identified. 

Storage height: The drone must be able to access products stored at height, which may require the use of drones equipped with tilting cameras or precise positioning systems to keep the drone at the correct height. 

As you can understand, the best inventory drone solution will depend on your environment, your traceability system, and the type of units stored. 

The EYESEE inventory drone solution  

We have chosen to offer a semi-autonomous, lightweight solution that can be easily adapted to pallet racks, without any infrastructure.   

What functions does EYESEE offer?  

  • 1D 2D barcode reading thanks to 3 Zebra scanners located on the front of the drone  
  • Ultrasonic detection of empty and full pallet spaces  
  • Automatic flight in a logistics aisle  
  • Compatible with all WMS   
  • No need to add or modify warehouse infrastructure  
  • Obstacle detection  
  • A powerful, scalable cloud-based system for preparing, planning, executing and analyzing inventory data. 

EYESEE in figures :  

Le drone EYESEE fait un inventaire logistique

They’ve switched to EYESEE  

L’Oréal: The l’Oréal Cosmétique Active plant adopted EYESEE in 2018. The EYESEE solution has enabled L’Oréal to obtain 100% pallet reading, to switch to cycle count inventory in place of the annual fiscal inventory. The uninterrupted availability of the logistics center has enabled the plant’s production days to be increased, with a return on investment in less than a year. To find out more   

GKN: GKN, a world leader in the supply of engineering systems and services, also uses drones for inventory control. Thanks to the use of EYESEE, GKN Driveline has been able to cut its inventory times by 3, reduce associated costs, improve the accuracy of inventory data and reduce the risk of accidents linked to working at height. To find out more   

If you would like to know all the benefits of implementing an EYESEE drone, please do not hesitate to contact our teams or fill out the form below directly to test the eligibility of your logistics site. 

Every year, companies embark on the tedious task of conducting warehouse inventory, and counting all their stocks. While necessary, this process can be time-consuming. There are various types of inventories, each with different goals, ranging from basic stock control to more specific measures like label errors, product defects, or quantity discrepancies.

But which inventory method is suitable for your needs? Find out more about the different types of inventory and their purpose.

Different types of inventory: adapting the method to your company

Inventory according to fiscal year

Initial warehouse inventory is taken at the start of the business or year, before stock additions and purchases. In contrast, the final stocktaking is done at the end of the fiscal year, to determine remaining assets, sales and the impact of commercial activities.

Inventory Based on Frequency

There are 4 types of inventories based on the frequency at which they are conducted:

  • Annual fiscal inventory: This is used to confirm activity and accounting inventory, and is conducted once a year. This is a time-consuming inventory, since all stock references are counted in a short space of time. Generally speaking, the company has to put its business on pause for several days and mobilize many of its employees, even recruiting additional staff to complete the core workforce. It’s an inventory that requires thorough preparation and a lot of organization. This type of inventory also has a significant direct cost (material and staff mobilized) and indirect cost (cost of business interruption).

  • Periodic inventory count: Conducted several times a year, covering all stocked references.

    Cycle count: Regularly counting groups of references and products stored throughout the year, at defined periods. It enables you to prioritize the counting of certain references (according to their value, volume, turnover rate, etc.). It is scheduled periodically, reducing the workload compared with an annual inventory. As it only concerns certain parts of the warehouse, there’s generally no need to suspend activity, and available stock quantities can be updated more regularly. This type of logistics inventory count is less time-consuming and more flexible, but it does require upstream organization and a great deal of discipline. In addition, this type of inventory count enables each location or part number to be checked more than once, thus increasing the quality of stock data.

  • Perpetual inventory count: systematically counting all incoming and outgoing items in real time. This type of warehouse inventory requires a more complex infrastructure but ensures that stock is always up to date. In particular, it requires digital management via third-party software.

Inventory based on product and its type

For this type of inventory, products are classified into different categories, so that they can be inventoried separately. Although not the most widespread, this type of inventory can be useful, since the storage system or movements of different products will differ from one category to another. These inventories include:

  • Inventory of raw materials needed to manufacture final goods and products;
  • Inventory of industrial supplies used in production processes;
  • In-process inventory;
  • Inventory of finished goods (available for sale);
  • Inventory of goods for resale (goods acquired for resale purposes and which have not undergone any significant production or transformation by the reselling company)

Inventory by function

Depending on how your warehouse is organized, some areas are often organized by function (as may be the case for in-transit or reserve stocks) rather than by product type. In such cases, it may be appropriate to use an inventory that focuses on the function of the goods, rather than their type. In this case, inventories may be considered for :

Stock in transit, refers to goods in transit between the warehouse, the supplier, and the company (goods which have been ordered and are about to be dispatched). Depending on the volume of business and the flow of goods, it can sometimes exceed warehouse stock.

Reserve or safety stock is intended to prevent stock shortages (due to supplier delays, internal malfunctions, variations in demand or economic conditions).

Lastly, decoupling stock is used to differentiate between logistics inventory before and after production, by measuring the rate of goods sold out.

Other types of inventory

There are a multitude of other types of inventory that can be used to address specific issues or provide business-specific metrics. These include, for example, the inventory of inactive, dead or lost stock (which makes it possible to reference products that cannot be marketed for various reasons: expiration date, deterioration, defective product, etc.); the inventory of available stock (products that can enter directly into the sales cycle).

Which method of inventory is best suited to my needs?

The choice of inventory method to be adopted is largely influenced by the nature of the company and the particularities of its operations. Each company will choose its type of inventory to match the issues and constraints of its business and the resources at its disposal. It is therefore essential to understand operational needs to ensure optimal inventory management.

First of all, ask yourself what the main objective of this inventory is. Is it primarily to address accounting concerns, to ensure inventory accuracy, or to meet other specific business needs?

For example, in a logistics warehouse with a high flow of goods and a large volume of part numbers, it may be worthwhile to set up a permanent inventory, as the volume of activity is likely to generate numerous stock errors. On the other hand, a small warehouse with few references and few flows may be satisfied with an annual or periodic inventory, as its activity is limited.

Combining several logistical inventory methodologies to meet different objectives is also a common practice. For example, keeping an annual physical inventory combined with a cycle counting inventory of all or part of your stock may be a good way of meeting the challenges of closing financial accounts and ensuring stock quality, a requirement with an operational purpose.

Automating my logistics inventory to maximize profitability

Although there are many different types of warehouse inventory, the main aim of each method is to optimize storage and inventory management and maximize the profitability of operations. With this in mind, the automation of inventory control appears to be an essential solution for increasing efficiency and productivity.

In addition to its accuracy, automation reduces the labor costs involved in logistical inventories (fewer work-related accidents, higher productivity), and provides better inventory visibility.

There are many automation solutions, including:

  • WMS software functionalities;
  • Installation of a connected infrastructure in the warehouse;
  • The use of inventory drones.

Improve inventory accuracy with the EYESEE drone inventory solution

Our EYESEE drone inventory solution is designed to simplify and optimize inventory processes, with a particular focus on cycle counts. Its core operation is based on counting locations and reading barcode labels. It is specially designed for accurate counting of SKUS in filmed and complete pallets.

Its light weight and infrastructure-free autonomy mean it can be used efficiently aisle after aisle, scanning around 500 locations per hour, making it suitable for both annual physical inventories (using several drones in parallel) and cycle counts (with a single drone). The ability to operate at heights of up to 20 meters also simplifies internal organization. There’s no need to book or hire scissor lifts to scan high locations, making it a practical solution that’s easy to integrate into cycle counting operations.

If you’d like to find out more about the benefits of using the EYESEE solution, please contact our team or fill in the form below to test your logistics site’s eligibility.

What is the cycle counting inventory ?

Effective inventory management is a crucial pillar of the supply chain, directly influencing the profitability and efficiency of operations. At the core of this management is the obligation to conduct an annual stock inventory to substantiate, from a tax perspective, the accuracy of the evaluation of the assets and liabilities of the company’s heritage.

Beyond this regulatory necessity, stock inventory serves primarily to generate various performance indicators to optimize the supply chain effectively.

To meet this legal requirement, businesses have the option to choose from several inventory methods, each presenting its own advantages and disadvantages: annual inventory, cycle counting inventory, periodic inventory, or perpetual inventory.

But, what is cycle counting? What is its role, its advantages? How can it be implemented to optimize your operations?

 

Annual inventory or cycle counting : which one to choose ?

The annual inventory is an inventory conducted 1 to 2 times a year, often close to the end of the financial statement period. It involves taking stock of all inventory in a warehouse and is considered the traditional inventory method.

Conducting an annual inventory can be a good choice for businesses with limited stock or whose operations can be temporarily halted without significant disruption. During an annual inventory, the entire stock must be scanned in a short period, often requiring a complete interruption of all logistical activities and the allocation of significant financial resources (such as renting lifts, mobilizing personnel, etc.).

To audit the entirety of an inventory in a medium-sized warehouse (18,500m²), with an average of 120 locations scanned per hour, it would require:

  • Halting production for a full 3 days, with 8 hours per day of inventory time.
  • Mobilizing 12 full-time personnel.
  • Renting 6 forklifts.
  •  

On the contrary, cycle counting, by segmenting inventory activities, allows for partial inventories of the warehouse throughout the year, ensuring the continuity of logistical activities. Requiring annual planning, it particularly enhances the performance of the logistics warehouse by:

  • Improving inventory accuracy.
  • Accelerating the detection of defective items.
  • Providing indicators that can support strategic decisions (unknown shrinkage).
  • Allowing for monitoring of stock levels and preventing overstock or stockouts.

These two approaches can complement or substitute each other: many companies implement cycle counting in addition to an annual physical inventory to have complete control over their inventory process. It’s also possible to replace the legal annual inventory with cycle counting. In this case, the inventory procedure must be validated by an auditor who ensures the reliability of the implemented inventory process.

 

Cycle Counting: Essentials for implementation !

You’ve made the decision to implement cycle counting as a complement or replacement for your traditional inventory processes! What are the different methods and steps to ensure the effectiveness of your cycle counting?

Key elements to consider when creating your procedure

The implementation of a cycle counting requires thorough planning. To establish a reliable and effective procedure, it is essential to consider: 

    • Number of References: Determine in advance how many references are stored in the logistics warehouse. Among these references, you can identify, for example, the number of high-value products, products that require more frequent verification, or products based on their location (references stored at height or in picking areas).

    • Available Resources for Inventory: Estimate the number of employees and the time they can allocate to stock counting.

    • Time Windows for Cycle Counting: Depending on the industry, certain time frames may be more suitable for cycle counting, such as late afternoon when the bulk of the day’s logistic flow has passed.

    • Counting Frequency: Evaluate how often you want to check your stock references.

 

Various methods of cycle counting

To enhance stock control, you can employ different cycle counting methods, such as:

ABC Counting: Based on the Pareto principle (20% of references represent 80% of sales), this is one of the most commonly used techniques. Products are classified into different categories: Category A items represent references that generate a significant portion of revenue, Category B items account for 25% of references and 10% of revenue, etc. Categories can be defined based on sales volume or the market value of products. Subsequently, the counting frequency for different categories needs to be determined (counting high-volume or high-value products may be beneficial as these references have the most impact on business).

Counting by Physical Area: Independently of references, the warehouse is divided into several zones (e.g., aisles). The counter is responsible for checking all references in their assigned zone.

Control Group: Involves counting a small group of references multiple times over a very short period to reveal errors in counting techniques.

Random Sampling: Random selection of several references to be counted. This counting can be done daily to ensure the reliability of the stock.

Most companies combine these methods in a hybrid approach to achieve the most accurate results possible.

 

Automating Cycle Counting in addition to or instead of annual fiscal inventory : available warehouse tools

Implementing a cycle counting process can be tedious: automating all or part of your process can significantly improve inventory accuracy and enable you to generate reliable indicators.

Moreover, in addition to its precision, automation can also help reduce labor costs (fewer workplace accidents, increased productivity) and ensure better visibility into the state of your stocks.

Various solutions are available to automate your inventory, including:

    • Specific features developed by Warehouse Management Systems (WMS).
    • Installation of a connected infrastructure in the warehouse.
    • The use of inventory robots or drones.
 

Using the EYESEE inventory drone in your processes

We have designed the EYESEE inventory drone solution to streamline and enhance inventory processes, particularly cycle counting.

Its primary operation is based on physical area counting (although reconnaissance missions are possible) of full SKUs (wrapped and complete pallets).

Due to its lightweight design and infrastructure-free operation, it can be moved from aisle to aisle and can scan an average of 500 locations per hour. Therefore, its use is suitable for both annual fiscal inventory and cycle counting.

Its capability to operate up to 20 meters in height also facilitates internal organization: there is no need to reserve or rent lifts to scan high locations, making it particularly easy to use in concurrent activities and, thus, in cycle counting.

Several users of the EYESEE solution have transitioned their internal processes to cycle counting. If you would like to discover all the benefits of implementing an EYESEE drone, feel free to contact our teams or fill out the form below to assess the eligibility of your logistics site.

The 100% Grenoble-based drone inventory solution, EYESEE, reinforces its commitment to CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) through a study supported by ADEME, as part of the « TREMPLIN pour la transition écologique » program.  

Grenoble, September 28, 2023 – DARWIN DRONES, an inventory company dedicated to the marketing, support and software development of the EYESEE solution for the logistics market, has just completed its first study in collaboration with ADEME.

Already committed internally to a proactive CSR approach, the company has decided to continue its efforts and has initiated an initial diagnosis to analyze the environmental performance of its solution in order to define development priorities.

Life Cycle Assessment : the most advanced and standardized tool for the comprehensive and mutli-criteria evaluation of environmental impacts.

 « Premiers pas éco-conception » project conducted during this life cycle assesment focuses on two phases : first, the transportation phase of the equipment to the inventory location, and then the usage phase (primarily the energy consumed during the inventory).

The initial results are encouraging : the study confirms that the EYESEE solution has a lower environmental impact compared to traditional inventory methods (up to 4 times more efficient).

Eric Pierrel, president of the inventory company Darwin Drones, is pleased with these initial results, convinced that the future of logistics lies in reducing its environmental impact through automation and intelligent inventory management :

« The logistics sector currently represents 10% of the national GDP, with a turnover of 200 billion euros and employing 1.8 million people in France. It is a vital organ for the functioning of our society. Unfortunately, it is also a sector with a significant environmental impact. Being able to contribute, on ours cale, to a reduction in our carbon footprint is already a victory, and we are committed to continuing our efforts in this direction ».

There is no doubt that this initial approach will directly interest the end customers of Darwin Drones as the results provide decision-making keys to choose the most suitable solution to address the environmental challenges of their logistics chains.

Logistics in motion

This action is part of the broader transformation of the logistics industry. In recent years, the sector has been increasing its efforts towards greater energy efficiency.

France Logistique has developed an CSR framework for the transport and logistics sector to assist them in implementing an CSR policy. Additionally, they have created a charter of mutual commitments comprising about thirty commitments to accelerate the contribution of logistics real estate to ecological transition and economic recovery.

In 2024, Darwin Drones plans to further develop its CSR initiatives by conducting new comprehensive impact assessments to continue its growth while ensuring the environmental cohérence of its activities.

Press contact : Darwin Drones – Justine LUCAS – +33 7 70 02 95 25 – justine.lucas@eyesee-drone.com

About Darwin Drones 

Founded in 2021 and headquartered in Grenoble, Darwin Drones specializes in the development and marketing of industrial logistics automation solutions, particularly using drones. The inventory company also provides associated service offerings. The company is dedicated to marketing, supporting, and software development of the EYESEE solution for the logistics market.  

Key figures

  • 16 employees
  • Over 600 000 scanned locations
  • More than 40 drones deployed

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In this interview, Eric Pierrel, President and co-founder of Darwin Drones the inventory company, tells us about EYESEE’s successes since the beginning of 2023.

Can you tell us more about the first successes since the last fundraising?

“Since the last fundraising, the EYESEE drone inventory solution has been deployed at many customers such as CNHI (Iveco), Aptar, GKN Driveline, or BM Stores…
Our historical customers have also upgraded to the latest version of the solution, such as DB Schenker, Renault Trucks, Le Roy Logistique, Caterpillar…
Our partnership with Hardis Group also continues (events, press, content).

Being part of the global improvement of the operational efficiency of the logistics world also means being visible in the showrooms of consulting companies and for this reason, we have installed two drones at Stratégies & Co (PwC) and Deloitte in Canada”.

What are the priorities and objectives of the EYESEE inventory company for 2023?

“With this latest fundraising, the challenge is to accelerate EYESEE commercially and operationally, both by continuing to serve historical customers to help them benefit from the solution and by supporting new customers in improving their operational efficiency.

In technical terms, the challenges of the coming months are both to improve the drone solution itself, and in particular its reading speed and ease of use. On the other hand, we are investing in the improvement of the Cloud part of the solution to facilitate the analysis of the inventory data collected by the drone via the implementation of dashboards.

Beyond the historical commercial deployment of the solution, we are starting to structure our international approach by identifying local partners for our customers. These include:
IT Genetics in Romania, Checklist Do Brasil in Brazil, Quotes4drones in England.”

What are the dates to remember for this new year?

“This year has started off on a high note with many events.
Like every year, we participated in the SITL (Transport and Logistics Innovation Week).

This year was also marked by the organization of a Roadshow in the AFTRAL centers of France (training centers in transport and logistics). Several demonstrations took place in Grenoble, Moulins, Saint Quentin Fallavier, Chambéry, Valence, Arnas & Montpellier. EYESEE continues its tour of France with several demos scheduled including one on June 20th at AFTRAL Nice.

We will also have the opportunity to present EYESEE at the Modernlog exhibition, on May 30 and 31 in Poznań (Poland) on the stand of our partner Hardis Group Polska.
Other events in France and internationally are planned for the second half of 2023.

Are you planning to implement a CSR approach?

” Yes, for the last few months, we have been working on an analysis of the life cycle of the EYESEE solution versus the traditional solution (inventory with cradles). In this context, we have responded to several calls for projects and we are the winners of the EETE call for projects “Entreprises Engagées pour la Transition Écologique” (Companies Committed to Ecological Transition) supported by ADEME.

We are also laureate of the call for innovative projects of the Club Déméter, dedicated to the development of supply chain solutions integrating CSR issues as well as nominated for the Agora Awards Supply Chain 2023 in the category “Best company of the year in the field of Intralogistics”.

Before the end of the year, we will be able to propose a detailed report on the environmental gains offered by the EYESEE solution with precise data and field analysis.

drone inventaire

EYESEE is delighted to have participated in the Vertical Forum 2023 at the Swiss Aeropôle in Payerne. On this occasion, many companies were present to discuss the professional use of drones (logistics, construction, agriculture, security, audiovisual, civil engineering, urbanism & real estate).

Thanks to Stanley Schmitt, director of Vertical Master (Training and Consulting) for the opportunity.

The objective of Vertical Forum is to create a meeting place between manufacturers, operators and regulators of all types of drones through presentations and demos.
The 2023 edition was very successful with a good audience, the presence of Swiss media (RTS) and especially drone actors from the three linguistic regions of the country.

Vertical Master had been planning for several months to explore the segment of drone use in logistics. This segment is not yet well known by drone players who are more on inspection or mapping. EYESEE Inventory Drone, with its very innovative solution, seemed to us to be the ideal candidate to enter the logistics world” explains Stanley Schmitt.

“I was delighted to participate in this 2023 edition of the Vertical Forum in Payerne. The solutions and interventions proposed by the different actors present at this conference were all of great quality as were the exchanges before and after the event. We are looking forward to develop partnerships and strengthen our development in this country. Vertical Master is the right place to strengthen our presence and eventually integrate EYESEE in its training catalog. EYESEE is a solution integrating an automatic drone to control stocks by scanning codes in industrial pallets which requires the presence of a trained supervisor – no need to be a “drone telepilot”. Despite this we are fully part of the drone ecosystem as these are our origins. See you soon in Switzerland”.

Clément Roulet Dubonnet – Marketing Director EYESEE

What are the future synergies with Vertical Master?

Vertical Master could offer a global solution to Swiss customers interested in integrating drones in their inventories. This global solution could include the equipment but also the complete integration of the solution with training and after sales service. Note that Vertical Master would also be able to bring its drone expertise in national languages (French, German and Italian). To be continued…

EYESEE exhibited its latest innovations in warehouse technology at the 40th edition of the Transport and Logistics Innovation Week (SITL), which took place from March 28 to 30 at the Porte de Versailles in Paris.

SITL has become one of the main events for transport and logistics professionals. The international trade show, which is celebrating its 40th edition this year, brings together all supply chain players from sectors as diverse as intralogistics, robotics, IT systems and logistics real estate. The 2023 edition gathered more than 24,000 participants and 500 exhibitors.

For this 40th edition, the inventory by drone was in the spotlight on our booth D113.
On this occasion, participants were able to see the drone in flight in the Drone Valley and discuss with our team.

EYESEE is a solution designed to help manufacturers and logisticians increase their operational efficiency. It allows to carry out the inventory by collecting automatically the data of stocks of the warehouses. The solution can be deployed in a few days, without any modification of the warehouse or addition of infrastructure.

With an average productivity of 400 locations/hour, EYESEE allows you to increase the reliability of your inventory data while reducing the risks on your site.

The drone inventory solution complies with all current industry standards. It helps 3PLs and logistics departments of manufacturers to eliminate inventory errors before they become downstream problems. L’Oréal, Bayer, GKN Driveline, Le Roy Logistique, Ikea, Aptar and many others have already chosen EYESEE. 

Video review of the highlights of this event:

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