A fulfillment center handling small SKUs and packages up to 10 lb was measuring incoming items by hand during receiving. After measurement, operators still had to enter the dimensional data and handle weight, images, and barcode information through separate steps.
The operation wanted to bring those tasks into one receiving workflow.
Why Was Manual SKU Data Capture Adding More Steps at Receiving?
The process started with operators measuring each incoming SKU manually. Once they had the dimensions, they entered that information into the system.
Weight and image capture happened separately. That meant the same SKU had to move through several data-capture steps before its record was complete.
Manual measurement also led to differences in the dimensions being recorded. Any measurement or data-entry inconsistency then became part of the SKU record used by the operation.
The fulfillment center needed a relaible way to capture dimensions, weight, images, and barcode information at the receiving workstation instead of handling each task separately.
How Did Automated Parcel Dimensioning Change the Workflow?
vMeasure parcel ultima was installed at the receiving workstation and configured around the existing process. The operator placed the SKU at the workstation, where the system captured its dimensions in less than a second. Along with the dimensions, it also captured the weight, barcode information, and an annotated image in the same process.
From there, vMeasure Forge a cloud-based dimensioning platform, used webhooks to transfer the required parcel information and images into the customer’s existing systems, including its Amazon S3 cloud storage bucket.”vMeasure Forge, a cloud-based dimensioning platform, used webhooks to transfer the required parcel information and images into the customer’s existing systems, including its Amazon S3 cloud storage bucket.
The operator no longer had to measure the SKU first and then manually enter the dimensional data afterward. Parcel dimensioning, weighing, image capture, and data transfer became part of the same receiving process.
What Changed Before and After Parcel Dimensioning?
| Receiving process | Before vMeasure | After vMeasure |
|---|---|---|
|
SKU dimensions |
Operators measured each SKU by hand and entered the dimensions into the system |
Dimensions were captured automatically at the workstation |
|
Weight |
Weight was recorded as a separate step during receiving |
Weight was captured as part of the same process |
|
SKU images |
Images had to be handled separately from the measurement record |
An annotated image was created during measurement |
|
Barcode information |
Barcode details were captured separately from the dimensional data |
Barcode information was captured along with the SKU record |
|
Data transfer |
Operators had to move or enter the captured information into the required systems |
Records and images were transferred directly to the customer’s existing systems and cloud storage |
What Improved in the Receiving Process?
The main change was practical: Operators had fewer manual steps to complete for each incoming SKU.
Dimensions, weight, images, and barcode information are collected at the same workstation, and the required records are moved into the systems already used by the fulfillment center. Annotated SKU images are also stored in the Amazon S3 cloud storage for later use in the fulfillment process.
This gave the operation a more consistent way to build SKU records as products arrived, without relying on manual dimension entry after every measurement.
Is Manual SKU Measurement Still Part of Your Receiving Process?
If your operators are still measuring SKUs manually and entering the data into your warehouse systems, automated parcel dimensioning can bring those steps into a single receiving workflow.
Talk to the dimensioning experts
Explore how vMeasure Parcel dimensioner fits into your parcel measurement workflow.
Book a demo to discuss a similar setup for your operation.
What do our customers say?
"…They are now indispensable components in our shipping process and have allowed us to predict shipping costs accurately…"
Bargain Book Stores
"...vMeasure provided excellent support throughout the product integration process, with readily available and effective after-sales assistance…"
Holisol
"...With vMeasure, we were able to take the cloud-based solution literally under a day and under a far more achievable budget..."
Pidge