Dimensioners at the price of a coffee per day

Case Study

How our dimensioning and weighing machine enhance the SKU safety in a fulfillment center?

Industry
Fulfillment center
Product
Automated dimensional scanner

Process

Inbound Process
Use case
Inventory Management
Integration
Warehouse Management System

Case Study Summary

The client is an eCommerce firm who implemented vMeasure automated dimensional scanner with a custom Dymo M10 weighing scaleat their workstation to get accurate dimensions of small-sized packages weighing not more than 10 lbs.
The workflow was tailored to meet the client’s needs, starting with the integration of the custom weighing scale Dymo M10, followed by the uploading of parcel images to their desired S3 bucket and adding barcode value to the annotated parcel images.
By implementing vMeasure, the client was able to expedite the dimensional measurement of SKUs, while also simplifying their workflow by eliminating the need for manual data input.

Problems faced by the Client

Improper Inventory Management
The inaccuracy of manual data entry at the inbound process translated into wrong SKU counts or missed replenishment deadlines, resulting in lost business opportunities.
Inability to provide rate discounts

The company was facing stiff competition as increasing labor and warehouse management costs restricted their ability to give out attractive rates or free shipping to their customers.

Increased SKU damage

SKU damage rate increased because of inaccurate package dimensions and weight information. This decreased customer satisfaction.

Increase in handling time and costs

The warehouse associates had to spend a lot of time rearranging various SKUs to make way for new ones which was increasing the handling time and cost.

Accuracy variance

The deviation between manual dimensions and actual measurements increased shipping charges and unreliable cost estimations.

Inability to conform to unloading schedules

There was a mismatch between the scheduled unloading time and the actual unloading time because the warehouse associates had to store the previous load, which was manual, erroneous, and time-consuming.

Absence of SKU data

Since most of the SKU data capture was manual, integrating the SKU information into their existing system was difficult and made it vulnerable to data loss.

Scalability issue

The team couldn’t scale the fulfillment operations and manage them without increasing the IT resources which raised the question for a proficient backup and managing software.

Inadequate technology

The company’s technological infrastructure at that point did not support sophisticated integrations.

Business Problems
Damaged Grocery

Damaged groceries and pilferage raised due to misplacement of the SKUs and the limited knowledge of their nature. It reduced the firm’s profit-margin.

Lost business opportunities

The company failed to restock and supply goods to their retail stores at the right time because of inefficient inventory management practices which resulted in lost business opportunities.

Decreased customer satisfaction

Some of the edibles were turning rancid while other goods expired. This decreased customer satisfaction.

Logistics Problems
Misguided putaway process

The company’s WMS was acting on inaccurate DIMs and as a result, the warehouse associates were misinformed regarding SKU placement.

Incomplete Shipping Records

The shipping records maintained were inaccurate and for few cases, it was missing. This manual dimensioning method made difficulties in tracking shipment and managing inventory.

Prolonged Wait Time

During the peak or festive seasons, the measuring of packages turned out to be more time-consuming that many packages were stagnant for prolonged period affecting the deadlines.

IT Problems
Scalability Issue

The team couldn’t scale the warehouse operations and manage them without increasing their IT resources, that raised a question for a proficient backup and managing software.

Absence of integrated data

Since most of the data capture was manual and on paper, integrating those collected information into their existing system was difficult and made it vulnerable to data loss.

Lack of Assortment

The SKUs reaches the warehouse in assorted nature that the existing system had trouble identifying and segregating each in accordance with their nature, cost, size, etc.

Why do customers choose vMeasure dimensioning and weighing machine over other dimensioners?

By dimensioning almost all SKUs of the customers in less than a second, vMeasure proved to be a reliable solution in their fulfillment center.

vMeasure took a limited space at the workstation due to its compact nature.

vMeasure Forge came with webhooks and file hooks which enabled the client to seamlessly upload the parcel information to the S3 bucket.

The vMeasure team built the workflow to suit the dimensioning flow of the client.

The integration of the Dymo M10 custom weighing scale was made successful without
disrupting operational efficiency.

This integration was very valuable for the client since they dimension small-sized parcels and the weighing scale’s plate easily accommodated it as it was small

vMeasure was small and compact leaving more space for fulfillment center workers to move freely.

The device came with minimal parts and can be installed in 15 – 20 minutes.

Dimensioning Capability

By dimensioning almost any SKU shapes,especially grocery items within a quick span (<1 second) made vMeasure a reliable source in the warehouse.

vMeasure took limited space at the inbound station due to its compact nature.

Software Integration

vMeasure provided customizable workflow to read LR number in the receipts and assign units received in that truckload.

The WMS was integrated with the dimensioning system without disrupting their existing operations.

vMeasure Forge

Securing every data ever recorded and maintaining them is done and monitored by the exclusive cloud setup – vMeasure Forge.

Forge enabled the admin to configure and maintain any number of systems across multiple locations under one platform.

Physical Characteristics

Flaunting its compact-built structure, vMeasure never compromises with its efficiency. Instead, higher accuracy with smaller space.

The whole vMeasure Ultima could be assembled and installed within 15 – 20 minutes.

How did the client benefit from vMeasure dimensioning and weighing machine?

The company improved inventory management as the SKU data capture was automated and accurate.

It became easy to process more inbound orders and did not have to wait to make up space for the item. This drastically decreased labor costs and material handling costs while increasing profitability.

The management reduced SKU damage, caused by improper storage, enabling the company to make customers happy.

The order accuracy increased since the received order was accurately mapped to the listed item on the PO with SKU images.

The custom weighing scale integration became a great fit at their fulfillment center since it was friendly for the small SKU sizes.

The SKU images were automatically sent to the desired S3 bucket which proved beneficial during the outbound stage to match the order with the SKU, thereby eliminating any erroneous picks or order fulfillment.

The workflow customization allowed the fulfillment center manager to collect SKU-level data such as fragility, special handling requirements, and so on at the receiving station in an instant.

There was no guesswork with storing inbound orders since accurate dimensions enabled better use of the storage racks without any underutilization or overutilization.

There was minimal need for additional storage space since every SKU went in the right location, thereby maximizing the available space.

By automating data collection, the likelihood of utilizing inaccurate or erroneous information was minimized.

Fulfillment center associates took less time to dimension and did not have to update the measurement data to their WMS manually. This decreased fatigue and increased their productivity.

The fulfillment center administrators were able to rely on accurate data to forecast inventory needs and plan accordingly to paper-based record keeping to avoid stockouts or overstocking.

What makes vMeasure the only vMeasure dimensioning and weighing machine capable of solving your needs?

vMeasure is an highly adaptable dimensioning as a service solution which can capture the height, length, width, weight and image of the parcel/SKU in <1 second.
vMeasure Parcel Ultima Specifications
Minimum Dimensions
(L – W – H​)
1.2 x 1.2 x 0.8 in*
3 x 3 x 2 cm
(* For items below 0.8 inches in height, a special envelope base plate is required)
Maximum Dimensions
(L – W – H​)
39.4 x 29.5 x 17.7 in​
100 x 75 x 45 cm
Accuracy
Cubes/Cuboids – 0.2 in / 0.5 cm​
Other Objects – 0.4 in / 1 cm
Mounted on
Table / Mobile Cart / Mechanical Conveyor
Data captured
  • Annotated SKU/Parcel image​
  • Additional SKU/Parcel image​
  • Custom fields for additional data capture during measurement
* For items below 0.8 inches in height, a special envelope base plate is required​
vMeasure Parcel Ultima Specifications
Minimum Dimensions
(L – W – H​)
2 x 2 x 2 in​
5 x 5 x 5 cm
Maximum Dimensions
(L – W – H​)
53.1 x 41.3 x 33.5 in
135 x 105 x 85 cm
Accuracy
0.4 in / 1 cm
Mounted on
Table / Mobile Cart / Mechanical Conveyor
Data captured
  • Annotated image
  • Multiple angles of SKU/Parcel
  • Custom fields for additional data capture during measurement​
vMeasure Parcel Ultima Specifications
Minimum Dimensions
(L – W – H​)
3.9 x 3.9 x 3.9 in​
10 x 10 x 10 cm
Maximum Dimensions
(L – W – H​)
78.7 x 59.1 x 55.1 in​
200 x 150 x 140 cm
Accuracy
0.6 in / 1.5 cm​
Mounted on
Floor / Mechanical Conveyor
Data captured
  • Annotated image
  • Multiple angles of SKU/Parcel
  • Custom fields for additional data capture during measurement
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