top of page
AdobeStock_340609086.jpeg

Distribution Center Automation with Existing Systems: Logistics Case Study (Part One)

Writer's picture: Jenna FavilleJenna Faville

Updated: Jan 17

Small human errors in retail logistics can cost companies millions each year. For one large grocery retailer, manual mistakes during trailer check-in and checkout at a distribution center led to $1 million in wasted goods and extra mileage annually.


This article explores how connecting to their existing systems, enabling distribution center automation and useful insights, transformed the retailer’s operations.


Case study on logistics showing $1,000,000 annual loss. Issues: unsecured goods, incorrect trailer temperature, wrong trailer. A visual representation of a huge financial loss due to human error and manual process.

The Problem


Manual processes have long been the backbone of logistics, especially in retail where distribution centers manage countless moving parts. But with manual workflows come inevitable human errors.


At this grocery retailer’s distribution center, trailers underwent a manual check-in and checkout process prone to errors arising from oversight, fatigue, inclement weather, or rushing to complete tasks. Here's a breakdown of the process and its error points:


  1. Check-In: Drivers check in and manually log trailer details into the yard management system.

  2. Verification at Checkout: Guards manually confirm trailer numbers, inspect trailer temperatures for perishable goods, and ensure trailers are sealed and secure.

  3. Human Error: This system left significant room for mistakes, leading to costly incidents such as sending the wrong trailers, spoiled goods due to temperature mishandling, and unsealed trailers being rejected at delivery points.


In just one month, eight errors were caught during manual inspections, but three slipped through the cracks, requiring costly remediation. Extrapolated over a year, these errors could accumulate into millions of dollars lost monthly due to spoiled goods, unnecessary mileage, and dissatisfaction.


Tapping into the solution


When faced with these persistent challenges, the retailer turned to our Central Intelligence Platform, built to tap into complex systems and turn it into useful information to streamline workflows.


Using existing infrastructure—including security cameras, scanning devices and management platforms — they implemented our intelligent system designed to eliminate manual errors while seamlessly integrating with current operations.


Truck and green check mark next to icons linking to a computer screen labeled "TECHNOVA Industries." Text: "Case Study: Logistics." Representation showing that connecting multiple systems into one platform and enabling automation can solve the problem of human error and manual processes that cost the retailer a million dollars in loss annually.

How It Works


  1. Automated Trailer Number Verification: empowered security cameras scan and confirm trailer numbers, ensuring accuracy from the first step.

  2. Real-Time Temperature Monitoring: the camera reads and verifies trailer temperatures automatically, ensuring perishable goods are maintained at appropriate conditions.

  3. Cross-Referenced Data Validation: The system cross-references the captured data with the yard management platform to ensure consistency and flag errors.

  4. Automated Alerts: If no errors are identified, the system clears the trailer for exit. If issues arise, guards receive real-time alerts pinpointing the specific issue for resolution.


By automating repetitive tasks such as data verification and monitoring, human oversight was reduced, while guards could focus on higher-level tasks that required decision-making and judgment.


The Results


This approach to logistics isn't just improving operations—it's transforming them.


Measurable Savings and Impact


  • Cost Savings: Projected $1 million in avoided losses annually due to reduced errors in deliveries, fewer spoiled goods, and cut-back excess mileage.

  • Reduced Errors: Errors that previously went unnoticed are flagged in real-time.

  • Efficiency Gains: Data collected from these systems also created highly relevant insights that allow managers to make more informed decisions about staffing and efficiency.

  • Scalable Solution: The platform is easly scalable accross facilities and regions to meet every need.


Key Features Enabling Success


  • Seamless Integration: The system connects effortlessly with existing infrastructure, like cameras and sensors, in under 48 hours - minimizing disruptions.

  • Real-Time Monitoring: A continuous data analysis stream ensures accuracy at every step of processing.


Key Takeaways for Logistics Professionals


This case study isn’t just a success story for one retailer—it is a blueprint for revitalizing operations across the industry. Here’s what you should remember:


  1. The Cost of Errors: Even minor human errors can accumulate to devastating financial losses in logistics operations.

  2. The Transformative Power of Automation: From real-time monitoring to seamless verification, automation provides reliability and accuracy beyond human capabilities.

  3. Adaptability Across Industries: From grocery retailers to e-commerce giants, the data that comes from tapping into existing systems has unique applications at every stage of the supply chain.

  4. Big Impacts, Small Beginnings: Whether your business is managing one distribution center or many, our platform can be scaled to fit your current operations and future growth.


Connecting the Past, Engineering the Future


In logistics, we believe the key to transformation often lies in fully utilizing the resources you already have. By tapping into data from existing infrastructure, businesses can modernize their operations without replacing their existing systems. Upgrading through smarter integration ensures that valuable investments continue to deliver returns, while avoiding the financial and operational burdens of complete system overhauls.


The retailer in this case study showed that innovation doesn’t require starting over—it requires making better use of what’s already in place, proving that efficiency and growth can come from building on a strong foundation.


Take Action Today


Are manual processes holding your operations back? Are errors and inefficiencies cutting into your profits and preventing you from reaching your potential?


Contact our team today to discuss how you can revolutionize your logistics operations. Together, we’ll identify your needs and design a tailored solution that seamlessly integrates with your current systems.





Stay tuned to learn how connecting more systems continues to streamline operations for our major retailer. Let's build the future of logistics—efficient, accurate, and unstoppable.

38 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments

Rated 0 out of 5 stars.
No ratings yet

Add a rating
bottom of page