In the military, mission readiness starts well before the personnel set out to perform the operation. Logistics Readiness Center & Squadrons (LRC & LRS) are essential for effective preparation for a mission and managing parts to repair vehicles and aircraft. Adding electronic labeling offers many benefits to support operational success.
Logistics readiness provides the ability to undertake, scale and sustain military missions. Yet it is a complex and challenging role to play.
Take Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. One warehouse can have as many as 21,000 warehouse locations with 50 changes per day. Before electronic labeling, it could take two people per day to place labels on locations. Additionally, there was a mandatory 24-hour waiting period before permanent labels could be printed and placed. Then, the labels would need to be changed manually at each location.
So, Eglin AFB decided to embrace digital labels. The time savings alone meant a big return on investment. Saving an average of 45 minutes daily, using electronic labels saves roughly 4,000 resource hours annually. That’s not the only advantage this Air Force Base gained though.
How Electronic Labeling Works
Tracking inventory is now automatic and much more efficient. The logistics readiness personnel at Eglin utilizes optical wireless communication (OWC) at each location. Optical wireless communication (OWC) enables wireless connectivity using a near-infrared band, eliminating the dependency on (or interference with) wifi. The electronic label remains at that location, but if what is stored at that location changes, the label can be updated by inputting the new information into the system. No need to create a new label, the new information is generated electronically.
Inventories can be managed in the same way. When parts are taken out of a drawer or off a shelf, the quantities are updated in the system showing the new quantities. When all parts are removed from a location, it shows that there’s a space available – so if a new part comes in, they can run a report showing all open locations to decide the best location for that item without physically going location by location.
Electronic Labeling Features
With inventory frequently on the move, Eglin personnel can now easily update shelf locations as well. Instead of having to manually switch the labels at shelf locations where items are being stored, they can update the inventory data in real time. The stationary storage label doesn’t move, but the electronic record can be quickly changed to reflect what is now found on that shelf. It can be as simple as logging into the management platform to make changes that are then pushed out to that shelf label in real time.
The electronic labels also simplify the search for inventory items. With electronic labels, personnel can geolocate any individual product automatically on a map. Plus, the map updates dynamically. If a part and its label are moved to another aisle, the system automatically recognizes this and updates the location, with no manual intervention needed.
Eglin is off-network (since it is military), but electronic label data can be integrated with cloud-based software to enhance overall supply chain management. That’s why many industries value the efficiency and effectiveness of electronic labels.
Being OWC, the ESLs utilize a fraction of the battery capacity that radio devices require resulting in the longest proven battery life in the industry. Since battery life is not a concern, the ESLs are active (not passive) in that they communicate and acknowledge any updates received by the system. Moreover, we provide sub-second communication as opposed to a comparable radio solution which can take 15 – 30 seconds for devices to ‘wake up’.
Lastly, this system offers the ability for customers to analyze the current usage and remaining battery life of the ESLs. It also enables users to build usage scenarios to estimate battery life utilizing a new use case by flashing every ESL for an hour each day. No other ESL vendor provides this capability.
Other Applications for Electronic Labels
Retailers use enterprise-grade electronic shelf-labeling to save time with price updates and improve customer experience with accurate, reliable pricing. Third-party logistics companies also enjoy the flexibility of electronic labeling as they can easily update what is stored whereas they move from one contract to the next. Manufacturing and distribution, with a high volume of consumable parts used and moved frequently, also appreciate the real-time connectivity.
Additionally, the label can be configured to incorporate any information needed – such as quantity, expiration dates, price and more. Color coding of labels can help differentiate inventory types. For example, at Eglin, parts for different types of aircraft might be further distinguished by label color. Or a retailer might use different colors to identify items nearing the end of their shelf life.
The labels also offer a LED flash feature that makes it much easier to find the needed item. With the push of a button, the lights on the labels for the inventory that is required can be set to flash. Not only does this speed up picking, but the feature also supports picking or replenishment accuracy.
Eglin AFB enjoys the effective resource use and process efficiency that comes from electronic labeling. But, the advantages of digital labels extend beyond the military as well.
Talk to our experts about how this system can help you cut manual labor time processing inventory and gain the ability to efficiently update storage labels at an individual or operation-wide level. You’ll be amazed by what you can do with your shelf labels providing you with real-time data insights to improve decision-making. Contact us today to learn more.
