Spanish company Telefónica Tech has joined forces with UK firm Dexory to automate warehouse inventories.

They are launching a service that combines Dexory’s AI-powered digital-twin platform DexoryView and Telefónica Tech’s IoT connectivity, integration and specialisation capabilities in the industrial sector.

The service should reduce inventory errors, shorten problem investigation times and improve safety for employees.

They announced their alliance earlier this month at Advanced Factories, the European congress on industrial innovation in Barcelona.

DexoryView uses fully autonomous robots to gather vast amounts of data from warehouses. The robots use optical cameras and lidar sensors that allow them to measure distances and map spaces, and are capable of scanning up-to 10,000 locations per hour.

The data gathered by the robots are analysed in real time and visualised on the DexoryView platform thanks to Telefónica Tech’s IoT connectivity, providing information on the inventory accuracy as well as suggestions on optimising the warehouse space. The robots deployed in the warehouse capture data in real time on the status, volume, dimensions and location of the items using identifiers and barcodes.

In addition, thanks to its integration capabilities and specialisation in the industrial sector, Telefónica Tech will be in charge of integrating this service with users’ warehouse management systems (WMSs) to synchronise and manage all warehouse operations including location of materials, stock management, task and resource planning, goods in and out, and demand planning.

“The alliance with Dexory allows us to strengthen our portfolio of digital services for the industrial sector, which plays a key role in the country’s competitiveness,” said Alfredo Serret, global director for IoT at Telefónica Tech (telefonicatech.com). “This service, which combines Dexory’s robotic technology and AI with our IoT capabilities, will enable logistics, distribution and manufacturing companies to simplify the warehouse inventory process by providing them with real-time visibility and accurate data.”

Oana Jinga, chief product officer at Dexory (www.dexory.com), added: “As in all areas of business, data are key to driving businesses forward. With DexoryView, warehouse operators and managers are able to tap into rich data that will help them strategically guide their businesses forward and unlock new opportunities for them. Partnering with Telefónica Tech will allow Dexory to scale quickly in the Spanish market and unlock the power of real-time data in warehouses across the region.”

The launch of this service should improve daily activity of the logistics sector, which will move from having outdated inventory reports to automating the process to have total control of what happens in warehouses and be able to identify inefficiencies and optimise operations.

Connected autonomous robots should reduce inventory errors and provide companies with more accurate data on which to base business decisions. They can also speed up the search for empty locations so space can be managed more efficiently, and shorten the time taken to investigate and resolve problems such as the search for lost objects or the detection of erroneous product references.

The warehouse inventory automation service should help the sector accurately forecast demand, stock and capacity, and guarantee greater safety by delegating to robots many of the higher-risk tasks that employees have previously performed.