Nokia has announced the launch of an inventory counting feature for its Nokia Autonomous Inventory Monitoring Service (AIMS). This new capability allows warehouse operators to use autonomous drones to accurately and efficiently count individual items, including eaches, cases, and cartons, in any racked inventory location.
Warehouse shrinkage, which can account for 3-5% of a company’s revenue, often results from administrative errors. With 25% of shrinkage attributed to such errors, combined with the growing pressure to fulfill orders quickly, warehouse operators are increasingly turning to automation to maintain a competitive edge.
The new inventory counting feature enhances Nokia AIMS’ existing functions of locating misplaced and lost inventory and detecting empty bins. The drones can count inventory from the aisle, just as a human worker would, and then compare the counts with warehouse management systems or enterprise resource planning systems to identify discrepancies.
Unlike the traditional ABC method of cycle counting, which counts inventory based on varying frequencies, Nokia AIMS allows for more frequent checks of every location. This results in a more accurate, reliable, and comprehensive inventory overview.
Delivered as a complete service, Nokia AIMS includes drones, software, and a cloud-based user interface. The drones can complete cycle counts approximately 7-10 times faster than human workers, covering around 300 inventory locations per hour. This efficiency can provide customers with a 40% or greater return on investment (ROI) and deliver immediate value upon deployment.
The new inventory counting capability is now available to customers in the United States. Existing Nokia AIMS customers will receive this feature through a software update at no additional cost. New customers who sign up in 2024 will also receive this capability free for one year.
Paul Heitlinger, General Manager of AIMS at Nokia, stated, "Empowering warehouse operators with a competitive edge and keeping them at the forefront of automation is at the heart of what Nokia AIMS does. We are excited to launch an industry-first, true inventory counting capability for new and existing customers, wherever and whenever. With it, customers can not only gain peace of mind as our drones are designed to work while customers sleep but also free up human workers for high-value tasks that make a difference for their businesses."
.png)
