Whether 3PL or SME: hardly any company knows exactly how many items are in stock and in what condition. The consequences are time-consuming manual checks, incorrect deliveries and inaccurate data records. "It's an open secret that most companies have no overview of what is happening in their automated warehouse systems," says Ralf Gulde, co-founder and CEO of Sereact. "With our Sereact Lens platform, we solve this problem by using AI-powered machine vision to monitor storage and picking bins in real time."

The components of the system are software and a camera, which can be attached to neuralgic points such as the picking workstations of an AutoStore or the picking stations in just a few simple steps. According to the provider, the solution is ready for use in less than an hour. Each individual bin is scanned automatically. Sereact Lens recognizes which goods are in the bin and compares them with the data stored in the WMS. This enables up-to-date stock control at all times and avoids stock shortages and overstocking. In this way, all stocks of stored items can be recorded and reconciled within a short time during operation and without additional manual effort. Sereact Lens therefore enables automated stocktaking during ongoing operations.

Focus on quality

Using AI-supported image recognition, the monitoring platform automatically detects anomalies such as damaged or incorrectly positioned items and waste in storage containers and forwards this information to quality control or incoming or outgoing goods for inspection. This enables companies to react more quickly to potential errors.

"Another advantage of our solution is that we can document the condition and number of items picked for shipping when a Sereact Lens scans the cartons at goods issue before packing," explains Ralf Gulde. This ensures that the consignments meet the quality standards and at the same time determines whether complaints about missing or damaged goods are justified. Conversely, the system can also automatically detect at goods inwards whether the deliveries contain the right products in the right quantities and what condition they are in before they are stored.

More efficient returns processes

Sereact Lens also helps to save resources. The software can pre-select whether returns need to be checked manually or can be put back into storage straight away. "For example, we can detect whether packaging has been opened or not, whether there is damage or signs of use," says Ralf Gulde, explaining the benefits. "We also compare the returns with the shipping documentation to determine which items have been returned and which have been kept by the customer." This eliminates the need for mass initial checks by employees. They only have to check the returns that have been identified by Sereact Lens as worthy of checking.