IoT Implementation in Winchester Cold Storage for Improved Accuracy

Winchester Cold Storage is a company that provides food grade freezer and temperature-controlled storage solutions. The company has a rich history and at one point was known as the 'Largest Apple Storage in the World!'. Winchester’s facilities provide an unusually large capacity of controlled atmosphere storage where temperature, humidity, oxygen, and other room conditions can be monitored and controlled. The company was seeking to improve the accuracy and automation of their receiving operations, particularly in the shipping of smaller orders that were intended to be case-picked but often ended up being shipped as full pallets.

Winchester Cold Storage, a company providing food grade freezer and temperature-controlled storage solutions, was facing challenges in improving the accuracy and automation of their receiving operations. Despite having an impressive accuracy rate of 99.8%, the company was looking for ways to further enhance this. The inaccuracies primarily occurred during the shipping of smaller orders that were intended to be case-picked but ended up being shipped as full pallets. Winchester needed a system that could verify the contents remaining in the bin location as a second verification of the pick quantity accuracy. The company required a solution that could implement count back checks through the use of MobileLink tablet scanners, include a system to check using counts for Bin or Pallet ID, alert the picker if the count back quantity is incorrect, and send exception notifications via email to the supervisor.

Camelot 3PL Software's implementation and software development teams collaborated with Winchester’s operations staff to understand the core challenges and design a solution that would eliminate mis-shipments. The solution involved adding bin and pallet ID count backs to be done by the picker using a tablet scanner, without requiring additional time during the pick process. An email exceptions notification functionality was also incorporated to notify the supervisor when there was a discrepancy. This solution was designed to be highly configurable, making it ideal for small, medium, and enterprise-level warehouse businesses. After a month of going live, the new features have worked exceptionally well for Winchester, with no discrepancies reported from the freezer.

• The implementation of the IoT solution by Camelot 3PL Software has significantly improved the operational efficiency of Winchester Cold Storage. The solution has not only eliminated mis-shipments but also enhanced the accuracy of the receiving operations. The picker is now alerted if the count back quantity is incorrect, and the supervisor is notified via email in case of any discrepancy. This has streamlined the operations, eliminated costs, and increased service levels. The solution has been so effective that no discrepancies have been reported from the freezer after more than a month of going live. This has resulted in improved customer satisfaction and a boost in the company's reputation for accuracy and reliability.

• Improved accuracy in the receiving operations

• Elimination of mis-shipments

• No discrepancies reported from the freezer after 1+ months of going live