Bringing intuitive and graphical analytics and reporting into AutoStore systems

AutoStore cube storage automation

Editor’s brief: Inventor of “cube storage automation”, AutoStore, launched a comprehensive analysis and reporting system known as Unify Analytics, which provides a cloud-based service platform with a performance analysis dashboard and a reporting functionality. The solution comes in both a webapp and an API, which can then be integrated into customers’ own applications that can tap on this API and their AutoStore warehousing automation. Read more below.

SINGAPORE – Unify Analytics™ is a new cloud-based service and data platform for intelligent warehousing introduced by AutoStore, the company credited with inventing “cube storage automation.” AutoStore is an automated storage and retrieval system, and with Unify Analytics, businesses can easily pinpoint the root cause of operational issues by utilizing data-led insights from within the system.

In today’s ever-changing and cutthroat business environment, the cumulative effects of even minor hiccups in the supply chain workflow, compounded by mistakes in warehouse management, can amount to significant losses. In addition, the ongoing global pandemic has spurred expansion of both WMS and cloud adoption in the Asia-Pacific region, where the e-commerce market is flourishing.

Data Bridge Market Research predicts that the WMS market in Asia Pacific will grow at a CAGR of 18% between 2022 and 2029, reaching USD 2434.16 million by 2029. As opposed to the standard practice of loading data into a warehouse, which has been the norm for quite some time, collecting real-time statistics is now not only recommended, but required, in order to anticipate and prepare for any problems that may arise.

“Over the last two years, we have seen how businesses are startled by the sudden explosive demand and orders. Our aim is to assist businesses in ensuring their operations run smoothly without disruptions due to poor inventory management, or the inaccuracy of data storage. Through Unify Analytics with AutoStore, customers can now have real-time visibility and statistics for their warehouse operations to make informed and verifiable decisions. Despite the fluctuations in demand, the insights are able to prepare customers in adapting to the changing market trends and uncertainties,” says Clement Yew, Director of Business Development, Southeast Asia, AutoStore.

Both an online dashboard for monitoring KPIs in real time and an application programming interface (API) for integrating with other services are part of Unify Analytics.

“Businesses can reap multiple benefits by combining automated storage and retrieval, and data-led insights. This data analysis tool will allow businesses to be more proactive and respond rapidly to real-time challenges,” says Andreas Munch, Product Manager at AutoStore.

Monitoring with data visualisation tools

A key feature of Unify Analytics is the availability of multiple performance analysis dashboards, each of which presents crucial business data graphically. Information such as system availability, the number of stops it has made, the average distance traveled by robots, the number of tasks a customer has scheduled, and the amount of time spent waiting for bins to be filled are all examples of the data that can be accessed (each hour). It also displays whether or not the firmware and software have been updated.

“Data is only effective if we measure the right metrics. We currently include a selected list of key metrics and will develop and add new features to the software gradually, in close dialogue with our users,” says Munch.

There will be an alert feature integrated into AutoStore in the future. When predetermined conditions are met, end-users will be alerted via email or SMS, allowing businesses to quickly react to operational challenges.

A single data platform

Since the AutoStore System constantly produces large volumes of data, it is useful to have a technology that can consolidate all of that information onto a secure, safe, and compliant platform.

“The new analytics tool secures access to real-time and logged data and is only accessible to designated end-users and distribution partners. We automatically deploy software updates when they are available, without any system downtime,” says Munch.

Implementing Unify Analytics does not necessitate any special training or advanced technical knowledge on the part of the user. Start using the web interface and application programming interface on November 15th, 2022.

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