Retail operations management and warehouse management systems concern all aspects of keeping a store functioning well. In this blog post, we present Penguin applications of real-time asset tracking systems (RTLS) in retail operations management.
Physical Space:
A content management system can be used to upload maps (e.g. warehouse management systems), define interactive zones and aisles on these maps, create routes, and enter information related to each zone/aisle. Per-aisle information may also be integrated with retail inventory management databases. This retail technology solution is expected to simplify the onboarding of employees who can search for and locate items digitally through asset management software. ROI is built on reduced training costs and lost search time with warehouse asset tracking optimization.
Staff Administration:
Real-time asset tracking can automate attendance taking (in/out of the store) and staff presence checking against assigned zones. At Penguin, we refer to this as zone-based warehouse tracking systems. Tracking staff for attendance and presence purposes requires a tag or can be done using employee phone with the ability to request on-phone fingerprinting as a second-factor authentication for store operations management.
Business rules can be leveraged to notify/alert supervisors of absent staff or those who are outside their designated zones through asset management software. The ROI for this retail technology solution is derived from higher compliance and better efficiency. In scenarios where privacy is a concern, management can review the analytics based on aggregate trends using warehouse management systems.
Equipment Administration:
Penguin retail asset tracking can track anything that is bulky, moves, and is of significant value. For example, forklift warehouse asset tracking and wayfinding (usually done on a tablet mounted on the forklift) with the ability to fence off floor areas during un/loading events from the content management system. These fenced off areas will be automatically reflected in the suggested routes given to the forklift driver when moving inside the warehouse tracking systems. The ROI here is built on the reduction of insurance-impacting forklift-related workplace injuries through real-time asset tracking.
Furthermore, tracked equipment and assets provide for data-validated utilization information such as operating hours of forklifts, zones requiring them the most, etc. providing an important decision-making tool for retail operations management.
Security:
A key application of warehouse tracking systems is the tracking of security staff inside premises to ensure rounds are done as required (right time/right location). Certain types of tags have duress call functionality which can be integrated with public announcement systems. This retail technology solution enables an inexpensive $20 tag with a push button to become a cost-effective dispatching solution for store operations management.
Visitor Administration:
Warehouses and front shops usually support vendor accessibility for re-stocking purposes within retail inventory management processes. Penguin real-time asset tracking can provide ability to assign tags to visitors at check-in points, track them throughout the facility using warehouse management systems, issue alerts if needed (e.g. outside permitted paths/zones), and check-out once the trip is completed. Penguin makes such data available live on a map and captures historical records for incident verification through asset management software.
In this blog, we presented a brief list of applications of Penguin retail asset tracking and warehouse management systems technology in retail operations management. To learn more about how Penguin real-time asset tracking can be leveraged to serve your retail technology operation’s needs, please contact us at [email protected] or visit www.penguinin.com.
