Warehouse and Logistics
What is LogisticsMatch? LogisticsMatch is an automation and identification platform that delivers a new range of solutions to the warehousing and logistics market. Previously automation and control for material handling systems in the warehouse and logistics sector relied on each product item / carton having a barcode attached to the outside surface, however in many cases there is no barcode on items received from third-party suppliers. LogisticsMatch is an automation and identification platform designed for the real-world and doesn't rely on expensive relabelling or manual handling. Utilising standard carton and pallet barcode imaging systems, Prime Vision LogisticsMatch can search for identification marks, part numbers, product characteristics that are already present, meaning that stock can be immediately routed into stock and available for onward storage and distribution. Many LogisticsMatch solutions have been deployed from as far afield as United Kingdom and Australia. Why not read on to find out more below or even ask for our case-study on Marks & Spencer plc or NEXT Retail plc; LogisticsMatch delivered a unique capability for these major companies and benefits in terms of cost-savings, distribution time and stock availability. More about LogisticsMatch and development background Prime Vision is an optical character reading specialist and systems' integrator that has been hugely successful in the postal market by being different from the mainstream. Whilst the majority of OCR products read machine printed text and barcodes, Prime Vision solutions are equally competent at reading handwriting, graphics and other marks too. One of the greatest benefits of all Prime Vision products is their modularity. At any stage Prime Vision can integrate additional modules from its product programme. These ‘plug-ins' include Key-IT video coding that allows data to be entered onto a warehouse management system in a fast, smart and efficient way.
So why is this relevant to the warehouse and logistics market? This technology, which has proven its considerable worth in postal automation, has now been further developed by Prime Vision for automated product handling as well. The result is LogisticsMatch, a brand new OCR solution whose application scope and flexibility goes far beyond that of standard-library OCR packages.
In essence LogisticsMatch allows text in any language, a logo or any mark, whether it has been created by machine or by hand, to be automatically read and used to automate product handling. The information can be in virtually any contrasting colour and certainly at any orientation. It is equally suited to simple product flow applications right through to complete logistical processes.
LogisticsMatch incorporates all the elements of Prime Vision's latest character and symbol recognition technology. This includes powerful region-of-interest finding, a signpost that tells the OCR software where to decode. Various help tools assist this process including an offline Label Identification Tool that uses barcodes and other symbols or marks on the label as a guide. Multiple different label formats can be identified, providing a stable reference point to boost recognition.
The basic LogisticsMatch platform is highly cost competitive and the payback through productivity is predictably quick. This is complemented by improved quality levels thanks to typical read-rates of over 95%, well above human capabilities.
LogisticsMatch can be supplied as a dynamic link library (DLL) for integration into an existing system or Prime Vision can build a complete turnkey solution tailored to the needs of the specific application. A turnkey solution includes all the hardware and software necessary to capture images from conveyor lines and other sorting systems. It then processes the images and sends the resulting data to the warehouse management system, host system or sorter.
Identify-IT image archive and retrieval is another option that converts images into jpegs for additional quality control and for evidential use in damage claims. Further modules include Monitor-IT process management and reporting. All Prime Vision systems are, of course, available with the company's industry-leading 24/7 support.
This technology has already been chosen by two major retailers in the UK and can be applied to a wide range of applications. In retail distribution for example LogisticsMatchTM can be used to automatically capture the quantity of goods handwritten on the casing or simply to update stock records. Or it can verify the price per kilogram of foodstuffs against the barcode. The scope of this product is phenomenal.