Case studies

MICRO-NAVIGATION IN THE BUILDING
– Case study

INNERWEB SYSTEM

Plants in the industrial sector are often located over a large area, with many warehouses and internal roads. Daily supervision of all work in such a facility seems impossible. How can one person, located in one position, simultaneously control many processes occurring throughout the plant? Such a challenge was faced by our client, Grupa Azoty S.A. – one of the leaders in the fertilizer-chemical industry on a European scale and at the same time the largest chemical concern in Poland.

CHALLENGE

Each day, about 260 vehicles pick up materials from more than a dozen different Azoty Group warehouses. Directing these transports to the appropriate loading locations was often a problem. Suppliers often got lost and were unable to drive directly to a particular warehouse, which prolonged the entire process. In addition, drivers stopped at various locations on the site, which generated unnecessary risks.

Up to 260 suppliers a day at the warehouse

Problems getting to the destination, wandering around

Stops in place, generating risks

PROCESS FLOW

In response to the client’s needs, we installed more than 300 radio beacons (iBeacons) in an area of more than 10 kilometers of roads on the site. We also conducted a training course for security personnel that lasted just 20 minutes.

SOLUTION

We proposed a solution based on a micro-navigation function and conducted a test for this purpose. Security personnel gave suppliers phones with the InnerWeb mobile app, which marked on a map where they should go. The drivers easily followed the map to the designated warehouse, avoiding unnecessary wandering. What’s more, security guards, as well as others monitoring processes at the plant, gained greater control over what was happening. Information about how long a process was taking and where suppliers were located was at their fingertips in the app. The valuable data collected could be used to optimize the company’s daily operations.

Knowing how the process works would eliminate on-site downtime and other risky situations. The functionality would also be applicable during evacuations, as we would have information about the location of these people.

The concept presented was met with great interest by the client, who also suggested additional extensions, which we are currently working on

BENEFITS

  • Navigation of vehicles on routes inside the plant
  • Quick location of suppliers entering the site
  • Elimination of abuse by employees and suppliers
  • Constant supervision of the processes taking place - getting information about where the drivers are, how long the loading is taking.
  • Gathering thousands of data streams in one place that can be used for analysis and implementation to optimize processes.