In large, busy logistics sites, only a few dock managers control the flow of hundreds of vehicles waiting to be unloaded, often causing delays, and affecting performance. Logistics companies need to manage their docks as efficiently as possible to meet the growing consumer demand for parcel delivery, especially for goods purchased online. However, dock managers often lack the real-time information they need to make quick and accurate decisions. “Hikvision's Smart Dock feature helps direct vehicles to available docks quickly and easily, speeding up loading and unloading and maximizing throughput and efficiency,” begins Sam Belbina, VP, Hikvision USA. “For example, they may not see which docks are available, which are in use, and which will soon be free. Without this important information, vehicles often wait unnecessarily when they can load or unload, resulting in delays and negatively impacting productivity and throughput. “
Dock Management with Smart Video
To meet the challenges of manual and inefficient dock management, Hikvision has integrated Smart Dock Management functionalities into its portfolio of logistics solutions. Using smart dock cameras at each loading dock, the solution provides real-time information allowing dock managers to make accurate and timely decisions on as many berths as possible. Smart Dock Management combines several key features that automate and optimize dock management operations.
Key capabilities of the solution include:
Detecting people at the dock: Hikvision cameras can detect, in real-time, whether trucks are loading or unloading at the dock or not. The solution also recognizes the license plate of the truck to identify the vehicle occupying the berth. This information is relayed on an interactive map, providing managers with instant visibility into loading and unloading activity and available docks, 24 hours a day. “Based on this real-time information, drivers can be quickly and efficiently dispatched to available docks via the mobile app,” simplifies Belbina.
Parking Optimization: Information from dock cameras and other site cameras also provides a real-time view of available parking spaces across the site. This allows managers to send trucks to available parking lots where they can wait without blocking major corridors and roads on site.
Truck loading and unloading monitoring: Using cameras placed inside and outside the loading dock, the Hikvision solution creates a log for future reference. This is necessary to determine responsibility and liability in the event of a shortage of goods or in the event of an accident, such as falling fragile goods from a truck or pallet.
Security checks: to maximize security, information from barcode readers is crossed with video recordings. This improves tracking of goods and provides audit trails to ensure goods never “leak” out of the supply chain.
Automating inbound and outbound processes: Hikvision solutions eliminate the need to manually calculate shipping costs for packages based on their weight and size. Instead, it uses product information from barcode readers to automate processes, reduce operating costs, and optimize throughput.
Efficient dock management with a digital dashboard interface: The solution provides a digital dashboard showing all docks, indicating whether they are available or occupied. The dashboard also displays historical performance data, allowing employees to optimize operational efficiency, optimize scheduling and staffing decisions, and accelerate time from employee engagement. arrival and departure of vehicles. Together, these benefits contribute to the overall operational efficiency of the logistics fleet.
“Using smart dock cameras at each loading and unloading terminal, the solution provides real-time information allowing dock managers to make accurate and timely decisions about more berths than is possible,” adds Belbina.
Improved Performance and Operational Efficiency: With features that help managers get drivers to available docks faster, Hikvision Smart Dock helps maximize dock usage. This allows logistics operations to increase overall throughput and thus generate revenue. In addition to this benefit, throughput is increased by features that automate a range of key processes including cargo tracking, security checks, sizing, and weighing. All of this contributes to improving operational efficiency, resulting in significant cost savings for logistics operators.
End-to-End Cargo Monitoring and Security: By monitoring and recording the entire cargo handling process, the Hikvision solution creates an audit trail for every product that passes through the site. This improves cargo security and prevents inventory loss and helps identify liability when goods are lost or damaged. Information from barcode scanners can be crossed with video footage to track goods and detect and visualize problems quickly and easily.
Excellent experience for dock managers and drivers: Thanks to the Hikvision solution, dock managers can manage their workload much more easily and make the best decisions on several large numbers of vehicles and allocated docks.
Description: Hikvision is an IoT solution provider with video as its core competency. Hikvision advances the core technologies of audio and video encoding, video image processing, and related data storage, as well as forward-looking technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and big data. Over the past several years, Hikvision deepened its knowledge and experience in meeting customer needs in various vertical markets including logistics as one of its primal service areas.