Reflex Logistics Solutions has partnered with Digilo, the joint developer and distributor of Scanless Dock Control, a real-time loading control application that uses Bluetooth iBeacons installed on dock doors. Under the partnership agreement, Digilo will handle Europe-wide deployment and support for the application, which is fully integrated into the Reflex WMS warehouse management system as a module named Epyo.
Grenoble, Munich, January 26, 2022 – Reflex Logistics Solutions (Hardis Group), a leading provider of logistics execution software, has signed a partnership agreement with Digilo GmbH, the distributor of Scanless Dock Control, a real-time loading control application powered by the iBeacon technology. For the past two years, the application, which won the Innovation Award at the Transport & Logistics Innovation Week in 2019, has been fully integrated into the Reflex WMS warehouse management system via the Epyo module. Until now, support for the application outside France has been limited. Under the new partnership, it will benefit from deployment and support across Europe.
Digilo: harnessing the iBeacon technology for logistics
Digilo was founded in early 2021 by Gilles Tassery, the founder and CEO of the French company E-Dentic SAS, and Nicolas Lassal, the former head of innovation at a major German logistics service provider, based on the belief that the iBeacon technology had the power to revolutionize the logistics industry. Digilo and E-Dentic are the joint developers of Scanless Dock Control, an application that uses Bluetooth beacons installed on dock doors and removes the need for operators to scan door bar codes when loading pallets onto trucks. Two years ago, the ground-breaking application was added to Reflex WMS as a standard module named Epyo.
Digilo, which is headquartered in Munich, Germany, handles Europe-wide deployment and support for the applications it co-develops with E-Dentic. Under its partnership with Hardis Group, the firm will offer support for the Epyo module outside France. “Many of our customers are already using this technology in France,” said Aude Santangelo, Head of Partnerships at Reflex Logistics Solutions. “At a time of strong growth for our business outside France, this partnership means that our customers across Europe will benefit from support for the Epyo module.”
Scanless Dock Control: error-free loading and service-quality gains
The Scanless Dock Control application is powered by iBeacons, an innovative, cost-effective technology. Two Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons are installed on each side of every dock door. The beacons emit specific Bluetooth signals, which are received and analyzed by hand-held devices. The operator scans a pallet, which is then automatically cleared for loading when the device used to scan it passes through the correct door. Once this happens, Reflex WMS receives an instant notification that the operation has been completed successfully. But if the pallet passes through the wrong door, the system does not confirm the loading. The operator cannot scan another pallet until the correct operation has been carried out.
“Scanless Dock Control completely eliminates the potential for error,” said Nicolas Lassal, CEO of Digilo GmbH. “Trucks can no longer leave the warehouse until they are fully loaded, and pallets cannot be loaded on the wrong truck. Our technology also makes operators' life easier, delivering significant productivity gains.”
Return on investment within three to six months
Scanless Dock Control is already in use across 20 warehouses for a total of 500 docks equipped. The Bluetooth beacons are cost-effective to purchase and maintain, and installing the iBeacon technology requires no major changes to the building or IT infrastructure. On average, customers report a return on investment within three to six months. This is because the system eliminates errors, meaning users save on penalties and additional transport costs.
Reflex Logistics Solutions is the first WMS vendor to fully integrate Scanless Dock Control into its system natively. The following video provides more details about the application and how it works: