Outsourcing its annual inventory check to RGIS has helped West Midlands Metro to keep its trams moving – and save time on stocktakes.
A light rail and tram operator has become the first to benefit from an innovative new stocktaking technology.
Midland Metro Limited (MML) manages the rapidly growing West Midlands Metro light rail network, serving over 8 million passengers annually. MML operates the network on behalf of the system owner, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). Central to MML’s operations is the Wednesbury depot, where trams are maintained and repaired, it is also home to a large parts inventory, posing a significant resource challenge.
Resource challenge
Historically, MML conducted in-house annual stocktakes at its Wednesbury depot, diverting engineers, drivers and office staff away from their primary duties. These teams would spend several days manually counting parts using pen and paper. Afterwards, their tallies were submitted for manual data entry, which was then cross-checked against existing inventory records and adjusted as needed.
This manual process was time-consuming and tedious, both in the stocktake itself and in subsequent variance checks. With tram maintenance a priority for MML, diverting engineers from their essential tasks for extended periods was a challenge.
To find a more efficient solution, MML approached RGIS, a leader in inventory management and outsourced stocktaking, for a solution. RGIS was tasked with performing the full inventory count, identifying discrepancies, and providing detailed variance reports.
A better way
Outsourcing an inventory check is common in retail and logistics. In these sectors, a team can use barcode scanners to deliver results that are quick and accurate. However, in manufacturing and industrial warehouses, barcode systems are far less common.
RGIS can now bring the benefits of outsourced stocktakes to manufacturing and engineering facilities thanks to its innovative technology. RGIS Vision is an advanced industrial solution that goes beyond barcode scanning to speed up stocktaking and inventory checks by eliminating paperwork and manual data entry.
RGIS Vision features pioneering camera handset technology to capture part numbers, QR codes and product codes as well as barcodes. It can even read smudged, faded or blurred part numbers. The cloud-based software automatically creates a spreadsheet of inventory, meaning no more manual data entry. This significantly reduces the need to manually correct line-item variances on an inventory spreadsheet.
Positive outcomes
Using RGIS Vision, a team of five RGIS auditors was able to complete the stock take in three days, scanning more than 45,000 parts comprising almost 2,000-line items.
Previously, MML could only complete the variance checks once it had collated all the paperwork. With RGIS Vision, auditors could provide MML with a line-by-line variance report as they finished counting each parts bin. The accuracy of RGIS Vision meant MML only needed to update 300 lines in its inventory file at the end of the process, significantly reducing administrative effort.
Kyle Read, Materials Controller at West Midlands Metro, commented “Using RGIS was a massive time-saver for us and a huge improvement on our existing processes. We had previously relied on manual pen and paper stocktakes by internal staff. The speed and accuracy RGIS brought to the table made a world of difference.”
RGIS is a global leader in inventory management solutions, providing outsourced stocktaking services which save the businesses it works with both time and money. Established in the retail industry for over 65 years, the company now also serves a growing base of industrial and manufacturing companies, thanks to its innovative RGIS Vision technology.
For further details on how RGIS can help manufacturing and industrial facilities to save time and money on stock checks, visit https://www.rgis.com/inventory-services/manufacturing-and-warehouse/
Neil Storey, Chief Revenue Officer, RGIS.
Neil has over 15 years of experience in the inventory management sector. Previously, as Managing Director for the UK and Ireland, he successfully guided RGIS through a period of remarkable growth and success. More recently, responding to feedback from the industrial sector, Neil spearheaded the development of RGIS Vision.
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