How Nokia AIMS is boosting warehouse efficiency

Nokia has launched true inventory counting capability for Nokia Autonomous Inventory Monitoring Service (AIMS), enabling warehouse operators to utilize autonomous drones to individually count items, such as eaches, cases or cartons, in any racked inventory location accurately and efficiently.

Warehouse shrinkage can account for 3-5% of a company’s revenue and 25% of shrinkage is due to administrative errors. This combined with continued pressure to fulfill orders rapidly has pushed warehouse operators to a tipping point of futureproofing and automating operations to gain a business edge.

The new inventory counting capability adds to Nokia AIMS’ current features of finding misplaced and lost inventory, as well as empty bin detection. If a human worker can count inventory from the aisle, the Nokia AIMS drone can count it too. Identified inventory counts are then compared with warehouses’ existing WMS or ERP systems to identify any quantity mismatches.

Whereas typical cycle counts use the ABC method, where inventory is counted based on varying frequency, Nokia AIMS efficiently checks every location much more frequently, to ensure customers get a more accurate, reliable and complete picture of their inventory.

Nokia AIMS is delivered as a service in a complete solution comprising of drones, software and a cloud-based user interface. A Nokia AIMS drone can complete cycle counts approximately 7-10 times faster than human workers or around 300 inventory locations per hour. AIMS can provide customers with a 40% or greater ROI and deliver immediate value on the day it is launched.

Inventory counting capability is now available to customers in the United States. Existing Nokia AIMS customers will automatically gain access to this capability via a software update with no additional costs. New Nokia AIMS customers who sign up in 2024 will receive this capability for free, for one year.

Paul Heitlinger, General Manager, AIMS at Nokia, said: “Empowering warehouse operators with a competitive edge and keeping them at the forefront of automation is at the heart of what Nokia AIMS does. We are excited to launch an industry-first, true inventory counting capability for new and existing customers, wherever and whenever. With it, customers can not only gain peace of mind as our drones are designed to work while customers sleep but also free up human workers for high-value tasks that make a difference for their businesses.”

Spun out from Nokia Bell Labs, Nokia AIMS reflects the deep heritage of utilizing emerging technology, such as AI and automation, to develop revolutionary technology advancements that are human by design and answer the industry’s biggest demands.