Packing line cameras boost traceability at Arvato

Arvato is installing cameras at packing stations in one of its warehouses to monitor whether each shipment is complete and contains the right contents in the right packaging.

It runs the European central hub for in Düren in North Rhine-Westphalia and is responsible for all B2B logistics for Fujifilm Electronic Imaging Europe – the world’s largest photography and imaging company.

In addition to warehousing, order picking, shipment packaging and transport management, the services Arvato provides in part of the 75,000 sq m logistics centre include the procurement of materials as well as value-added services. The fulfilment services further include postponement activities, such as assembling sets, repackaging and bundling goods as well as “countrymizing,” which means applying country-specific product characteristics.

“We’ve already put this in place for packages and are currently working on a pallet-level solution,” says Thomas Becker, executive vice president high tech and entertainment at Arvato SCM Solutions. “The primary advantages include traceability and identifying sources of error. This cuts down on costs and helps us when dealing with possible customer complaints.”

Christopher Brawley, managing director for Fujifilm Electronic Imaging Europe, said: “As a manufacturer of premium cameras, security is our top priority. This is largely due to the value of the goods; for example, the sales price of the newly launched medium-format GFX 50S runs several thousand euros.”

In addition to the camera documentation system now in place as part of the packaging process, Arvato is currently reviewing additional measures related to its innovation activities to further increase security in the supply chain. These include applications to create complete transparency in last mile delivery and solutions to localise high-quality goods in the distribution process in close to real time.