Intelligent CIO APAC Issue 23 | Page 62

CASE STUDY

New Zealand glass manufacturer , Architectural Glass Products ( AGP ), has deployed Internet of Things ( IoT ) technology from Pollin8 and Thinxtra for around-the-clock tracking of its products and delivery trolleys , ensuring it avoids losing assets and bolstering its industry leading customer service .

AGP , part of the PGL Group , a market leader of window and door systems in New Zealand , was founded in response to market demand for high quality glass that can be manufactured and delivered in short timeframes . The company has become the nation ’ s largest manufacturer of insulated glass units ( IGUs ). It currently operates a four-hectare , highly automated factory in Hautapu on Te Ika-a-Māui , NZ ’ s North Island .
AGP owns over 1,750 purpose-built delivery trolleys , worth NZ $ 3,000 each , to transport its fragile , highvalue glass products . To reduce the risk of these assets going missing and ensure their efficient return to the facility , AGP installed low-cost IoT tracking devices from NZ ’ s Pollin8 , which communicate over Thinxtra ’ s 0G Network . This allows the manufacturer to track assets in real-time so they can be retrieved efficiently to maintain its four-day order-to-delivery service .
“ Before AGP came to market , the time from ordering the glass to delivery was unpredictable , and customers never quite knew specifically when their products would arrive . We have completely disrupted the market by delivering in four days ,” said Gene Sanford at AGP .
“ Having Pollin8 and Thinxtra ’ s joint IoT solution in place from the start has proved central to our ability to deliver this level of service . Rather than resorting to the timeconsuming task of counting assets on a map with a basic GPS solution , we have a dashboard and data that inform us which customer has the trolleys and how long they have had them , enabling us to quickly take action to maintain our high service levels .
“ Our customers ’ cash flow can be improved significantly knowing their supply will be delivered on time ; getting our assets back quickly to fulfill the next set of orders helps mitigate any knock-on effect that might impact them .”
Pollin8 ’ s IoT devices are fixed to every AGP delivery trolley , and record location data at all times , including where GPS signals are unavailable . That information is transmitted over Thinxtra ’ s national low power Wide Area Network ( LP WAN ), known as the 0G Network ,
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