THE EDGE
Through precise indoor positioning , warehouse operators can improve the safety of personnel and know the location and safety of their assets . Advanced analytics in turn can assist the warehouse operator in using data to make real-time decisions and further improve productivity .
To support the adoption of warehouse IIoT will require secure , reliable data connectivity and communications , yet many existing warehouse networks are holding back operations rather than enhancing them . An annual survey of distribution centres by St . Onge6 , a supply chain consulting firm , shows that approximately 80 % of warehouses in the United States are manually operated with no supporting automation , 15 % are mechanised and just 5 % are highly automated .
The warehouse of the future must have a fast , efficient communications network connecting everything and everyone . This will enable increased productivity and cost efficiency to provide the warehouse operator the sustainable growth and competitiveness it needs . It also enables the implementation of new technologies to further improve operations such as the Internet of Things ( IoT ) to connect inventory , vehicles , people and equipment , robotic , guided and automated handling and movement , and Augmented Reality vision picking systems . This
George Verdes , Head of Sales for Transportation and Logistics in MEA at Nokia
data is captured into the warehouse management system where analytics can monitor operational conditions and monitor performance and can be made available in real-time , anywhere .
Nokia ’ s Optical LAN is built on Passive Optical Network ( PON ) – the technology that brings high-speed broadband to millions of homes and businesses worldwide . Currently , our solution supports GPON and XGS-PON and will support 25G PON in the future . It delivers massive high-speed connectivity for everything and everyone in the warehouse to enable warehouse workers to process the increasing volume of information that must be managed quickly and efficiently .
The network requires 90 % less equipment than traditional copperbased networks , freeing up valuable warehousing space . Nokia ’ s Optical LAN provides substantial savings on capital expenditure , reducing the total cost of ownership by 50 % while still ensuring a 99.999 % uptime . This means that the warehouse can have one single network for all devices and services , with military-grade encryption to ensure it is secure .
Optical LAN has several key benefits for warehouse operators . Passive optical LAN technology is cheaper to install , operate , maintain and power than traditional Ethernet LANs and all services can run on one centrally managed LAN .
A combination of fixed and wireless access points provides ultra-fast connectivity throughout the warehouse and centralised network control and automation reduces the need for manual interventions while improving efficiency and reliability .
Fibre optic cable is thin , light , strong , flexible , fire-resistant and substantially reduces copper cabling volume and weight , making it easy to install everywhere and easily extend as the warehouse expands . The cable is also resistant to interference and comes with features and bandwidth mechanisms that ensure traffic is managed so that each device gets the required bandwidth .
Passive technology requires less power and cooling , therefore reducing energy bills and carbon footprint , and because less equipment is needed it can save up to 90 % of valuable floor space . It is also future-proof , exceptionally reliable and uses military-grade 128-bit data encryption as a standard , while data in-network access points cannot be accessed locally .
With Nokia Optical LAN , warehouse operators can begin their digitalisation and automation journey with a highperformance , secure and reliable network which provides the scalability that is needed to connect all their equipment , IIoT devices and employees onto a common infrastructure . ◊
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