ASICS warehouse drones quickly find misplaced inventory

ASICS, the sportswear company, has improved its inventory management at its Byhalia, Mississippi, distribution center through the use of autonomous drones. These drones, manufactured by Corvus Robotics, conduct nightly flights through high-risk storage areas, allowing for more frequent counting and reduced inventory discrepancies.

Since implementation, the drones have increased counting frequency six-fold and saved approximately 200 hours of monthly counting labor. This newfound time has been redirected towards inventory research and exception management. The drones also provide surveillance in areas prone to discrepancies, such as the singles area and case reserve, which were previously only counted twice a year.

By identifying misplaced cases containing over 200 pairs of shoes, the drones have prevented customer order cancellations and ensured timely product availability. ASICS now performs inventory reconciliation, root cause research, and special projects related to the wholesale business, utilizing the time saved from drone operations.

The inventory control team reviews drone flights each morning and resolves discrepancies on a desk, thanks to the video and images captured by the drones. This system also allows ASICS to publish full availability feeds to online marketplaces, selling all products at full price instead of holding back 12 to 15 units per 100. The use of drones for inventory counting also saves energy, as employees operate lift equipment less frequently.