Although innovation can be hard to measure, it has been suggested that investment in internal technology such as back-office functions or logistics operations is an excellent marker of how deep innovation runs in a company.

At Bonfiglioli, engineers are constantly seeking fresh ideas and technology to improve customers’ experience and help teams work more effectively. This innovative spirt is now on full display in the company's EVO plant after a recent project to transform how warehouse operatives pick components forSource: Bonfiglioli production orders.

The result of the project, a collaboration with technology partner Var Group, is a state-of-the-art “virtual pick to light” solution based on augmented reality. The technology works via a standard tablet, which is fixed to the trolleys operatives use to pick products in the warehouse: by utilizing real-time information from management software the tablets overlay onto the warehouse environment visual markers and acoustic signals that guide teams toward the exact location of components.

The project was delivered by a multi-disciplinary team drawing on expertise from a range of Bonfiglioli’s functions. The group continually refined the technology to integrate it with company needs. This involved several stages, including choosing and positioning markers in the warehouse; selecting the best device to interact with the markers; developing an interface between management systems and the automated guided vehicles; and ensuring operatives could fully test the system so they were comfortable with the solution.

The benefits of the project have been immediate. Picking times and errors have been reduced, which translates into a more streamlined customer experience. And, thanks to the intuitive technology, on-the-job training for new operatives is now significantly easier, in line with the company commitment to empowering people through digitalization.

This is only the first phase of the project. A second stage now underway will see the addition of technology that helps picking teams place products in trolleys in the optimum production line-feeding position.