ProGlove introduces process analytics capabilities to boost its Insight platform

ProGlove, the ergonomic wearables solutions provider, has added process analytics capabilities to boost workflow improvements and worker well-being functionalities of its advanced analytics platform ProGlove Insight.

The launch of ProGlove’s process analytics extends its current offering to the market by providing an entire ecosystem of solutions to organisations; that improve efficiency on the shopfloor, while strengthening the role of the human worker. ProGlove Insight works by collecting a unique set of data through its MARK barcode scanner family of products. The Insight ecosystem contextualises the data and allows firms to consume data according to their needs. ProGlove Insight has been  in use at more than 100 customer sites already to drive efficiency, profitability and – above all – human centred workflows. Among them are renowned organizations like DPD and Horsch.

ProGlove Insight is a complete solution that improves workflows and processes by leveraging scanners’ device data and time motion studies. The platform draws on the MARK barcode scanners’ unique capability to not only capture barcode data; but also seize metadata and information collected via the numerous sensors the devices feature. This data contextualises barcode symbologies, device configurations, time stamps, temperature readings, battery health and much more to allow for actionable insights. 

Using ProGlove Insight enables organisations to eliminate the restrictions of workstation silos too; because it collects data directly from the shop floor, processes and shares it from the ‘bottom-up’ towards the management level. Ultimately, this provides organisations a powerful overview of a business’s entire warehouse processes; and thus supports data driven decision making. 

Some of ProGlove Insight’s key functionalities and benefits for organisations include: 

• Safeguard your frontline workers: Allow for time-motion studies and measure the effort to complete assigned jobs. The number of scans can be correlated with a worker step count to determine the workload on each worker. This way, organisations can assess whether the number of assigned workers per workstation needs adjustment to respond to peaks in work. This enables firms to determine the time needed to process scans and identify reoccurring errors, because of poor barcode quality, reducing any stress levels for workers on site. Additionally, push audio, visual and haptic alerts on the deployed devices, provides guidance to employees so that they can use all their senses to avoid accidents and injuries to shop floor staff. Enact non-intrusive social distancing at the same time.
• Comprehensive Layout & Levels capabilities: Visualize your shop floor activities and drill down to individual workstations and devices to compare processes. This lets businesses redesign workstations or other infrastructure components when necessary. 
• Superior Insight analytics: Monitor all scans and refine the collected information with relevant metadata to understand jobs, processes and workloads; and to compare them to previous jobs and tailor your setup accordingly. This puts a magnifying glass on running jobs and supplies an opportunity to precisely measure the ROI on new initiatives. 
• Effortless device management with the ability to deploy zero-touch updates: Push firmware and configuration updates from one central point to your entire device fleet and know when to swap devices before they run out of charge to allow for undisrupted operations.
  ProGlove Insight is an API first platform that relies on an entire ecosystem of solutions: The award-winning MARK family of barcode scanners is at the centre of this ecosystem. They are complemented by the Insight web portal which allows for effortless Plug & Play visualisation of the above described processes. Through a set of APIs organisations can also choose to consume the Insight data via their Enterprise Resource Planning, Warehouse Management or Business Intelligence systems; thus refining the data that is already available in these systems. The ProGlove Insight Mobile apps, along with the ProGlove Gateway enable easy access to the shop floor and provide the means to push alerts to the workers in action. 

"Parcel logistics is a low margin game that comes with a lot of manual work,” said Ville Heimgartner, Smart Urban Logistics Consultant at DPD. “Therefore, efficiency and worker well-being is key. More so since the workload in our business is volatile. We need to make sure we have the right amount of people available at the right time and at the right spots in our depots. The number of scans, where we make them and how fast they can be processed are key indicators that determine our business efficiency and productivity. ProGlove Insight gives us the means to best support our workers, make arrangements accordingly and thus allow for sustainable growth.”

"It is safe to assume that 70 percent of the added value on the shopfloor is created by the hands of human frontline workers,” said Andreas Koenig, CEO at ProGlove. “That's why we need the means to optimise processes while strengthening the role of the human worker. ProGlove Insight is a combination of device management, advanced analytics, and the Human Digital Twin that strikes the right balance between meeting business needs and worker wellbeing. We look upon this as a responsibility we have to pioneer a pathway to a future that comes with opportunities for everyone. ProGlove Insight is our contribution in that regard."