Asset tracking system

EXILANT developed a sales planning and trade promotion system for a large brewer to handle promotional events for various brands. The solution integrates with other enterprise applications to support activities at 70,000 outlets for 600 users.

About the client

The client is one of the largest brewers in the world having presence in six continents with over a hundred years of heritage. They supply their products to more than 70,000 outlets through channel partners. They also supply chillers to outlets so that outlets can keep their products chilled.

Key drivers for the initiative

The outlet owner’s constant malpractices and inattentiveness of sales executives in the organization had led to the loss of 1500 chillers (about 2%) in a year's time, failing to bring accountability in the system. There was a need for a robust system to track and control the usage of their assets and also monitor the frequency of sales executives’ visits to the outlets.

Scope

This project aimed to install GPRS based chiller control and tracking unit into the chiller, which can communicate with remote server application and log various events on a real time basis. EXILANT was engaged to develop the associated software components and manage the services of third-party product vendor who manufactures asset locator devices.

Solution details

Figure :An overview on chiller tracking solution in the client environment. The solution enables to setup, maintain chillers, and associate it to outlet sales and visits of sales executives.The status dashboards enable executives or manangers at the headquarters to view all the transactions at the chillers from initiation to closure.

The chiller is modified to install a small CTU (Chiller Tracking Unit), the size of which is similar to that of a small power adaptor. The CTU draws power from the same power inlet that goes in to the chiller. In addition it has its own built –in battery.  The CTU also contains a proximity card reader, which is very similar to the ones used for attendance recording. The CTU also has a proximity switch, which provides a continuous location reference to monitor if the chiller has been moved from its approved location. The following points summarize the solution and associated processes:

• Chillers are fitted with a static tracking device with it’s geo-position (of installation)
• The device controls the electric flow between the plug point and the chiller
• The device continuously sends SMS (GPRS enabled) to the corporate server about it’s operational condition. The operational condition codes can be:
• MV – Moved (Taken for maintenance/ Stolen)
• RT – Restored (if it’s in original location)
• OF (Switched off)
  
• Based on the operational condition, the customer care executive can inform the territory sales executive or any other decision maker for the chiller to initiate prompt actions.
• The territory sales executive carries a smart card (just like a swipe card for office entry) to the outlet and swipes his/her card in front of the RFID reader installed in the chiller, which in turn sends an SMS (through GPRS) recording his/her visit to the outlet.

Technology

Database                    : SQL Server
Technology                 : IIS, ASP

Benefits

The solution helped our client to prevent significant loss associated with theft, lost or misplacement of their chillers in the outlets. With asset tracking system, the client organization was able to track their chillers and save losses/ pilferages across the outlets in the country.

They were also able to ascertain consumer satisfaction by providing chilled beer. The implementation of this system created awareness among the outlet owners about the control processes. Sales management was also able to track the attendance of their sales personnel against their visit schedules to the associated outlets.