CUSTOMER CASE
Peripass at Stanley Black&Decker
Stanley Black & Decker Tessenderlo is the European distribution center of the Stanley Black & Decker group. It specializes in high-quality hand and power tools for both the do-it-yourself and professional markets. From Tessenderlo they supply customers and affiliates in Europe and beyond with their products from Stanley, Black & Decker, DeWalt, Bostitch and Powers.
Belgium, Tessenderlo
June 2022
trucks per day
Need to improve the reception of truck drivers
Preventing communication problems with drivers due to the language barrier
Lack of visibility on swap trailers on the site
Introduction of automated dispatching
Digital distribution of tasks for security and operators
Need for better traffic management, especially during peak times
“Thanks to Peripass we gained a good insight into all truck movements. The result is better visibility of everything that takes place on the logistics site and a smoother flow of vehicles on the grounds.”
On the 65.000 m2 site of Stanley Black & Decker in Tessenderlo, the loading and unloading docks are a hive of activity. To gain a good insight into all truck movements, Stanley Black & Decker enlisted the help of yard enabler Peripass. The result is better visibility of everything that takes place on the logistics site and a smoother flow of vehicles on the grounds. We’ll let Jani Stathis, QA & Improvement Manager at Stanley Black & Decker, explain how Peripass works in practice.
“On the site we saw 3 major reasons to look for a Yard Management system. The initial needs in Tessenderlo came down to a better organization for us, the management of all traffic on the site, the language barrier with the truck drivers and gaining insight into the location and status of our swap trailers. Ultimately, this would lead to additional benefits: the visibility improves safety on the site and an automated solution relieves us of a lot of paperwork that had to go back and forth. In addition, the flow of trucks went more smoothly, which is a nice bonus of course. In the past, the reception of truck drivers was sometimes difficult. After all, we work with drivers from all over the world. They speak Hungarian, Turkish, Greek, you name it. Eliminating the language barrier between the drivers and our security officers was a major challenge for us.”
“Thanks to Peripass, we had the opportunity to digitize to-do lists.”
“In the search for a solution to counter these challenges, Stanley Black & Decker came across Yard Management solutions provider Peripass. In 2018, we were looking for a Yard Management solution. And we know that there are many players in the market, but at that point, we looked at the newly established players in the market. Peripass was founded in 2017, and we contacted Peripass in 2018. Because they were still new to the market at the time, there was the opportunity to come up with additional solutions for our challenges together with Peripass. It was a unique opportunity for both parties to further develop a software platform with a direct connection to the field.”
“In the meantime, we’ve split that 13-point checklist into a 6 and 7-point checklist. On the one hand, when a truck driver enters, security will check the outside of the truck and check whether everything is in compliance. Once arrived at the loading dock, the operator can inspect the inside using the digital checklist. We made this split based on the right tasks for the right person.”
“Peripass is a stand-alone platform at Stanley Black & Decker for the time being, so it is not linked to a TMS, WMS or ERP system. An Excel sheet with the schedule for our inbound and outbound transport is uploaded every morning. This schedule also includes the times when the transports are expected that day. The pre-registration takes place from the platform: a QR code is sent to the driver by email from the platform. This can be used to easily register at the self-service kiosk. At the same time, the driver also sees all the information in the email: his reference number, the expected time when he can pick up or leave his cargo here.”
Automated driver reception
“With the help of Peripass, multiple issues were tackled simultaneously, starting with more efficient pre-registration. It was important to us that we did not have to pre-register the many trucks we receive every day one at a time. Fortunately, within the new system it’s possible to upload all trucks in one batch, so that they are all registered at once. Of course, it is also possible to do ad hoc pre-registrations The system is highly configurable, so that additional information can be added quickly.”
“After that, upon arrival at the logistics site, comes the registration of the drivers. With a view to faster and more efficient registration on the site, the reception has been completely digitized. Central to this is the self-service kiosk. There, the driver can choose the desired language, after which the system will speak to him in his own language for the rest of the process. He then scans his QR code, which immediately gives less chance of errors than when he has to type in a long number. On the basis of this, the system then determines which flow the driver ends up in. The solution is not only used for all transport, but also to register visitors and contractors. Afterwards, all communication also takes place via SMS. The driver receives his PIN code and instructions to either drive to the waiting parking lot, or directly to the correct loading dock.”
“With a view to faster and more efficient registration on the site, the reception has been completely digitized.”
“To assign the drivers to a loading and unloading dock in the parking lot, the dispatchers use the ‘drag & drop’ functionality in the dispatch dashboard. There, they can see which drivers are registered on the site. They can then drag & drop the truck to the desired location, after which the driver automatically receives a message with the dock where he is expected. With a single movement in the dispatch dashboard, to send trucks to the right location, a text message is automatically sent. In this way, the driver is also immediately informed of when he is expected where. Once the trucks have been loaded or unloaded, they will of course leave the site again using the PIN code.”
“To assign the drivers to a loading and unloading dock in the parking lot, the dispatchers use the ‘drag & drop.”
“For Stanley Black & Decker, the automated dispatching functionality is also an asset. “Based on the specific flows that we have defined, the system knows that a certain carrier always has to go to the same dock. The driver only has to enter his PIN code and then he is automatically sent to his familiar dock at the desired time, without having to wait for a manual assignment.”
Working more smoothly via a mobile app
“What’s more, Stanley Black & Decker has introduced mobile devices to the site that are compatible with the Yard Operator App of Peripass. These devices are used by our two shunters. If a swap trailer needs to be moved, they will take care of that. We used to have to make a phone call for that. If a trailer that has just been unloaded now has to go to a specific parking lot, we move it to the desired location via drag & drop in Peripass. The shunter then automatically receives a message with the order on his device. Once he has confirmed the task, he can move the trailer. Finally, based on a photo, he can confirm that the trailer is actually in the correct parking space.”
“The various safety checks for trailers at the loading dock are also more efficient via the app. On their device, the operators can check off various points and take photos as proof where necessary. Finally, before the trucks leave the site, various photos are taken, for example of the trailer number. In the event of theft later in the process, those photos can be used for insurance purposes.”
“The various safety checks for trailers at the loading dock are also more efficient via the app.”
Insight into the logistics flows
“Finally, Stanley Black & Decker now has real-time visibility of the site. The dispatch dashboard visually shows which truck is at which loading and unloading dock and when. Each status is clearly displayed in the system using color codes. The operator can also see whether the truck is loading, unloading or closed via the icon in the trailer. When loading or unloading is complete, a check mark is added.”
“It is extremely useful for the operators in the warehouse that they can select on inbound and outbound flows so that they have a good idea of the workload that awaits them. It is of course also possible to request data from the past. For example, to check from when to when a driver was present on the site. This visibility also enables effective Yard Management. If, like us, you have a very large site, it is sometimes difficult to find trailers. Since we now register all movements via the app, we can quickly locate the trailers.”
Next steps
Jani Stathis looks back with satisfaction on the implementation process: “We had few problems and if there were any, they were quickly resolved. Due to the user-friendliness of the system, the employees quickly accepted it.”
In a next phase, Stanley Black & Decker also wants to link Peripass to the access control, so that that aspect is also automated. “The fact that we have postponed that is mainly due to IT matters, but together with Peripass we are looking at how we can solve this. At a later stage, we also want to look at what contactless ‘document handling’ can mean for us. If we get there, it would be another huge step forward in terms of efficiency.”
“Due to the user-friendliness of the system, the employees quickly accepted it.”
