July 27, 2020

Stockpile Reports Adds Support for Indoor Stockpile Measurement with Skydio Drones

Author: Stockpile Reports

Skydio Drone provides an addition to iPhones and installed cameras as a cost-effective and safe method to capture pictures in indoor environments.

Since the founding of Stockpile Reports in 2013 the company has been focused on one singular mission – to provide bulk materials companies great information on Every Pile, Any Time. To truly manage every stockpile across an enterprise, companies must be able to use a variety of image capture technologies to ensure fast and cost-effective solutions. Indoor storage environments are particularly challenging for enterprises due to constrained workspaces, low lighting, and moving equipment. The new Skydio 2 drone works great indoors and is now fully supported by Stockpile Reports.

Stockpile Reports is happy to report we’ve already put the new Skydio to use in improving and streamlining our indoor stockpiles-measurement capabilities. It allows customers to appraise even the most awkward, hard-to-get-to indoor stockpiles. We also successfully measured stockpiles, with reliable accuracy, at the CRH Suwannee Cement, Idaho Transportation Department, and the Pierce County Public Works.

Why is measuring indoor stockpiles such a big deal?

Why is Stockpile Reports excited about precise indoor measurements powered by Skydio – and why do we think you should be too? Indoor stockpiles consist of fragile, expensive materials. For example, clinker and salt. They are crucial to the business and represent a significant investment. The margin of error assumes drastic importance when you measure indoor stockpiles as compared to outdoor ones. A high margin of error leads to major waste, loss of working capital, and hiccups in the supply chain.

Companies can make their supply chain far more efficient with the precise, reliable, near-instant indoor measurements facilitated by Skydio and Stockpile Reports. Reliable data can be highly advantageous:

1. Hourly material monitoring

Production managers can obtain crucial insight into the material flow of indoor stockpiles such as production tons per hour (TPH). TPH is a primary indicator of how efficiently a plant is operating. Adjustments to ongoing processes can be made seamlessly based on the TPH. More importantly, managers can gain this crucial data remotely, without having to be present on the site. It’s possible to manage multiple plants remotely with such data.

2. Better production planning

Production planning is easier with accurate inventory data. Managers can optimize asset logistics, such as forecasting when to place an order or to send a truck loaded with new material. It’s also easier to anticipate rises and falls in demand, not to mention keep an eye on your assets and make sure they’re being safeguarded against deterioration. You can gauge present production with more detail, such as the loadout capacity.

3. Security and troubleshooting

It’s easier to troubleshoot the root cause of inventory error with actionable data. Every worksite encounters perpetual inventory problems on any given day. Some examples include missing scale tickets, bad plant calibration, errant employees, and the occasional theft. You’ll be able to spot problems well before they have a catastrophic impact on your bottom line.

4. Saved time, money, and manpower

Companies often utilize labor-intensive methods to measure their stockpiles, such using surveying instruments. This is inefficient, time-consuming, and expensive. It’s faster and easier to have a drone handle the task for you. The labor you usually employ to measure the stockpile can be freed up for other purposes.

5. Reduced errors

Finally, inventory measurement errors can cause huge problems. Missed deadlines, ordering too much or too little, and production outages are some examples. It also affects the company’s reputation and can damage existing relationships with clients. With exact measurements, you can keep inventory measurement – and by extension management – errors to a bare minimum.

Wrapping Up

Stockpile Reports makes measuring every pile, any time possible. Regardless of where your stockpile is located, we provide you the tools to get the job done so you can make better, more strategic business decisions. Whether it’s by phone, camera, or drone, you can get accurate, reliable data to improve your business. Contact us today to learn more about indoor stockpile measurement with Stockpile Reports.