Do you know what’s really happening in your warehouse?
Keeping forklift operators and other warehouse employees safe, while still maintaining productivity and quality, is the #1 priority for most logistics leaders.
But with most warehouses still operating solely on barcode scanners, visibility into what’s really happening between scans is limited. Critical risks and unsafe behaviors often slip through the cracks.
In this safety webinar, hosted in partnership with IWLA, we spoke with logistics leaders from Holman Logistics, Spartan Logistics, and Rinchem. They shared how they use AI and computer vision to keep their people safe and transform warehouse operations.
Watch the full panel discussion here or keep reading for the top 3 takeaways.
3 Key Takeaways to Create Safer Warehouses
Takeaway #1: Accountability = culture
One thing was consistent with every panelist. Before OneTrack, there was no accountability in the warehouse, both with operators but also with supervisors.
But after getting that visibility and coaching employees, it’s like a switch flipped.
“You would see the scratches on forklifts and poles, and employees would tell one story but without witnesses you never really knew. OneTrack has been our eyes on the floor at all times, and it’s changed the culture where now operators are self-reporting incidents and they’re bought into our safety processes.” - Lina Recker, Corporate Compliance Manager at Spartan Logistics
The panelists explained how the AI technology creates accountability on two levels:
1. Frontline operators buy-in to the process and self-report more incidents. Safety becomes part of the culture.
2. Supervisors are also held accountable for coaching while details are still fresh. There’s no excuses or one-sided stories. It’s all based on video evidence.
“With OneTrack there’s no disputing it. There’s video evidence the supervisor can see. And our operations managers can ensure supervisors are resolving events quickly and coaching the right way. It’s a game changer in terms of accountability and building a culture of safety.” - Matt Ireland, Director of EHS at Holman Logistics
Takeaway #2: You don’t know what you don’t know
Melody Moore, Director of Quality and EHS at Rinchem, gave numerous examples of dangerous behaviors and opportunities for better processes they uncovered using OneTrack data:
- Employees using cell phones on lifts and hiding earbuds with beanies
- Aggressive handling of empty containers
- Forklift speeding and improper PPE
They used the insights to implement new safety policies like revamping their empty program and tightening down on operators using phones as RF units.
“It’s been a huge eye opener for us. Things we would have never known about otherwise we’ve been able to identify and create policies to help keep people safe.
Takeaway #3: AI learns your warehouse to cut through the noise
A common question kept coming up: “What about my specific warehouse process? How can the system differentiate that?”
For example, learning the difference between a handheld scanner or a phone.
OneTrack CEO Marc Gyöngyösi, compared it to Netflix.
“When my sister opens up Netflix, she sees very different recommendations than when I do. She has different things that she watches. When you open up OneTrack for two different warehouses there are different types of events called out based on the feedback that users provide to the system.”
Lina put it this way: “We started with aggressive turns but after a bit of coaching that curtailed almost immediately. From there we focused on phone incidents because that was really eye opening. As our priorities have shifted, the system has grown with us to show what we want to coach on.”
The result? Cutting through the noise of everyday operations with actionable coaching opportunities to create safer, faster warehouses.
Logistics Leaders Need Deep Visibility
AI solutions can provide the visibility needed to create a proactive safety culture.
Companies like Rinchem, Holman Logistics, and Spartan Logistics use OneTrack everyday to help keep their people safe.
Want to see how it works for yourself?
Huge thanks to our partners for bringing their expertise to this panel!