During the peak of the pandemic, when travel restrictions and lockdowns were imposed across the globe, the importance of remote automated methods for carrying out operations in the shipping and logistics sector became clearer than even before. During this period, various advanced digital solutions were born, one of them being ZIMARK.
Through the collaboration of ZIM, an ocean carrier known for its uncompromising maritime shipping and logistics solutions, and SODYO, a high-tech company known for its next-generation interactive scanning technology, ZIMARK was born. The joint venture aims to offer the logistics industry and the global supply chain the best of both worlds, using a groundbreaking patented scanning technology for connecting offline content to the online world. During her conversation with The Zone, ZIMARK’s CEO, Karin Levy, highlighted the ways in which ZIMARK aims to transform the logistics sector worldwide.
What does ZIMARK bring to the world of logistics?
ZIMARK has introduced an advanced and easy-to-use scanning technology, in order to simplify the entire logistics and supply chain process, making it much more efficient and streamlined. ZIMARK’s small colourful markers are placed on assets for easily connecting offline content with the online world, using our CVP (Colour Vertex Points) patented technology and advanced algorithms. ZIMARK solutions can facilitate smart inventory management and immensely improve the tools companies are currently using to streamline and transform the way logistics is being performed across the supply chain.
What is ZIMARK’s promise to the global logistics market?
Globalisation and the recent impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have generated unprecedented growth in the logistics, e-commerce, and supply chain sectors. As a result of this, customers expect improved, transparent, superior services, and speedy deliveries.
Everyday logistical tasks such as locating assets, vehicles, containers and packages in warehouses and terminals, are done using traditional methods, which require close physical contact, and are done mostly manually. This requires a lot of time, resources, and is naturally susceptible to human error. With the help of ZIMARK’s innovative scanning solutions, all these tasks can be automated, therefore are a lot more simplified, efficient and streamlined.
What makes ZIMARK unique compared to other existing methods and technologies?
The ability of our technology to scan assets from virtually any distance is quite exceptional. This is coupled with the ability to perform multi-asset scans, which allows simultaneous scans of as many markers as can fit in the frame. Moreover, since the marker content is stored on the back-end systems, it can be changed at any time, thus providing our customers with great flexibility.
The content can also be personalised as per the users’ needs. Different users can scan the same marker, and each will get their own tailored content based on their authorisations. Moreover, ZIMARK solutions are designed to smoothly integrate with the customers’ management systems and operational processes, enabling customers to have more control and better visibility.
It provides better inventory management capabilities by reinforcing the customers’ existing systems. Our customers will be able to receive re- al-time information about their inventory, resulting in more transparency, thus preventing inventory errors, leading to increased productivity and better customer service.
Is there market readiness for these type of solutions?
In order to be able to provide fast, efficient, and high-quality services to their customers, logistics managers need to have full control and real-time transparency over their inventories.
ZIMARK allows continuous, autonomous, and on-demand scanning from a distance using various types of camera devices such as, stationary cameras, handheld devices, drone mounted cameras, etc. While a routine task like inventory count could take up to a week, with ZIMARK, multiple items can be scanned simultaneously from a distance, reducing the required time significantly.
When an asset gets lost it interferes with the routine work, results in loss of time and money, and reflects badly on customer service, with ZIMARK, assets are continuously being scanned, providing real-time stock tracing.
Another great advantage of using ZIMARK’s distant scanning is being able to easily locate an asset stored in big yards on demand. With our solutions, customers will be able to locate any marked asset efficiently and even get directions to the relevant location. In addition, with the help of our remote scanning, we are able to alert organisations that a hazardous asset was moved contrary to instructions. This can prevent dangerous situations and improve workplace safety.
Based on our conversations with logistics managers, we identified a true need for technology-driven innovations to assist them with issues that could not be resolved efficiently with the current solutions they have.
What is your vision for the future of ZIMARK?
Our vision is to empower logistics companies with advanced solutions, allowing them to improve their real-time inventory reliability, and increase their efficiency. By using our smart markers and visual analytics, we aim to bring the physical and digital worlds together. Every asset, container, truck, car, etc., gets to be a part of the network, and their location and status can be communicated in real-time.
Moreover, through the introduction of AI-based tools and Big Data anal- ysis, we will be able to help logistics providers make a huge leap into an all-new level of operational excellence.