GE Appliances (GEA), a Haier company, unveiled its newest Smart Distribution Center in Jacksonville, Florida. This warehouse is the latest addition to the company’s $150 million national investment to expand its smart distribution network, which also includes new facilities in Denver, Dallas, Atlanta/Northern Georgia and a planned warehouse in Northern California.
GE Appliances Smart Distribution uses data and IoT technology to ensure the right product is available at the right time, for the right customer. The new digital process improves customer service, provides greater data accuracy, streamlines the inventory process, and increases capacity and reliability. The remodeled, state-of-the-art facility repurposes a vacant building in Northeast Jacksonville.
Smart Yard management system
The technologies also allow GEA to track and trace shipments in real-time anywhere in the world
GEA renovated the building, equipping it with new technology to drive industry-leading delivery service and inventory turns. The newly launched Smart Yard management system utilizes GPS, long-range Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags and cloud-based technologies to track assets and trailers. As trucks enter and exit the building, the data is instantaneously available to “mission control” at GEA’s headquarters in Louisville, Ky. These technologies also allow GEA to track and trace shipments in real-time anywhere in the world.
“The Southeast is one of the fastest growing areas of the country for GE Appliances,” said Mark Shirkness, Vice President of Distribution for GE Appliances. “This facility is designed to execute on our smart distribution capabilities, giving us the ability to double our delivery volume in the region and deliver the level of service our customers expect from us.”
advanced handling equipment
Inside the warehouse, intelligent equipment reduces the chance of damage and makes operators more efficient. GEA's distribution team designed advanced handling equipment with sensor technology that loads products using the correct amount of pressure. Variable-speed controls, navigation lights and cameras make the equipment easier to operate. GEA pairs its innovative basiloid with Virtual Reality (VR) training. This technology-based, interactive training immerses the operator in a computer-generated environment that resembles the job, reducing training time.
“The new, larger Jacksonville distribution center gives us an even greater ability to meet our customers’ needs during times of high demand,” says Steve Campbell, Regional Sales Manager for GE Appliances. “And thanks to our use of digital technology, we can do it with confidence and precision.”