Success Story
CEPA

Customer

CEPA

Market

Transport & Logistics

Company size

Group

Country

Belgium

So that your employees are always protected.
Electronic locker systems for contact-reduced goods transfer.

CEPA is the private employers’ organization of the Port of Antwerp‘s cargo handlers and their dockworkers. It provides the full framework for port work in Antwerp and in this capacity aims to provide maximum service to both its members, the cargo handlers and the port workers. To implement this, Cepa provides services around personnel management, safety, training, equipment, and supervision with a high customer and service orientation.

An electronic parcel management system from ecos helps Cepa to master this organizational challenge. The non-contact, automated transfer of work material via our locker systems prevents potential security incidents and reduces the logistical time required.

Products used:

Lockers

ecos webman

QR-Code reader

The challenge

The port operating company Cepa in Antwerp manages an area of 12,068 hectares. It coordinates all handling companies and their 10,000+ employees. Due to the high volume of goods handled and the associated logistics processes, there is an increased risk of accidents.

Accordingly, it is mandatory for all dock workers to wear protective equipment at all times. In addition, dock workers are tasked with loading and unloading ships on a daily basis and must adapt their work clothes to the ship’s cargo (chemicals, oil, containers, etc.). Therefore, they have to order new protective equipment regularly, which is supplied by Cepa.

This Personal Protection Equipment (PPE for short) is provided by Cepa and then issued to the employees. Employees earn points the more hours they work, according to the wear and tear of the protective equipment. These accumulated points can be spent on equipment.

The challenge that arises from these processes is to provide the equipment in a timely and efficient manner. Due to the extensive premises, Cepa has long transport routes from the central warehouse to the employees’ work areas, which means up to 2 hours of travel for a conventional handover.

In order to be able to save this time, an electronic object management system is to be applied. This solution enables employees to pick up new protective equipment easily and autonomously. To ensure that the handover process is both contactless and controlled, Cepa opted for electronic locker systems from ecos.

Our solution

Cepa chose several large ecos lockers to support its logistics. In doing so, it makes use of our modular compartment sizes: in order to be able to store different items of equipment as efficiently as possible, Cepa has opted for a combination of 2 of our 38 different locker sizes. Both the “large” version as depot L and the “small” version as depot L2/3 are used.

A total of 382 electronic lockers are distributed throughout the port area to ensure the protection of employees at all times. Due to the PPE duty, the facilities are used up to 80 times a day.
The intuitive operation ensures that all employees quickly get used to the new procedure:

①

Employees can order the protective equipment they need via an app and decide for themselves to which location they want it delivered.

parcel placed into electronic locker for pickup

②

Now the order is delivered by a warehouse employee to one of the ecos lockers facilities.

package assigned to a compartment via qr code

③

Thanks to a QR code, the package is automatically assigned to a compartment size. The software now shows which parcel is stored in which locker.

employee retrieves his order using the qr code

④

As soon as the locker content recognition system detects equipment in the locker, the employee receives a QR code via message. With this, he can open the electronic locker and take out his order

The result

The electronic locker system automates logistics at the port site. Thanks to the new property management system, the logistical time has been reduced by 30%, and potential security incidents due to damaged equipment have been prevented.

In addition, the locker systems enable a controlled transfer of goods, which saves substantial monetary losses. Finally, the ecos systems offered Cepa and the dockworkers, a high degree of availability and flexibility in their use.

Especially during the COVID19 pandemic, when face-to-face contacts should be reduced, such a handover system is ideally suited. Electronic object management reduces contacts while ensuring traceability of all object movements.

Benefits

The new electronic property management system brought Cepa the following benefits, among others:

Reduction of the logistical effort by 30%
Controlled transfer of goods
Maximum availability and flexibility
Contact-reduced handover system

Key numbers

8,000

Users

1,600

Uses in the month

60,000€

Throughput Value of goods in the month