⎪ Cover story ⎪
The AIR line of VEGS instruments offers self-powered, wireless measurement solutions ideally suited to hard-to-reach or off-grid environments.
This shift involves comprehensive training, process adjustments and buy-in from all stakeholders. To support users through this transformation, VEGA provides consultancy services, training sessions and ongoing technical support to ensure smooth imple- mentation and adoption. When considering return on investment, the cost of installing the VIS, including hard- ware and hosting, is modest, especially given the substantial savings it delivers. By reduc- ing the need for urgent deliveries, enabling more efficient route planning, minimising excess inventory and decreasing the likeli- hood of production stoppages, companies benefit from rapid investment returns. Local users have reported that these benefits are realised quickly, underscoring the system’s effectiveness and value. The future is NOW! Industrial operations are becoming increasingly interconnected, and data- driven systems like VIS represent the next generation of inventory management. The term ‘inventory’ no longer means static stock in boxes in a warehouse or bulk solids in a silo; it means dynamic, predic- tive, and networked resources, especially in the African manufacturing and supply chain environment, where disruption, logistics complexity and cost pressures are daily realities. A shift towards a digital inventory system is not just beneficial; it’s becoming essential. For industrial players seeking to trans- form their material-flow operations, the VEGA Inventory System offers more than technology; it provides a mindset: see everything, act before the alarm and optimise continuously. The move from reactive to proactive supply-chain insight is no longer optional; it is the competitive edge. VIS brings to- gether instrumentation, IoT, analytics and logistics into a single platform. As the saying goes, ‘what gets mea- sured gets managed’. With Vega’s VIS, what gets measured is visible, actionable and optimised. www.vega.com/en-za Users can access VIS information via a web browser or mobile app and view their inventory data in several real-time modes.
indicators to show stock status, ranging from ‘Reorder’ to ‘Safety stock’, and includes alarm thresholds for immediate awareness. For organisations with operations across multiple sites, the map view provides a geographical overview, showing facility and storage container locations and their colour-coded inventory statuses. This fea- ture is particularly valuable for managing plants, depots or remote silos. The trend view enables users to review both his- torical and current data in a chart format, making it easier to identify usage patterns, forecast consumption and plan deliveries accordingly. A familiar traffic-light colour scheme un- derpins the user interface: green for healthy levels, yellow for caution, and red to high- light the need for replenishment. Users can further refine their view by applying filters based on location, product type, inventory level status, alarm levels, and more, ensuring the system remains intuitive and adaptable to a wide range of operational requirements. VIS goes beyond just ‘visibility’ and includes logistics planning tools. With the dispatcher module, users can plan delivery schedules: which driver will take which product, from which tank, to what location and when. The system also draws on histori- cal consumption data to forecast future us- age and support optimised delivery routes. The “dynamic web map” gives a current overview of tank locations and statuses. Two application scenarios: internal and supplier-managed VIS offers two principal deployment models, each delivering distinct advantages. In the internal inventory monitoring approach, a company utilises VIS to track its stock levels across various locations, including production plants, external manufacturing sites and storage depots. This model pro- vides immediate access to up-to-date and historical consumption data, which supports economic production planning and supply chain management. As a result, companies benefit from greater operational efficiency and achieve cost savings by optimising their logistics processes. The second model is Vendor-Managed Inventory (VMI), in which the supplier is
responsible for monitoring and replenishing stock. Through the VIS portal, suppliers re- ceive real-time visibility into tank or silo lev- els at the customer’s site, enabling proactive planning. This arrangement gives suppliers swift access to customer consumption data, thereby enhancing production planning, im- proving logistics efficiency, and increasing client retention. Customers, on the other hand, gain as- surance of a consistent supply, experience fewer urgent orders and production inter- ruptions, reduce administrative workload, and can focus more on their core business with increased confidence in their inven- tory levels.
Practical considerations for implementation
VEGA has designed the VEGA Inventory System (VIS) to be highly compatible, en- abling integration of measuring instruments from other manufacturers, provided they can connect to VEGA’s signal-conditioning instruments. This means that up to 15 sensors can be linked via HART multidrop to a single VEGASCAN controller, making upgrading existing systems straightforward and efficient. Data security is treated with the utmost importance, with cybersecurity require- ments considered non-negotiable. For example, in South Africa, the VIS portal has undergone thorough auditing. It is certified to the IDW DS 951 SOC 2 standard, provid- ing users with confidence in the system’s integrity and compliance. Connectivity is also a key consideration, particularly for remote sites where tradi- tional network infrastructure may not be available. To work around this, VIS supports mobile network options such as NB-IoT and LTE-M, as well as satellite connections, ensuring reliable data transmission regard- less of location. The AIR line of instruments further enhances this flexibility, offering self-powered, wireless measurement so- lutions ideally suited to hard-to-reach or off-grid environments. Transitioning from manual stock checks to a fully digital inventory management system requires more than just new tech- nology; it demands organisational change.
January-February 2025 • MechChem Africa ¦ 5
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker