Interview with Philippe De Smet: 2 years of AGVs in Breendonk

Our warehouse in Breendonk has been using Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) for two years now. Our business analyst Philippe De Smet talks about the project.

Can you explain the benefits of an AGV?

Well, first of all the predictability of the machines, which introduces stability. We know the exact capacity we can guarantee in advance, which introduces certainty, also for our customers, Philippe explained.

Moreover, the AGVs operate for up to 22 hours a day and only need two hours to recharge, enabling us to handle volumes much more efficiently. Whereas we used to have to quickly find a solution when someone dropped out due to illness or unexpected absence, the process now just carries on.

Although the AGVs are slightly slower, they operate much more accurately and consistently. Pallets are stacked neatly and correctly, without errors. They continue to operate, even during shift changes and at night.

How is the collaboration with Toyota proceeding?

Our collaboration with Toyota is extremely successful. We monitor everything together on a daily basis and we currently only have to intervene in 3-4% of all manoeuvres. Our aim is to bring this down to 3%. Working in conjunction with Toyota, we are constantly looking for improvements: they provide software updates and we provide feedback twice a week, which is processed immediately by their technicians. We also organize regular follow-up meetings.

Are you using AI tools?

Yes indeed! A key tool is Mapalink, an AI application similar to ChatGPT but totally focused on warehouse processes. Mapalink enables us to ask very targeted questions, such as how many AGVs are active, which ones are ready to recharge or which statistics and KPIs are available.

In the event of error messages the system helps us identify specific patterns: is it a problem related to the AGV itself or a specific location in the warehouse? It enables us to fine-tune our training and speed up any follow-up. Solutions are also documented with photographs to ensure that when the next problem arises, it is immediately obvious what needs to be done.

What have you personally learnt from the project?

Too much to mention actually! Watching the vehicles operate independently and the warehouse running continually throughout the day is still a sight to behold. The entire process runs remarkably smoothly, requiring few interventions.