Sensolus increases logistics efficiency of 8,000 roll containers for Ampere and Bol

Ampere, the logistics subsidiary of online retailer Bol, was looking for a solution to map the locations and traffic of its roll containers in its retail network. Through Sensolus, a specialist in managing assets, 8,000 roll containers were equipped with a location tag that works via Bluetooth. The data and insights provided by these tags enable Ampere to optimally deploy its fleet and optimize its logistics processes. It also increases the reliability of deliveries, while avoiding the costly loss or misuse of roll containers.

In addition to goods from its own warehouses, the well-known online retailer Bol has been selling products directly from one of its more than 50,000 sales partners for several years. To manage the collection and delivery of those packages, often on the same day, Bol founded the start-up Ampère in 2022. Ampère aims to operate as sustainably as possible. It does this by combining smart technology with sustainable transport.

In cooperation with the almost countless sales partners, Ampere provides them with roll containers. The partners fill these containers in the store with ordered products and are picked up once or twice a day by an Ampère driver who is responsible for delivery. That led to a challenge. "Due to Bol's success in recent years and the growth of the retail network, the number of roll containers circulating daily throughout the Netherlands also increased for us," testifies Niels Zandvliet, process designer at Ampère. "As a result, our logistics chain became increasingly complex and we lacked overview. Roll containers got lost, fell into disuse or were simply not used optimally, resulting in unnecessary purchase of new containers and inefficiency in the logistics chain."

Simple and user-friendly thanks to zebra scanner on smartphone

To meet this challenge, Ampère went in search of a suitable tracking technology and the right partner to implement it. The choice quickly fell on Ghent-based Sensolus, which specializes in asset management.

So far, some 8,000 rolling containers equipped with compact location tags with Bluetooth. Those tags emit a signal on a regular basis that automatically picked up by the zebra scanner on the driver's smartphone. "This way, the driver does not have to perform any actions to register the different containers on board. Their signal is picked up immediately and the location is displayed in real time in the Sensolus platform. So we see immediately where all the roll containers are. Based on historical data, we can see which containers are well utilized and which are not and can therefore be of service elsewhere. These insights help us to optimally deploy our fleet of containers and make more deliveries with the same resources," says Niels Zandvliet.

"The driver does not have to perform any actions to register the different containers on board. Their signal is picked up immediately and the location is displayed in real time in the Sensolus platform. So we see immediately where all the roll containers are. Based on historical data, we can see which containers are well utilized and which are not and can therefore be of service elsewhere. Those insights help us to optimize our fleet of containers and make more deliveries with the same resources."
Niels Zandvliet, Process Designer Ampere

In addition, the solution offers significant financial benefits. The tags do not require a GPS antenna, and with a four-year battery life, they also last a long time, allowing the roll cages to remain in rotation longer. The easy installation made it possible for Ampere to carry out the implementation largely on its own. More than that, new roll containers are now equipped with a tag from the supplier that is entered into the system, so they immediately appear on the card when they are put into service by Ampere.

Monitoring on the Sensolus platform

Ampere is also taking advantage of the feature in Sensolus' platform to set up geo-zones for locations at individual sales partners. "That feature allows them to monitor which roll cages can be found for each location," said Michiel Raat, business development manager at Sensolus. "This allows them to be short on time, maintain control of their fleet at all times and makes it easier to detect unauthorized use."

Own Amp warehouses in the future

As a result, the partners are considering new opportunities for the future. "This is the first time we have been able to deploy this Bluetooth tracking technology with fully automated detection on such a large scale, but there is still a lot of potential. The movement of roll cages between Ampere's sales partners is now well mapped, but we still see potential for their own warehouses. We are currently exploring together the track to also place a scanner there that picks up the signals from the tags, allowing Ampere to better see which containers go in and out of there," says Michiel Raat.

So the collaboration between Ampere and Sensolus is in full bloom. "I have only one word for this collaboration: legendary. The Sensolus team understands our needs perfectly and has continuously assisted us in the process. Sensolus even came to Utrecht to conduct on-site tests and check that the roll containers were easily accessible. During the pilot phase, they were in close contact with us and further optimized their platform. This made the cooperation enormously valuable for both parties," Niels Zandvliet concludes.

"I have only one word for this collaboration: legendary. The Sensolus team understood our needs perfectly and assisted us throughout the process. Sensolus even came to Utrecht to conduct on-site tests and check that the roll cages were easily accessible. During the pilot phase, they were in close contact with us and further optimized their platform. This made the cooperation extremely valuable for both parties."
Niels Zandvliet, Process Designer Ampere

Want to learn more about how companies such as Ampere, DHL and AB InBev optimize their logistics processes with asset tracking?
Sensolus hosts a short but powerful webinar in which experts explain how tracking technology helps to gain full visibility, address inefficiencies and improve operations.

June 26 | 16:00 CEST