All the VIL apps and tools in one handy location – the Logibox

As a result of a range of different projects, VIL has worked with participating companies to create a number of logistics tools and apps. Logistics companies that use these tools and apps will improve their operations, as they help these companies to make the right decisions. All these apps and tools have now been brought together in one handy location – the VIL Logibox.

VIL, the Flanders innovation cluster for logistics, has created these apps to assist companies in reaching well-considered and evidence-based decisions that will make them both more efficient and more innovative. They provide concrete solutions and added value in a wide range of fields, such as warehouse automation, workplace safety, driver recruitment and many others. And they are now all grouped together in a single location: www.logibox.vil.be. They're available for you to use at any time.

Which tools can you find in the new Logibox?

OptiCharge ROI tool

Automation can dramatically accelerate loading and offloading and lower costs for shipping and transport companies, but it does require that funds be invested. The OptiCharge ROI tool lets you work out your real return on investment. When you calculate the potential costs and the savings, you can see your ROI after ten years as well as the estimated breakeven point. That means your investment in automated loading/offloading will be properly substantiated.

Perfect Driver app

To prevent your company losing drivers, the best solution is more personal guidance and a focus on wellbeing. The Perfect Driver app bolsters driver-company communication and offers training and other upskilling courses. You can also use the dashboard to easily track driver performance and wellbeing.

Safe Warehouse kit

New technologies such as wearables, human-detection and collision-prevention tools, among many others, can help to prevent serious accidents and considerably reduce safety risks. The VIL Safe Warehouse app allows you to select the most suitable technology for improving warehouse safety, providing a comparative overview of the advantages and disadvantages of all the available solutions.

Future-Proof Warehousing tool

While warehouse automation and digitisation have become essential steps, many companies struggle to understand which technology will help them truly move forward. The VIL Future-Proof Warehousing tool simplifies the decision-making process, giving you an instant overview of the innovative technologies that will suit your company. Just input a few parameters and you are presented with a completely neutral and objective selection of one to three technologies that will meet your needs.

Hydrogen ROI tool

As a zero-emission but high-performance fuel, hydrogen can be safely used to power in-house logistics equipment and heavy vehicles. The Hydrolog ROI tool calculates the total cost of ownership (TCO) for a fleet that runs on hydrogen, allowing you to make a well-considered and evidence-based choice. The tool means you can work out whether a switch to hydrogen is economically viable for your company.

Self-Service ROI tool

Welcoming visitors and receiving drivers and couriers at a company can be time-consuming and labour-intensive. And while the process can now be automated, one must first check whether the investment in an interactive kiosk is a viable one. Thanks to the Self-Service in Logistics ROI tool, one can work out what it will cost to implement four different technologies as well as how much they will save – a quick and easy way to calculate how quickly your investment will pay for itself.

Self-Service assistance systems

A subsection of the Logibox contains an overview of state-of-the-art solutions that operate on the principle of self-service. These are not tools as such, but rather a selection of information that has been collated about the different available technologies, information that helps you to choose the right solution. The characteristics, areas of application, the advantages and disadvantages, the target budget and much more information is all available, while the technology solutions covered are:

• Access control (access to warehouses using a self-service kiosk, ANPR cameras, booms, badges, etc)
• Visitor management (self-service kiosk for receiving and dispatching office visitors)
• Timeslot booking system (TSB, reserving timeslots to spread out arrivals and have an overview of the scheduling)
• Yard management system (YMS, signing in electronically using a self-service kiosk and monitoring access to and movements around the site in real time)
• YMS + TSB (combinations of timeslot booking and yard management systems).
• Parcel Locker (receiving and sending parcels at companies)