Overview

GS Yuasa is a globally recognised manufacturer of automotive and industrial batteries, with a long-standing reputation for engineering excellence and operational reliability. Their UK Distribution Centre in Swindon plays a pivotal role in the storage and distribution of batteries to customers across the UK and Europe.

Like many high-volume distribution centres, GS Yuasa places a premium on inventory accuracy – ensuring the right product is available at the right time. Historically, their approach to full wall-to-wall inventory audits, though rigorous, posed logistical and operational challenges. In 2024, GS Yuasa partnered with RAWview to deploy the inventAIRy XL solution – a cutting-edge autonomous drone system designed to perform high-density warehouse audits quickly, safely, and with minimal disruption.

The Challenge

Prior to the introduction of inventAIRy XL, GS Yuasa’s annual inventory audit required a complete site shutdown for three days, during which all warehouse operations were paused. This approach came with a series of drawbacks:

• Significant downtime: A multi-day pause in operations affected inbound and outbound logistics, introducing bottlenecks and delays.‍
• High temporary labour demand: The audit required a large number of staff to work extended shifts, often on overtime rates, to ensure the task was completed on time.‍
• Equipment hire and safety concerns: Scissor lifts and manual barcode scanners were used to reach high-bay pallet locations, introducing safety risks and significant rental costs.‍
• Data lag: Inventory data could only be validated and reconciled once the audit was fully complete, delaying insights and corrective actions.

In short, the existing audit process was costly, disruptive, and resource-intensive.

The Solution: inventAIRy XL

To overcome these challenges, GS Yuasa implemented three inventAIRy XL systems across their Swindon facility.

inventAIRy XL is an autonomous inventory solution that combines a mobile robot, tethered drone, and AI-driven image capture system to automate stocktaking. It seamlessly navigates aisles, scans barcodes across all rack levels (including high bays), and automatically uploads inventory data to a secure user interface – eliminating the need for manual scanning and related equipment.

For GS Yuasa, the system was deployed to perform a full wall-to-wall audit of approximately 25,000 pallet locations, without interrupting their day-to-day operations.

The Outcome

The deployment proved to be a transformative success:

• Full audit completed in just 18 hours: The entire count was conducted overnight, with all three drones working in parallel to autonomously scan the warehouse – a fraction of the time previously required.
• Zero operational downtime: Unlike previous years, the audit required no site shutdown. Normal operations resumed immediately the following morning.
• Improved safety and reduced cost: The solution removed the need for temporary scissor-lift hire and greatly reduced the requirement for manual labour and overtime shifts.
• Real-time visibility: Inventory data was processed and available through the inventAIRy XL dashboard in real-time, giving GS Yuasa’s stock control team near-instant insights into their inventory accuracy.
• Scalable success: The use of three systems allowed for rapid coverage across all zones, demonstrating the potential to scale the approach to other sites or repeat the process more frequently.

Client Impact

This deployment marked a major shift in how GS Yuasa approaches inventory assurance. Not only did the inventAIRy XL solution deliver immediate operational efficiencies, but it also aligned with the company’s broader goals around digitisation, sustainability, and continuous improvement.

By reducing the need for powered access equipment, the audit also contributed to improved health and safety outcomes for staff and reduced emissions linked to equipment charging and extended operating hours.

Looking Ahead

Following the success of this engagement, GS Yuasa will now embed inventAIRy XL into their routine inventory assurance processes. Rather than relying solely on a single annual count, the team’s vision is to cycle through all pallet locations periodically throughout the year, using their existing inventAIRy XL system to validate physical stock on an ongoing basis.

This continuous approach will ensure that the physical world– what’s actually in each rack location – remains consistently aligned with the virtual world recorded in their Warehouse Management System. By maintaining this level of data integrity, GS Yuasa will be able to act on exceptions faster, reduce stock discrepancies, and ensure continued confidence across their wider supply chain.