- SaaS service using QR Codes and RF tags -
OKI Launches SHO-XYZ Location and Inventory Management System to Easily Track Products, Equipment, and Other Items Stored Indoors and Outdoors From a Smartphone
Press contact:
Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
Public Relations
E-mail: press@oki.com
Customer contact:
Global Marketing Center
Contact Form: https://www.oki.com/cgi-bin/inquiryForm.cgi?p=035e
OKI (TOKYO:6703) will launch its SHO-XYZTM (pronounced “sho-zai”) location and inventory management system in the Japanese market from March 2025, for easy tracking of products, equipment, and other items stored indoors and outdoors from a smartphone. This system allows the centralized management of storage locations and inventory information via smartphones by attaching QR Codes® or RF tags to items, resolving on-site issues such as lost items while significantly reducing management workloads. This system is provided for SaaS service usage fees for easy adoption at small warehouses and factories where additional investment is often difficult to justify.
In warehousing, manufacturing, and other industries in which items are stored, storage location management tends to rely on individuals, and items go missing every day due to human error. The most common causes are failure to record storage locations and incorrect registration. In small warehouses, since management often relies on human memory, there have also been problems in which items are temporarily lost, leading to items not being shipped on scheduled dates due to the need to search for them. In particular, recently, along with the expanding deployment of foreign workers in warehouses due to labor shortages stemming from the 2024 logistics issue, there has been a growing need for solutions that overcome the language barrier.
SHO-XYZ, a SaaS cloud-based system, enables automatic tracking of items stored indoors and outdoors by scanning RF tags attached to them using a smartphone connected to an RFID reader. The system also includes functions including a receiving/shipping management function required of general warehouse management systems (WMS) (Note 1). Using QR Codes and barcodes, the system can address both location tracking and inventory management. Additionally, it provides multilingual support for foreign workers and accommodates site-specific terminology.
The system allows workers, regardless of language, to register item locations according to site conditions and to check locations of items on the map of the app, reducing on-site incidents in which items are lost and shortening search times. Validation tests at OKI’s warehouse showed that the system cuts search times by around 75%.
Conventionally, tracking the locations of stored items required preparations including purchasing expensive dedicated equipment, which resulted in high introduction and operating costs. Conversely, this system is provided as a SaaS service with minimal initial investment, making it more accessible for small warehouses and factories where additional investment is often difficult to justify. This enables sites facing cost constraints to adopt the system and to digitize business operations. The use of readily available devices such as smartphones and RF tags also helps minimize introduction costs.
According to Yuhiko Fujiwara, Executive Officer, Chief Innovation Officer, and Head of the Innovation Business Development Center, future plans include enhancing data analysis of receiving/shipping status, stock quantities, and stock movement history and further expanding functions that will contribute to improving the efficiency of on-site operations and warehouse productivity. While the initial launch targets the Japanese market, OKI will seek to expand into other regions, focusing on APAC in 2026. The service will be exhibited at the YUASA Grand Fair in Thailand slated to be held at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre starting February 5, 2025.
Sales plan
Launch: March 2025
Sales target: Cumulative 1.3 billion yen (through fiscal 2028)
Related link
YUASA Grand Fair in Thailand information site: https://www.oki.com/global/event/2025/yuasa_gf/index.html
Terminology
Note 1: Warehouse Management System (WMS)
System for managing and supporting warehouse operations
About Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. (OKI)
Founded in 1881, OKI is Japan's leading information and telecommunication manufacturer. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, OKI provides top-quality products, technologies, and solutions to customers through its Public Solutions, Enterprise Solutions, Component Products, and Electronics Manufacturing Services businesses. Its various business divisions function synergistically to bring to market exciting new products and technologies that meet a wide range of customer needs in various sectors. Visit OKI's global website at https://www.oki.com/global/.
Notes:
- Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. is commonly referred to as OKI.
- SHO-XYZ is a trademark of Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
- QR Code is a registered trademark of Denso Wave Incorporated.
- Other company names and product names mentioned here are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
Appendix
Features of SHO-XYZ
1. Automatic registration and tracking of stored item locations
Attaching RF tags to pallets and containers and RFID readers to forklifts and the like allows the system to analyze the transport status of items by detecting the RF tags via smartphone and to automatically determine the start and end of transport as well as track moving items. The system also includes functions including a receiving/shipping management function required of general warehouse management systems (WMS).
2. Allows operation to suit all kinds of sites
The system allows flexible operation to suit site requirements, such as using GPS for outdoor use and sensors with RF tags or beacons for indoor use, and manual input methods such as QR Code scanning. This ensures ease of use in all kinds of site environments, and allows use in operating modes with forklifts and hand forklifts, and even hand-carried operations.
3. Allows item searching via the app’s map and drawings
In addition to indicating storage locations by name, the system displays item locations on the map or drawings within the app on smartphones, allowing anyone to find items easily.
4. Multilingual support
Creating language sheets in advance allows users to easily configure the display language setting on the app. The system supports not only foreign languages such as English, but also allows site-specific terminology to be displayed.
5. Price setting with minimal initial investment
The system is designed for use in small warehouses and factories where investment is difficult to justify. The use of readily-available products such as smartphones and RF tags eliminates the need for installation work and minimizes introduction costs.
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