Articles Archivi - Tamarri S.r.l.

20 December 202217 January 2023

December: it’s inventory time

December: it’s inventory time. Planning the organization of the warehouse is a key issue and it should not be underestimated. Automating to optimizing management? Let’s plan it.

December: it’s inventory time. Warehouse organization, for high standards of technology.

There are rumors saying that a systematic and rational organization of the warehouse is not that important. Somewhat superficially, it is believed that warehouse management has nothing to do with the improvement of technology standards and sophistication.

However, we are far from reality…

With this simplistic attitude, one glosses over all the important consequences that could result within the company. The organization of the warehouse is, in fact, a pivotal aspect for every company, large and small, as well as its management.

In this article, we will try to clarify some aspects concerning inventory.

December, it’s inventory time: how to organize your warehouse inventory

December has arrived: the month of Christmas, holidays to spend with family and loved ones, and since it closes the year, warehouse inventory.

Let’s analyze the aspects of one of the fundamental activities that every business must deal with at the end of the year. Important to efficiently prepare the company for the years to come.

The practice of inventory or stocktaking, to use a more international term, involves first of all the analysis of inventories. Inventories are the goods intended for sale, or used to create products for resale, that remain in stock at the close of the financial year.

They can be classified as follows:

Raw materials and semi-finished goods
Consumable materials and supplies
Products in process
Goods for resale
Finished goods

December, it’s inventory time. Far from simple

When the time comes to draw up the final financial statements of a company’s financial year, it is also necessary to record the physical quantities of goods in inventory that must be valued.

This is also regulated by Article 2426, No. 9 of the Civil Code, which requires inventories to be valued in the financial statements at the lower of purchase or production cost and market-deductible realizable value.

Whether it is a small/medium-sized business or more complex and articulated entities, doing the inventory is a process that can be complicated.

It is usually a hated activity for those who must organize it, and it is often considered superfluous compared to other activities that are apparently more profitable for the company’s own business.

December, it’s inventory time: a must-have practice

In contrast to what it might seem, it is impossible to give up stock inventory: having stock under control at the end of a given period allows you to avoid problems with production and reorders. This is especially true for those who run an online e-commerce, as for them inventory is essential to reduce the differences between physical and accounting inventories.

Let’s also not forget that keeping inventory records is mandatory in some cases.

Pursuant to Article 14 co. 1(d) of Presidential Decree 600/1973 and Article 1 of Presidential Decree 695/1996, in fact, the following are obliged to keep auxiliary inventory records:

– corporations;

– public and private commercial entities;

– non-commercial entities, limited to commercial activity;

– partnerships and persons treated as such in ordinary accounting;

– individuals engaged in business activities in ordinary accounting;

– nonresident entities, limited to commercial activities carried out in Italy through permanent establishments;

These categories, in order to be held to the obligation, must exceed certain values of revenues and inventories. At this point the regulations become more specific to clarify the different positions. It is better to say that they specify certain business requirements. Overall, as always, the regulations become complex when not obscure and incomprehensible. The tendency that arises is look at this type of practice as something unmanageable.

There is good news, however! Since 2019, it has been possible to manage a warehouse in a faster, simpler and more accurate way, thanks to technologies and digitization, which have undoubtedly favored the process of automating practices.

Let us now analyze the benefits of rational and orderly warehouse management.

December, it’s inventory time: the benefits

Ensuring the efficiency of the production process

An effective inventory must be accurate and periodic. If it is carried out consistently, following scheduled deadlines, it will allow optimizing the control of goods processed and received, ensuring a fast and functional service that will be appreciated by customers.

Knowing inventories

Whether inventory management is imprecise and not constant, it will create discrepancies and doubts about inventories, with all the problems that come with it.

A key aspect of monitoring the situation in the warehouse is order: an accurate tracking of operations, as well as a periodic general audit.

Modalities and tools for warehouse inventory

There are several ways to prepare a warehouse inventory. There is no single modality and each company, depending on the size and structure of the warehouse, must find the best one for its size and type.

Let’s look at the most used ones:

Pen and paper: the traditional tools

You can start with paper, pen and calculator.

Nowadays outclassed by the most digital environments, they should continue to be the basis. They are traditional tools, but irreplaceable as the basis for keeping stock under control, especially for smaller realities.

Whether the tools are pen and paper or the more sophisticated systems, it always starts with categorizing products. The second step is to further subdivide the products that sell out most quickly. This will help to keep an eye on the categories that need more frequent reorders. It’s also useful to note next to each macro category the names of the suppliers and the minimum stock level required.

Now it’s time to label the shelves and catalog products in special charts that can clearly show the physical breakdown within the warehouse.

How? For instance, by indicating for each product the following information:

category to which it belongs,
date of arrival,
cost,
quantity,

Of course, it is essential to update the tables periodically to avoid errors.

Digital tools: Excel

In the absence of management software, a very performant tool is the Excel Sheet, which allows you to manage the warehouse quickly and easily.

Among other things, this tool will make it possible to have detailed summary charts that will optimize control at the end of the year.

To create the warehouse inventory with Excel, three different sheets must be used:

– one for products, where to list them with their respective information

-one for loading operations, with the date of arrival and quantity in the warehouse

– one for the selling of the goods

If a warehouse deals with both semi-finished and finished products, it is advisable to use three sheets for each category. The sheets should then be linked together for an overall view in order to help eliminate the risk of errors and delays.

It is also possible to automate these operations.

There are multiple online Excel sheet templates, pre-filled and very practical. Needless to say, it is essential that the sheets are constantly updated.

The most complete choice: management software

Not only the optimal, practical and fastest, but also the most accurate choice, which is inevitable in a larger and more structured warehouse: the management software.

With such a tool, it is possible to control every internal warehouse operation, greatly simplifying and speeding up inventory activity, thanks to process automation.

Controlling inventory with constantly updated management software will also optimize and speed up calculation operations at the end of the fiscal year.

In addition, management software allows historical storage. This will make it possible to trace back and detect any errors quickly and easily.

This tool can be customized according to business needs and different production flows.

Automation, for a competitive company

As already pointed out several times, if we want to increase the competitiveness of our company in the market, we must start precisely from an optimized organization of the warehouse.

Among warehouse management criteria, the one dedicated to automation is to be considered among the most effective performance principles.

However, like any serious and structured process, it needs careful planning. In order to proceed in a strategic and structured way, a detailed analysis of business needs is necessary, starting right from the warehouse.

The second step, which is no less important, is the evaluation of the budget: choosing an automated system even for inventory requires sometimes significant investments, and the so-called ROI could be recovered in a rather long time.

Choosing the right, reliable and punctual partner can be a choice that can allow the company to keep costs down and have precise control of inventory through B2B platforms such as the one offered by our portal, especially at the beginning of the business.

That’s why, choosing a supplier who knows how to manage its products and inventory is crucial for your business!

With that said, for the coming year, choose Tamarri S.r.l.

🎅 Tamarri S.r.l. wishes you a peaceful Christmas, full of the brightest plans for the year to come! 🎄

15 November 202221 November 2022

Forklifts…in competition!

Forklifts in competition. We are all familiar with the evolution of forklift performance: from hoist to container lift; from simple and uncertain vehicles to comfortable and safe vehicles. However, not everyone knows that forklifts also compete in real races of speed and dexterity. Read our article to learn more!

Forklifts…in competition: the origins and evolution of the forklift truck

By now we all know the history of the first forklift, which has been already discussed in a previous article.

It was Eugene Clark in the 1920s who invented the forklift, which quickly spread around the world at the same time with the pallet after World War II.

A means, a vehicle, an essential tool for work in a wide variety of fields. Since that time the evolution of the forklift has never stopped.

Forklifts, a constant evolution

Over the years, there have been many applications of the latest technologies on forklifts. From basic performance in the beginning, there has been a move to increasingly complex and peculiar performance; starting from easy and simple forklifts, there have been increasingly comfortable and ergonomic vehicles over time.

But perhaps the greatest and most exciting steps have occurred in the field of safety: modern on-board electronics include a multifunction display where basic information (state of charge, operating mode, hours of operation, date and time, etc.) and technical information are displayed.

Some examples of these implementations are the application of a protective cabin for the driver’s compartment, the abolition of the manual transmission in favor of automatic transmission and the use of power steering and the applications of electronics capable of overseeing the main operations are from recent times.

Moreover, the count of latest generation devices for signaling obstacles, pedestrians, operating gate openings, recording actions, and automating is incredibly consistent. All these devices are meant to promote and enhance the safety of construction site handling.

Forklifts…competing for the Olympics

Those who know about forklifts are already familiar with this news. In fact, we remembered them because they represent the premise of what we want to tell you, which is closely related to SAFETY itself.

Let’s take a time jump: we are at the 2012 London Olympics: Charlotte, North Carolina, provides the perfect environment for the U.S. and Canadian Olympic trials for the canoe slalom in April. TV commercials start, billboards rise with sponsors courting America’s Olympic champions, as London prepares to take the main stage on the world sports scene for the summer.

As many as 204 countries and territories will cheer on their athletes and teams. While Usain Bolt is warming up his muscles, someone else is warming up his engines: it’s the forklift drivers…but how is that possible? That’s right, at the 2012 London Olympics, “forklift drivers” are training to make their debut at the Olympic Games. Where?

In Dallas, Texas, those working in the forklift world organize their own version of the Games: the 200-meter Forklift Drag Race. Traffic cones become the lane lines, drivers “warm up” their favorite forklift by choosing it from the warehouse fleet, and off they go…set off at a jaw-dropping 10 mph!

Videos immediately spread on YouTube: incredulous viewers could see Erik’s Hyster “beaten up by the old Mitsubishi” in the middle of a parking lot. With this performance, the forklift brand should seriously consider sponsorship for the Olympics.

Forklifts in competition: typologies

What types of forklifts are they? Forklift companies produce both internal combustion forklifts and electric ones. Given that diesel forklifts are built for speed and endurance, they are the favorites for endurance racing, compared to gas or propane ones.

Unfortunately, stories don’t always end as they should: in 2012 the International Olympic Committee approved two new sports, mixed doubles tennis and women’s boxing, but not the Forklift Rally! 🥺

Despite the motivation and self-sacrifice of forklift drivers from Texas, their “sport” will not be accepted. Of course, seeing Usain Bolt, the fastest man in the world, breaking yet another world record for the 100-meter must have been a great thrill for the crowd, but would you compare it with a forklift race to the last fork, amidst obstacles and setbacks? ☺

Unfortunately, the race could not be held but it doesn’t really matter: nothing can stop the Forklift Racers. They were not discouraged and continued to practice agile turns around those barrels, confident that their dream for Olympic glory will soon become true!

Fun, culture, safety

Fun and safety are the basis of forklifts competitions that over the years have taken place in Italy as well.

In some Italian forklift companies, therefore, the idea of organizing real Grand Prix was born, precisely to spread the culture of safety to operators through “sports” events that involves and excites! 😀

These competitions are held in compliance with current government ministerial regulations so that safety is guaranteed during the event.

Working with material handling equipment creates an environment with a high risk of injury. In this regard, Tamarri S.r.l, firmly believes that the productivity of a warehouse begins first and foremost with safety. Our aim is therefore to make operators aware of the risks of driving a forklift and to show them how to drive these beautiful machines properly.

In addition to training, there is technology. Therefore, the company in recent years has distinguished itself in the design and manufacture of safety devices.

Safety is our vocation!!! 😉

8 November 2022

Slowing down the forklift in specific areas

Forklift slowdown. The safety of vehicles inside warehouses and production areas is a fundamental issue that requires increasingly safe and technological devices. Tamarri has always been at the forefront of research and distribution of the best solutions in this area.

Forklift slowdown: a safety issue

Safety within warehouses and production areas in general is an important issue. The one of forklift slowdown in specific and sensitive area represents a topic of particular interest.

Workplace safety laws are increasingly specific and stringent, as are regulations. Warehouses, even though highly automated, must account for many unexpected variables. For instance, pedestrian movements within specific maneuvering areas, “blind” aisles in which vehicles maneuver.

Thus, increasingly high-tech, high-level devices and solutions come into play, managed and controlled remotely through websites, cell phones and tablets.

On this fundamental aspect Tamarri wanted to contribute.

Read how! 😉

Tamarri and the slowdown in zone and area

Tamarri S.r.l. created the forklift slowdown device combining high-tech sensors and transmitters. But let’s see how.

What it does

With the combination of different sensors and transmitters from the STS range, it is possible to slow down the forklift in medium and large areas, such as production areas, corridors and warehouses with high pedestrian density, or in specific areas, such as pedestrian crossings, intersections and offices.

Let us now analyze the devices used within the STS ecosystem.

Devices used and technical data of individual components

STS90A forklift device 12-24V

THE FORKLIFT DEVICE, is the central hub of the system, used to collect signals, data and system parameterization. It features 2 on-board relays to access control, speed reduction and shock sensor.

Wall-applied powered transmitters

These transmitters allow to automate the slowing down and restart of the vehicle speed in specific areas

• STS95 area limitation transmitter
• STS94 function reset transmitter
• STS99 area limitation transmitter

They are equipped with a rechargeable buffer battery LIR2450 to cover blackout periods, for which external power supply is required (these are recommended devices).

Battery-powered transmitters applied on the wall:

– STS95P area limitation transmitter

– STS94P function reset transmitter

– STS99P area limitation transmitter

Those devices are simpler to apply but they require periodic maintenance (CR2450 3.6V battery replacement every 6/8 months).

STS95 and STS95P zone limitation transmitters are normally used to manage access gates in dangerous areas. When the STS90A forklift device enters the sensor “bubble,” relay k2 closes, the device light turns orange from green, and the speed is reduced. The state of the relay remains as such, even when leaving the sensor intercept zone or if the vehicle is turned off and on again.

Function restoration transmitters STS94 and STS94P, represent the antagonists of the slowdown transmitters. When the forklift enters the sensor “bubble,” relay k2 reopens and the device light turns green again, restoring the medium’s standard speed.

The STS99 and STS99P area limitation transmitters are used to limit the speed of vehicles in restricted areas, pedestrian crossings, rest areas, intersections and offices. When the STS90A forklift device enters the sensor area, relay k2 closes, the device light turns red, and the speed of the vehicle is restricted.

After a certain amount of time (expressed in seconds) from the time the vehicle exits the sensor “bubble,” relay k2 reopens, the device light turns green again, and the standard speed of the vehicle is restored. This time-gap can be set in the SafeTApp.

General usage and installation

The STS90A device is meant to be installed on the forklift roof. Both access control and shock control can be activated, although the specific function of lift limitation does not require them.

Application examples of STS94-STS95 sensors for zone slowdown.

Application examples of STS99 sensors for in-area slowdown.

Complete control thanks to the SafeTApp

Thanks to the cloud-based STS platform, all STS series devices and transmitters can be managed in our free Android app. With a simple cell phone or tablet, it is then possible to manage all device parameters: vehicle slowdown in area, anti-collision, pedestrian, door opener, traffic light signals, and much more!

Distances, times, and all parameterizations of individual devices can be easily set in the SafeTApp.

All devices and transmitters of the STS series, as well as the systems made with them, are NOT to be considered PPE (INDIVIDUAL PROTECTION DEVICES) and are NOT a substitute for such devices with which the user must be provided according to legal provisions. They do, however, represent a valuable safety commodity in all areas.

The sale of STS systems is reserved only for specialized workshops in the sector.

Tamarri S.r.l. continues its concrete commitment to safety at work. In collaboration with DOT-net, Tamarri has developed a system that, along with several other features, also has that of slowing down in the area! Find out more on the dedicated page of the STS Platform.

20 October 202220 October 2022

Industry 4.0: a valuable process

Industry 4.0: a process set to make industrial production automated and interconnected. Some more information on smart machines.

Industry 4.0: some historical background

The term Industry 4.0 refers to a process intended to make industrial production automated and interconnected, that means carried out by means of smart, interconnected machines that communicate with the Internet.

It is considered the “4th Industrial Revolution.” The main idea is the digitization and computerization of the production chain leading to the final product, which is considered “smart” due to its connection to the internet.

Factory 4.0 represents therefore not only the introduction of new technologies into the company, but also a real reconfiguration of the production process.

The concept of Industry 4.0 was first born in 2011 in Germany. The name concept was given by a working group headed by a large company and a scientific academy.

In 2014, the EU Commission issued a Communication entitled “An Industrial Renaissance for Growth and Jobs,” in which its intention to put industry at the top of the European agenda to halt industrial decline and re-industrialize Europe emerged.

In April 2016, given the need for centralized coordination among several countries (the Netherlands, Slovakia, France and Italy) that were moving on this issue unevenly, the European Commission presented the plan for Industry 4.0.

Why the “National Industry 4.0 Plan?”

Italy is one of the countries that seized the German initiative and the EC Communication. In November 2015 the MISE presented the document “Industry 4.0, the Italian way to manufacturing competitiveness,” containing an action strategy to promote the development of the fourth industrial revolution: from boosting industrial investment, with a focus on R&D, knowledge and innovation, to ensuring network security (cyber-security) and privacy protection.

In September 2016, the National Industry 4.0 Plan was unveiled, later incorporated into the Stability Law for 2017, with the aim of innovating entrepreneurs’ investments. Industry 4.0 has been at the center of economic transformation in Italy and around the world for several years. Companies are increasingly digital and interconnected: the fourth industrial revolution has also begun in Italy, the second largest manufacturing country in Europe.

In an increasingly modern and interconnected context, it is essential to give a concrete response of digitization in all industrial sectors, especially in logistics, material handling and control of operational means within these important supply chains.

Legislation

Thanks to the ad hoc government plan and subsequent evolutions and revisions, we have arrived at the recent “Industry 4.0 Plus Plan,” which provides the so-called Tax Credit (the former Hyper and Super Depreciation) among many technical and fiscal benefits,). A fundamental but not unique lever for introducing a new modernization paradigm in industry.

The project was born precisely as part of this “4.0 revolution,” to design, implement and market the SMARTPASS Evo 4.0 platform.

It is a complete platform for the monitoring/management of handling equipment (especially forklifts, pallet trucks, earthmoving, agricultural and other machines) consisting of two main elements.

– A hardware device to be installed on each vehicle that you wish to manage (SMARTreader Evo 4.0)

– A cloud platform implemented for a complete management of data, logs, and alerts sent and received by the device (SmartPass cloud service).

The SMARTPASS Evo 4.0 system is certified by external body “ECO Certifications S.p.A. and it is placed under the category of intelligent devices, instrumentation and components for integration, sensorization and/or interconnection and automatic process control also used for the modernization or for the revamping of existing production systems.”

The SMARTPASS Evo 4.0 device has features that enable it to be selected for 4.0. In order to benefit directly for the advantages or make the advantages available for its user customer, it is necessary to certify the vehicle with the assembled device. The certification must be under the name of the person who benefits from the tax break.

Industry 4.0 for rentals

Are renters eligible for depreciation and Tax Credit benefits?

– AdE Circular 03/2017 and the 04/2017 clarify that assets used under an operating lease or rental agreement are excluded from the benefit. For such assets, the surcharge, if the requirements are met, may occur to the lessor or lessee. It must be noted that the benefit occurs only if the rental activity or operating lease constitutes the main object of the business.

– Clarification AdE 01/2020: the possibility to access to the accounting / tax benefit is due if such leasing activities are activities habitually carried out by the enterprise, i.e. activities that although they are not prevalent (under the point of view of resources committed and book values), they are nonetheless not occasional but typical, habitual, precisely, and substantial as in the case of the writer.

What is meant by “Interconnection”?

In order for a product, considering the provisions of Article 1(11) of the 2017 Budget Law, to be defined as “interconnected,” it is necessary and sufficient that:

-It exchanges information with internal systems(e.g.: management system, planning systems, product design and development systems, monitoring, including remote monitoring and control, other machines in the plant, etc.) and/or external systems(e.g.: customers, suppliers, partners in collaborative design and development, other production sites, supply chain, etc.) using a connection based on documented, publicly available and internationally recognized specifications(examples: TCP-IP, HTTP, MQTT, etc.).

-It is uniquely identified, in order to recognize the origin of the information, using internationally recognized addressing standards (e.g., IP address)

Mobile Machinery – MiSE Circ 23.05.2018 clarifications

– “Machinery, including traction and operating machinery, tools and devices for loading and unloading, handling…” (Annex A, first group-point 11)- A requirement for automatic or semi-automatic driving is introduced for mobile machines

– Automatic or semiautomatic driving does not constitute an autonomous and additional requirement to those required by the facilitating regulations, but rather a technological feature or, in other words, a mode through which, for the “mobile machines” in question, the requirements of interconnection and automated integration is achieved.- With reference to the case of semiautomatic driving, it is clarified that, for the purposes of the hyper depreciation rules, semiautomatically guided “mobile machines” are those equipped with driving systems capable of controlling at least one displacement function: for example, steering, speed, stopping.
– Automatic and semiautomatic driving is required, for example: for agricultural tractors, for wheel loaders or dumpers used on construction sites and in construction activities in general, and for trucks used in ports for container handling.

Tamarri S.r.l. stands for an ‘increasingly interconnected and innovative industry! 😉

20 October 20227 November 2022

Training of forklift drivers in total safety

Tamarri S.r.l. has developed a new, simple and cheap system for locking the vehicles in case of danger during courses dedicated to forklift drivers. Indeed, aspiring forklift drivers do not always have full mastery of the vehicles, in some cases they can pose a danger to themselves, people and property.

Forklift driver training: a solution by Tamarri

Tamarri S.r.l. has always been keen on safety, not only in warehouses, but also during all operator training. A small step for safety even at the delicate stage of training new operators.

That’s why we decided to develop a new protection system entirely dedicated to the phase of driving during forklift operator training courses.

Forklift Operator Training: The SS22 Kit

The SS22 kit consists of:

1 forklift device STS90A

1 STS89 push-button transmitter (remote control).

Taking inspiration from the dual pedals that are mandatory for driving school cars, we have implemented the features of devices already used for automatic vehicle slowdown by simply forcing the state of the ignition relay inside our STS90A using a remote control.

With a simple pressure of the button on the remote control it provides immediate action on the relay, which, if properly operated, can stop the vehicle in case of danger.

Distances are adjustable through free Android APP, as are all SafeTsystem series transmitters.

Tamarri, all the best for lift trucks! 😉