CANA is excited to soon complete its Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) efforts for the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). We have an innovative proposal for an artificial intelligence (AI) solution to maximize efficiency and safety in DLA warehousing receiving activities. CANA’s proposed AI solution - DIANA, for Data Integrated Artificial Intelligence (AI) Network Applications - will predict what materials are contained within arriving trucks at DLA warehouses during any week - by truck and by day.
This predicted information - the quantity of individual boxes and their dimensions - has been, to this point, relatively unknown because of Bill of Lading (BOL) inaccuracies and/or the availability of only total freight size and weight data. The ability to predict the dimensions and quantity of items inside any single truck provides a significant increase in knowledge and specificity in DLA planning factors, improving the efficiency and accuracy of workforce and equipment estimations within a particular work period. Compounded over days, weeks, and months, the reduction in wasted or insufficient labor and equipment is considerable.
We anticipate this to positively impact customer experience and improve warehouse fulfillment metrics and key planning performance indicators. The potential for commercialization is real and present. The application is intended for a mobile device or computer, providing versatility and convenience to a wide range of businesses. Our next phase of software design will bolt on to most commercial warehouse management systems. We estimate the cost savings resulting in increased accuracy and availability of information to be over half a million dollars for a typical medium-size commercial fulfillment warehouse running 24-hour operations.
CANA is keen to move on to the next steps. With the continued support of DLA, these steps will include prototyping, testing, and evaluation until we have achieved a state of technological readiness. We anticipate our DIANA solution to be a game-changer to DLA, and eventually, a solution we can offer to a wide variety of commercial partners looking to revolutionize their warehouse game.
If you’d like to contact Cherish Joostberns, CANA Media, you can reach Cherish at cjoostberns@canallc.com