Tag Archives: Oriel Systems

VMI / Vendor Managed Inventory Solutions

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Amidst strong competition, Oriel Systems’ Vendor Managed Inventory solution was chosen by leading ink manufacturer Sun Chemicals to integrate and replace a myriad of different systems inherited from recent acquisitions and new customer contracts

The Oriel systems VMI system is a flexible and cost-effective solution to monitoring customer usage of a product or number of products, bringing together information from customer sites around the globe to provide instant information on potential stock-out situations.

In any mature industry where many suppliers are perceived to be the same, many suppliers have found this to be a significant differentiator as their customers now receive the best possible service 24/7 leading to increased customer loyalty.

There are more benefits for the supplier, this is rapidly turning into a “Win-Win for all”  scenario.  As the supplier is provided with information on product usage or consumption, this also allows for increases in efficiencies to be made in both the scheduling of production and of deliveries.

The system comprises of software residing on a PC which, in normal operation automatically connects into the customers site at regular intervals to retrieve  latest stocking levels.  In the case of a potential stock-out situation, the system over-rides and immediately alerts the supplier of the occurrence.  Potential stock-out situations are notified audibly and by pop-up “on screen” messages, which must be accepted before they disappear.  For out of hours use a “dialling rota” can be configured, which will automatically dial a series of mobile or landline numbers to alert the supplying company or their transportation / logistics department of the occurrence.

Once an alarm is received, it must be acknowledged from the telephone keypad, otherwise the system will continue to dial the next number in series.  From the telephone keypad the user can choose to replay the current alarm or replay all alarms or to delete them.

Other options include mobile versions of the VMI software allowing remote interrogation using smartphones.  This allows the transport / logistics / customer service departments to connect to the customers site and to view both current and historical information on customer usage, even whilst away from the office

For further information please contact us on 01249 705070 or www.orielsystems.com


Live Video feeds over 3G at remote Pump Stations sites

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With the cost of copper and other metals increasing substantially over the last year or so, there seems to be a worrying and increasing trend of thefts and attempted break-ins at remote Pumping Station sites at present.

The target in many cases is the copper windings in the electric motors and inside high current cables.  It is not so much the theft of the materials, although that is obviously a problem, but also the damage that is caused to other equipment, structures and buildings in removing these items, customers have reported chains being used to attach to pump motors, and then vehicles being used to pull these items away from their fixed concrete bases.  The other problem customers have reported is vandalism and public safety issues.  The consequence of this is that with the disruption caused, it can take many months to get the Pump Station operational again and insurance renewal costs will have to rise as a result of this.

In response to this Oriel have introduced their Video Intelligent Telemetry Outstation or “VITO” a low-cost cctv video monitoring solution that can be installed at any remote site even though it may not be connected to a land-line.  For those customers that already have an Oriel outstation, their existing unit can be easily upgraded to provide live colour video back at the main office.

After a successful trial at one of their remote Pump Stations, Lindsey Marsh DB have placed the order for 10 more of their remote Pump Station sites to be linked up with cctv and integrated into the Main LMDB Telemetry System at Louth.  This will ensure that their insurance renewal costs remain low and the system should pay for itself in a matter of years.

The cctv monitoring system comprises a state of the art outdoor day and night colour camera at the site, fixed in a strategically placed location that monitors access to the site at all times and sends real-time video back to the Control Centre in Louth using Mobile Broadband / 3G technology.  Door switches and PIR sensors have been installed at any potential entrance points.  If any unauthorized access occurs it is immediately reported to the Duty Engineers by voice message on their mobile phones, the Duty engineer can then  view the relevant site screen in real-time on the Main Telemetry PC.   A continuous 24/7 high resolution (HD) video is automatically stored onto Oriels’  VITO, which can then be downloaded onto a memory stick and re-played using a free to use media player available on the internet.

For further information please contact us on 01249 705070 or www.orielsystems.com

Remote Monitoring System for Major Norwegian Bottled Water Supplier

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Oriel Systems have recently completed a project for a large still and sparkling mineral water bottling plant in the Hardanger area of Norway.

This glacial wilderness has never been settled or industrialised and is protected from development by two national parks.  Access is difficult as temperatures fall below -40 degrees C at night time and the area is covered in snow with regular snowfalls and avalanches during winter time.  It is here and under these conditions that the mineral water is extracted to ensure it’s purity.  Since it’s introduction into the UK in 2008 the company has won many awards and is now sold in all major supermarkets throught the country

The project has involved a number of Oriel Intelligent Telemetry Outstations being installed at the Pump Houses located at strategic locations on the glacier face.  These Pump Houses are responsible for pumping the glacier water directly to the bottling plant some 5Km distant.  The main objective was to provide information on the performance of each of the Pump Houses and to be able to control the Auma actuated valves located at each remote site without having to send an engineer to site to physically open or close them using the supplied hand winding mechanism.  A trip to one of the Pump Houses would take approximately two hours due to the area being snow covered for most of the year and access finally involves an hours walk by the engineer due to snow and rough terrain.

With the extraction and bottling process it is imperative that no air is allowed to enter the water pipeline along which the mineral water travels as this could cause bacteria to grow and the quality of water would then be affected.

Communications between the sites is by GPRS with external low profile aerials to guard against snow and avalanche damage.  Oriel’s GPRS Telemetry solution links up all the remote sites and provides bi-directional communications between the Control Centre and the remote sites for critical equipment and process monitoring and control.

For further information please contact us on 01249 705070 or www.orielsystems.com

For further information please contact us on 01249 705070 or www.orielsystems.com

Norwegian Pump House