Afrox Transforms Cylinder Management with AI-Powered IoT

Background

Afrox, a leading supplier of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), faced a critical challenge in effectively tracking and managing its vast stock of LPG cylinders. The absence of barcodes on cylinders made traditional tracking methods ineffective. Manual counting was time-consuming, error-prone, and labor-intensive, resulting in prolonged stock-taking, operational downtime, and potential losses.

The Challenge

• There were no barcodes on LPG cylinders for easy tracking.
• The manual counting process was prone to counting errors and delays.
• Stock taking caused downtime and disrupted operations
• There was a risk of financial losses due to inefficiencies and theft.

The Solution

Believing in the power of technology to drive safe, sustainable, and innovative operations, Afrox partnered with 4Sight to implement a cutting-edge solution powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and IoT.

The solution integrated:

• On-site cameras combined with Azure Cognitive Services to automatically recognize and count LPG cylinders in images.
• Dynamic counting for cylinders on incoming and outgoing trucks.
• Static counting for cylinders in storage yards.
• Power BI dashboards to visualize stock data through charts, graphs, and maps.

This system provided real-time visibility, actionable insights, and seamless integration into Afrox’s operations.

The Results

The collaboration between Afrox and 4Sight delivered measurable business impact:

• Real-time stock visibility across all operations
• Reduced downtime and costs by eliminating manual counts
• Improved accuracy and control, minimizing losses from theft
• Enhanced decision-making with data-driven insights for inventory management, demand forecasting, and logistics planning

Conclusion

Through this innovative IoT- and AI-powered solution, Afrox successfully transformed its cylinder management process. By enhancing accuracy, efficiency, and visibility, Afrox not only overcame its inventory challenges but also reinforced its position as a market leader in the gas industry.

To see the solution in action, watch the full video case study.