Smart Logistics with Advantech WISE Series: Real-Time Automated Material Handling & Secure Cloud Monitoring

Location: Japan

Introduction

As e-commerce continues to grow rapidly, logistics centers are under increasing pressure to process higher parcel volumes with greater speed and accuracy. The ability to improve operational efficiency, real-time visibility, and reduce labor costs has become essential for large-scale e-commerce enterprises.

System Requirements

The leading international e-commerce provider, processing high volumes of orders across dozens of warehouses daily, previously relied on manual barcode scanning, material routing, and on-site monitoring operation. Their traditional setup not only demanded high labor costs and resulted in slow throughput with frequent errors, but it also depended on widespread deployment of costly PLCs that lacked networking, remote management, real-time status updates, and OTA upgrade support—hindering swift issue resolution and operational coordination.

To improve automation, visibility, and responsiveness, the company needed real-time barcode scanning, sensor-based conveyor monitoring, and wireless data transmission to a central platform for unified control. The system also had to support cloud-to-edge sorting instructions and centralized data management with historical tracking for ongoing optimization.

Project Implementation

• EKI-6333AC-2GD: Industrial Wi-Fi Access Point 
• WISE-4250-A: Dual-band 2.4/5GHz Wi-Fi Module 
• WISE-S250-A: Remote I/O Module with 6DI/2DO/1RS-485

System Description

The smart logistics system leverages Advantech’s WISE-4250 Wi-Fi I/O module and WISE-S250 expansion module as edge nodes along the conveyor line, collecting data from barcode readers and proximity sensors via DI and RS-485 interfaces. This data is transmitted wirelessly using MQTT through the EKI-6333AC-2GD industrial Wi-Fi access point to a central platform for logic processing. Control commands are then sent back to WISE-4250 modules to activate motors via DO outputs, enabling automated parcel sorting based on scanned data.  This wireless, cloud-integrated architecture eliminates the need for traditional PLCs, simplifies deployment, and supports real-time monitoring, OTA updates, and cross-site analytics. 

This wireless, cloud-integrated architecture eliminates the need for traditional PLCs, simplifies deployment, and supports real-time monitoring, OTA updates, and cross-site analytics. 

System Diagram

Benefits

• Reduced Hardware Complexity: Replacing PLC-heavy architectures with a centralized platform and distributed remote I/O modules cuts down on costly PLC deployments and extensive wiring.
• Enhanced Automation: The streamlined process automation significantly lowers labor costs and minimizes error rates. 
• Real-Time Monitoring: Wireless communication enables immediate visibility into material flow and conveyor status. 
• Rapid Anomaly Response: OTA support and real-time reconfiguration allow fast detection of issues and swift corrective actions, boosting throughput.
• Scalable Flexibility: The modular design supports scalable deployment and improved IT/OT integration, adapting to varied logistics nodes. 
• Simplified Maintenance: Centralized control simplifies system logic and maintenance, replacing traditional on-site PLC management.  

Conclusion

In summary, by deploying the WISE-4250 Wi-Fi module and WISE-S250 I/O expansion module, the customer built an edge-to-cloud logistics automation system that replaces traditional wired PLC setups. This solution centralizes distributed sensing and control, dramatically cutting wiring costs, streamlining setup, and speeding deployment. By integrating barcode readers, proximity sensors, and control outputs, it enables intelligent routing, conveyor monitoring, anomaly detection, and real-time cloud synchronization—boosting operational efficiency today while laying the groundwork for future AI-driven analytics and predictive maintenance.