In this episode of The New Warehouse Podcast, Kevin chats with Michael DeLeonardis, Chief Revenue Officer at Verity, about how the company is transforming warehouse operations through autonomous drones, computer vision, and AI-driven insights. Verity positions itself as a warehouse intelligence platform that goes beyond traditional cycle counting to uncover lost goods, increase accuracy, and boost operational resilience.
With more than 150 deployments worldwide across industries like retail, 3PL, and manufacturing, Verity is setting a new benchmark for warehouse inventory accuracy and supply chain efficiency. Michael also shares details about a recent RFID pilot project with Maersk, highlighting how drones can deliver even greater precision in environments with high-value goods.
The ROI of Warehouse Inventory Accuracy
Accuracy and visibility are constant pain points in warehouse operations. Verity’s autonomous drones address both, enabling near-real-time insights that previously took months to obtain.
According to Michael, “we’re pushing upwards of 99.9% accuracy”, a figure that dramatically outperforms manual counting. This accuracy translates into tangible savings. Clients have reduced cycle counting staff from seven full-time employees to as little as half an FTE, freeing up resources for higher-value tasks.
The drones not only detect discrepancies but also recover misplaced items. In one striking example, “one client we found over 25,000 units in just one quarter”, goods that otherwise would have been written off, worth roughly $400,000 to $500,000. That client even saw shrinkage turn negative for the first time, recovering more product than they lost.
Scalability and Flexibility in Warehouse Environments
From high-volume e-commerce hubs to complex manufacturing facilities, Verity’s drones are adaptable across warehouse types and sizes. Their upcoming next-generation drones will scan up to 1,000 locations per hour, with systems scaled to fit warehouses ranging from 14,000 to over 200,000 locations.
The flexibility doesn’t stop there. Clients can run full wall-to-wall scans, target areas with recent movement, or focus only on lost goods. “With the level of granularity that we can get from a WMS system, we can run various flight patterns for our clients”, Michael explained. This adaptability ensures each warehouse gets a tailored solution tied directly to ROI and service levels.
Another advantage is reliability. Verity’s drones boast a 99.994% reliability rate, equating to just one failure every 5–10 years. Combined with wireless charging stations and minimal maintenance needs, customers can depend on consistent, uninterrupted service.
Expanding the Role of Data: RFID and Beyond
Beyond visual data capture, Verity is experimenting with RFID integration to solve one of the toughest challenges: signal noise. In partnership with Maersk and On Running, Verity successfully piloted drones with RFID readers to cut through overlapping signals in warehouses with hundreds of thousands of tagged products.
“Our pilot was designed to essentially prove out that we could weed through that noise and really get down to a level of precision”, Michael noted. The ability to triangulate signals means drones can distinguish between nearby aisles or even separate rooms—something handheld wands often fail to do.
Looking ahead, Verity will focus on deeper autonomy and intelligence. “You’ll see us pushing more and more autonomy into our solution… self-deploying drones that can map a warehouse with little to no human engagement whatsoever”, Michael explained. By combining physical drone data with digital WMS data, clients can self-benchmark across entire networks, unlocking proactive operational improvements.
Key Takeaways on Warehouse Inventory Accuracy
- Verity has over 150 global deployments across industries, including retail, 3PL, and manufacturing.
- Drones deliver 99.9% warehouse inventory accuracy, reducing reliance on manual cycle counting.
- Clients have cut cycle counting staff from 7 FTEs down to 0.5, with labor reallocated to higher-value tasks.
- Next-generation drones will scan 1,000 locations per hour, scaling from 14K to 200K+ location warehouses.
- Verity drones achieve 99.994% reliability, requiring only a battery swap every 6–8 months.
