How NFI Cut Manual Hours at Scale with Gather AI’s Autonomous Drones

The Challenge: Managing High-Velocity Warehouse Operations At NFI, one of North America’s leading third-party logistics (3PL) providers, managing a high-volume, fast-moving warehouse presents constant challenges. With inventory turning over three to four times in a six-month period, NFI needed a solution that could:

• Keep up with rapid inventory movement without disrupting operations
• Reduce the massive labor hours spent on manual cycle counting
• Find misplaced pallets faster to minimize shipping delays
• Improve safety by reducing reliance on cherry pickers and forklifts

Before Gather AI, cycle counting required employees to use cherry pickers, scanning locations manually—a time-consuming and costly process that only covered small sections of the warehouse per shift.

‍"Before, we had one person using a cherry picker, counting aisle by aisle. They could only complete one side of the warehouse per day."— Ruth Alonso, NFI

With seasonal surges—where warehouse operations ramp from five associates to over 200 in just months—NFI needed a faster, smarter, and more scalable solution.The Solution: AI-Powered Drone Inventory ScanningNFI implemented Gather AI’s autonomous drone inventory management system, which:

• Scans inventory three times faster than traditional cycle counting
• Provides real-time WMS updates for 99.9% accuracy
• Finds lost pallets instantly, reducing delays and misplaced inventory
• Reduces reliance on forklifts and cherry pickers for cycle counts

"One of our biggest concerns was how the drones would fly around such a busy warehouse with pickers and constant movement. But Gather AI worked closely with us to develop a process that made it seamless."— Onario, NFI

Unlike manual processes, Gather AI’s system allows employees to pause a drone mission if a picker needs to access a section, then resume scanning without delays. This seamless integration into daily warehouse operations makes AI-powered inventory counting a game-changer for high-turnover warehouses.The Results: 75% Time Savings & More Accurate Inventory ManagementSince deploying Gather AI, NFI has experienced dramatic efficiency improvements:

• 75% Reduction in Inventory Counting Time
• NFI reduced cycle counting from 4,400 hours per year to just 800 hours.
• Three Times More Locations Scanned
• NFI scanned 51,000 locations—three times more than before.
• Lost Pallets Found in Minutes Instead of Days
• Previously, misplaced pallets meant hours of searching. Now, the Gather AI dashboard pinpoints their last scanned location instantly.
• Eliminated Cherry Pickers & Reduced Equipment Costs
• By cutting reliance on cherry pickers, NFI saved on rental, maintenance, and training costs.
• Improved Safety & Compliance
• Drones capture images of overhanging pallets and debris, helping warehouse managers prevent safety hazards before they cause issues.

"We found more than 15 pallets that had been missing for weeks. They were in the racks but weren’t recorded in the system. The drone’s data helped us recover them instantly."— Ruth Alonso, NFIWhy NFI Chose Gather AI Over Other Solutions

• Scalability for Seasonal Warehousing
• With seasonal spikes, NFI needed a solution that could ramp up quickly and scale without additional labor costs.
• Real-Time Inventory Visibility
• Unlike manual cycle counts that take weeks, Gather AI updates WMS data in real time.
• Faster, More Efficient Lost Pallet Retrieval
• With high inventory turnover, NFI eliminated costly delays caused by misplaced pallets.
• Seamless Integration with Daily Operations
• Drones scan without disrupting pickers, allowing continuous operations even during peak seasons.

"Gather AI’s team was very professional. They understood our operations and worked around our needs to ensure a smooth implementation. It was a great experience."— Onario, NFI

The Future of Inventory Automation in 3PL WarehousingFor high-velocity 3PL operations like NFI, efficiency, accuracy, and scalability are key to staying competitive. Gather AI’s drone-powered inventory management system eliminates manual cycle counting bottlenecks, improves safety, and provides real-time data for smarter logistics decisions.

‍Schedule a demo today and see how Gather AI can transform your warehouse.