The Mobile Warehouse: Each Picking
Eliminate Costly Errors
Each picking is traditionally one of the most labor-intensive warehouse functions. But it does not have to be that way.
Motorola enterprise mobility solutions can change that. In a mobile warehouse, productivity-draining manual processes and list errors are virtually eliminated.
The Mobile Warehouse: Cycle Count
Get More Accurate Cycle Counts
To meet your financial and operational needs, maintaining an accurate warehouse inventory is essential.
With a mobile warehouse, your cycle counts are more accurate, efficient and transparent. Errors that can lead to warehouse shutdown are eliminated, and misplaced or lost product can be quickly located. Continue reading »
The Mobile Warehouse: Cross Docking
Never Lose Visibility of Your Shipment
In theory, cross-docking is simple: materials move from receiving to an outbound container or directly to shipping without making a stop at storage. But in reality, the process can become a logistical and procedural nightmare if every step isn’t carefully orchestrated.
But there is a better way. In a mobile warehouse, cross-docking is quick and efficient. And you never lose visibility of your shipment.
Continue reading »
The Mobile Warehouse: Case Picking
Avoid Delivery Delays
Even in the most modern distribution facility, case picking can be an error-prone and inefficient process.
And when picking becomes a drain on productivity, a host of problems can arise —from poor accuracy to delivery delays.
Mobile Credit Card Reader for the iPhone
Engadget reports that Jack Dorsey, creator of Twitter is rumored to be developing a the Square iPhone Payment System which consists of a small credit card reader attachment and accompanying app. The system would allow for easy payments by card-swipe and on-screen signature, with the receipt being emailed.
[via Engadget]
Jumbo Chooses Zebra Label Printers to Improve Customer Service
Jumbo is the largest toy retailer in Greece and customer service is at the top of its business agenda. Every day, hundreds of customers buy goods from its 35 stores. The company has an excellent reputation for offering the broadest selection of toys in the market at the best prices.
Customer service, reducing costs and improving productivity are key factors in helping Jumbo to drive and expand its business, and to achieve this, Jumbo recently decided to automate its labelling, price control and stock replenishment procedures.
Previously, such procedures were handled by a central PC workstation connected to a thermal printer in each store. Periodical stock replenishment was carried out manually by employees, who checked the shelves and recorded depleted items. This data was entered again manually into the workstation, and the stock replenishment list printed and forwarded to the outlet’s warehouse. Labels advertising prices, promotions and offers were arranged on the workstation, and printed on a thermal printer. When new stock was placed on the shelves, employees had to take the printed labels, go to the respective shelves and place them under the right items.
Introduction of mobile printers
Jumbo was already very familiar with automation, having first installed automated print procedures in 1996. However, to meet its key business objectives, Jumbo identified that it needed a faster and more flexible mobile printing application. The company was forced to seek a new supplier to help it achieve this, and turned to leading manufacturer of on-demand printing solutions, Zebra Technologies. Subsequently, Jumbo upgraded its stock replenishment system with Zebra QL 420 mobile printers.
Jones Dairy Farm Empowers Delivery Drivers with Wireless Computers, Printers
Challenge
Since Milo Jones sold his first sausage in 1889, the Jones Dairy Farm has been making great sausage in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, from a cherished family recipe. Today, six generations later, the Jones family still operates the original farm and maintains its high quality standards.
However, the company’s distribution has grown considerably. It now sells its products online, in stores across the country, as well as in Canada, Japan and Hong Kong. The innovative company was the first in the meat industry to quick-freeze, one of the first to introduce fully-cooked breakfast sausage, and was early to operate a modern bacteriological chemical laboratory.
More recently, Jones Dairy decided to implement a direct store delivery (DSD) application with elements of route accounting for enhanced efficiency and customer service. Previously, Jones Dairy delivery staff had to go back and forth to their trucks to gather and print data for transactions, relying on manual entry using pen and paper forms.
Solution
Jones Dairy coupled Motorola® MC70 mobile computers with Zebra’s RW 420 mobile printers.
British Sky Broadcasting Improves Customer Service with the Intermec CN3
British Sky Broadcasting uses the Intermec CN3 to help improve service for its 9.2 million customers.
Posiflex PP8000 Receipt Printer Replacing PP7000 Series
The Posiflex PP8000 thermal receipt printer is specially adapted for all environments. To improve the graphic printing speed, the baud rate has been increased to 115200 bps via RS232 and the print speed has been increased to 220 mm/sec. The PP8000 has a streamlined, lightweight design, but is capable of working in harsh environments and has an optional top cover for dust and splash resistance. The Aura 8000 is a (3-1) printer with Serial, Parallel, and USB interfaces built in.
Mobile Printing Enables Charter Baking Company to Deliver the Freshest Organic Baked Goods On-time to Consumers Nationwide
Challenge
Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, Charter Baking Company, a portfolio company of Charterhouse Group, Inc. and North America’s leading supplier of natural and organic bread and baked goods, is dedicated to bringing consumers a variety of the finest natural and organic breads without the use of any artificial ingredients or preservatives. The company distributes branded products from Rudi’s Organic Bakery, The Vermont Baking Company, The Baker, and Matthew’s Bread to supermarkets, mass retailers and a host of independent natural food stores across the U.S. In order to continue to ensure the freshness of its products, Charter Baking wanted to make sure all products were delivered accurately and on-time to meet its customers’ needs.
In 2007, Charter reached out a leading provider of handheld and host software to the route distribution and food processing industries. The company began its relationship when it bought Vermont Bakeries.
“We had been using a variety of disparate route accounting systems in various locales, including manual systems, and we were lacking the real-time visibility of inventory and sales data that could help us plan production for maximum sales, profitability and customer service,” said Andy Artzer, CIO of Charter Baking Company.
“Manual transactions at the store delivery level slowed down drivers’ productivity and efficiency and were a hindrance to our growth. In addition, the lack of real-time sales/inventory information and sales integration with our back-office planning system made forecasting and production planning a challenge. As a result, we experienced higher return rates in some regions or stores and out-of-stocks in others. Now, with the new system we can do more accurate forecasting by region and by store.”
Based on its needs, Charter Baking selected a sales tracking, ordering, route settlement, mobile/wireless route accounting/direct-store-delivery solution. The application runs on any Microsoft Windows Mobile device and the Charter Baking implementation utilizes Motorola MC9090 rugged mobile computers with a keypad designed specifically for DSD and Zebra RW 420 mobile/wireless receipt printers. Transaction data from each route is uploaded
daily into Charter’s host system application called “Bakers Dozen”.
“We specified Zebra’s mobile technology as a result of an evaluation our company conducted on mobile printers in the marketplace, in which Zebra ranked highest on its usability, rugged construction, printing quality and superior battery life,” explains Artzer. “With the old system it was difficult to decipher the drivers’ handwriting. Now, with the mobile printers, all the printouts are clear and legible.”
Using the handheld mobile/wireless solution, Charter’s drivers can complete delivery route transactions quickly and conveniently. With the mobile computer and printer, Charter’s mobile workers can issue invoices, print receipts, collect signatures, enter credits for returns and accept payments on the spot, then communicate these transactions to the host system. Product and quantity data can be entered either by scanning the product’s UPC code or entering the number into the handheld.
“Implementing the system has helped us streamline delivery operations for drivers and provides us with significantly greater accountability and accuracy on product sales across all locations,” states Artzer. “As a result, we can identify and optimize sales opportunities and ensure that production, distribution and product placement are done in the most advantageous manner to serve our customers.”
