Challenge: Improve labeling operations in order to concentrate on customer relations

Combining the concepts of travel and decoration, Maisons du Monde is a retailer specializing in furniture and interior decoration with 200 shops. A true success story, the retailer has been able to rise to prominence in a booming market and expand to several European countries in less than 15 years.

Maisons du Monde’s original positioning and its collections that are renewed continuously to adapt to current trends are the retailer’s winning qualities. In this logistical environment where the management of stock and collections is essential, the French brand has decided to turn to various technological partners who can introduce an innovative marking and identification system.

In order to enable its shop assistants to concentrate on the customers rather than on restrictive and particularly time-consuming labeling operations, the retailer wanted to introduce modern and progressive mobile technologies for item labeling and in-store inventory management of different collections.

Maisons du Monde turned to industrial partners specializing in marking and printing who were capable of implementing a universal solution very quickly in all shops in France.

A few essential requirements were established in order to deal with the enormity of the project and the extremely short deadline:

• “PDA/mobile printers” materials must ensure that items are handled rapidly, while making employees fully mobile
• Predominantly centralized technical support management must enable each shop to be run remotely without requiring a technician to work on-site

“In contrast to large-scale food retail, specialist retailers, such as Maisons du Monde do not have a digital price display system using electronic labels, enabling prices to be modified remotely. In-store relabeling and stocktaking are carried out manually and require significant attention; a pricing error has irreparable negative consequences on customers”, explains Guillaume Cesbron, chief information officer at Maisons du Monde. ” Faced with this problem, we therefore looked for a fully mobile, non cumbersome, highly reliable material and software solution, that used portable PDA mobile devices linked to wireless printers“, he adds.

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Power³ technology gives the new Falcon™ X3 from Datalogic Mobile the power and features to tackle applications required by today’s high speed supply chains.

The new Datalogic Falcon X3 provides real time data capture and communication, assuring accurate inventories and maximizing productivity. Available with either laser scanner or 2D imager, the Falcon™ X3 can be configured to match the needs of any department. Both laser and imager come with Datalogic patented Green Spot good read feedback assuring accuracy. Packaged with Windows CE or Windows Mobile 6.5, the Falcon™ X3 integrates seamlessly with WMS and ERP management systems. Plus, the Falcon™ X3’s Summit Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g radio provides maximized coverage, thanks to a unique diversity antenna system.

Attention to ergonomics is seen throughout the Falcon™ X3. The pistol grip version offers an arched handle and ergonomic trigger, making high frequency scanning operations comfortable throughout the day. The numeric and alphanumeric keyboards are set up placing high use keys at the operator’s fingertips, with a universal numeric phone key layout. The crisp QVGA display and backlit keyboard make it easy to work in dark indoor or extremely bright outdoor environments. The Falcon™ X3 is built rugged, resisting numerous drops from 6 feet, while IP64 level sealing protects the unit from dust and liquids.

Datalogic Mobile’s software and service tools complete the new Falcon™ X3 with preloaded and pre-licensed Wavelink® Avalanche™ and Terminal Emulation. This makes the mobile computer ready to go out of the box for rapid deployment and centralized management. Other software tools included are the Datalogic Desktop, Configuration, and Firmware Utilities to customize and update device configuration.

Datalogic Mobile also offers a comprehensive suite of maintenance service programs to protect the Falconâ„¢ X3 investment.

Motorola announced the MC959B mobile computer – the industry’s first industrial handheld mobile computer that allows mobile workers to easily select the wireless network that best meets their needs. The MC959B is a data-only device and offers a dual 3G WAN modem that enables enterprises to deploy the device on multiple networks and switch between 3.5G GSM HSUPA and 3.5 CDMA EVDO Rev A connections.

• The newest addition to Motorola’s premium-class MC9500-K series, the MC959B provides the flexibility enterprise organizations need with true WAN technology independence in the field.
• The new MC959B is one of the first handheld industrial mobile computers to incorporate Qualcomm’s Gobiâ„¢ connectivity technology – one of the first embedded mobile wireless solutions designed to put an end to connectivity limitations. The new MC959B via MAX FlexWAN enables enterprises to deploy and later re-deploy the devices on virtually any 3.5G network, simplifying purchasing and device management.
• The MC959B is the industry’s most rugged mobile computer and designed for mobile field workers – including those in the transportation and logistics, parcel/post, direct store delivery, field service and public safety industries – who work in large territories with coverage areas that may be best served by different cellular networks.
• Motorola’s newest offering delivers reliable performance and can be activated on the enterprise network of choice and switched between multiple networks to ensure connectivity throughout the business day.
• Designed to improve operational efficiencies with superior ergonomics, the MC9500-K series of mobile computers, including the new MC959B, offers an unsurpassed feature set in a sleek and reliable form factor for enterprises demanding the most versatile and rugged solutions.

The Unitech PA600 is the leading handheld mobile computer sold with RedBeam’s asset tracking and inventory control software solutions. More PA600s were sold in 2009 with RedBeam software than any other mobile device.

The PA600 is a powerful and versatile mobile computer and is an ideal match for RedBeam’s data collection software. Compact and durable, the PA600 is equipped with a large color LCD touch screen, 18-key keypad, 520MHz processor, and is the lightest PDA in its class. The integrated laser scanner and RedBeam’s mobile solutions give users the flexibility to move around their store or warehouse rather than working at one central scanning station.

The trusted combination of RedBeam software and the Unitech PA600, provide completes asset tracking and inventory control solutions to customers. To make it even easier, Unitech offers customized programs to help VARs market these solutions to end users quickly and effectively.

The Datalogic Memor mobile computer maximizes a compact, light weight form factor for shirt pocket convenience without compromising durability.

This video shows how it can be used for field force automation.

Prepare. To. Be. Rocked.

The Motorola MC3090-Z handheld RFID reader, for retail and business environments, boasts a patented omni-directional antenna for increased read efficiency and reduced user fatigue.

Dolphin 6500 delivers optimum balance of performance and value for in-premise environments

Honeywell today announced an expansion to its Dolphin® 6000 product line with the introduction of the Honeywell Dolphin 6500 mobile computer, a lightweight solution fit to meet in-premise needs for retail, supply chain, and other light-industrial environments. Equipped with a large, color touch screen display, multiple keypad options, and the latest capabilities in data collection, imaging and communication, Honeywell’s feature-rich and value-oriented Dolphin 6500 mobile computer has the tools necessary to increase productivity and reliability in the enterprise.

Designed for a variety of in-store and back room operations including price checking, product lookup, inventory control, customer assistance and asset management, the Dolphin 6500 features a 3.5 inch color touch screen display. This large display allows users to see more of an application on a single screen, enhancing user experience in graphically-based applications. Two distinct keypad options – the 28-key numeric keypad and the 52-key alphanumeric keypad – allow enterprises to meet key-based data entry requirements, as well as user preference. Additionally, the lightweight form factor and ergonomic design of the 6500 lends itself to single-handed scanning, which enables users to multi-task.

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Honeywell’s Dolphin 9700 is equipped with advanced imaging and communications technologies for continuous connectivity and reliability

Honeywell today introduced the Dolphin® 9700, a rugged digital assistant, equipped with multi-functional data collection and communications capabilities in one reliable, easy-to-use device. The 9700 allows companies specializing in parcel delivery, route accounting, field services, and healthcare point-of-care applications to better serve their customers, by maximizing worker productivity through innovations that provide increased connectivity, optimized system performance, task-specific ergonomics, and an intuitive user interface.

Housed in a sleek yet rugged design, the device is equipped with multimedia data collection capabilities to ensure that users can capture signatures, as well as full-color images and video. The 9700 is equipped with Honeywell’s signature Adaptus® Imaging Technology for advanced bar code scanning. Automated camera control provides users with full programming control, simplifying camera use with point and shoot functionality that reduces image blur and improves picture quality. Additionally, the Dolphin 9700 is the first mobile computing device to allow bar code scanning and picture taking to occur in the same application, resulting in improved worker productivity. The Dolphin 9700 also has multi-modal communications tools such as instant messenger, e-mail, web browsing, voice-guided navigation and more, making it easier for workers to communicate and stay connected throughout their shifts.

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Honeywell’s Dolphin® 9900 and Sydion’s emergency management technology provide efficient H1N1 vaccination

Honeywell today announced that Sydion, LCC, a mobile crisis management technology company, is offering its’ patient-tracking software on Honeywell’s mobility platform to assist in the administration of the H1N1 vaccine. The system that Sydion is offering bundles Honeywell’s Dolphin® 9900 mobile computers into Sydion’s eMET®, an emergency patient tracking system, to deliver a complete offering that enables healthcare providers to effectively prepare for and manage mass H1N1 vaccine administration at locations such as hospitals, vaccination clinics or schools. Recently made available to the public, the H1N1 vaccine is in extremely high demand due to several outbreaks of the H1N1 flu, commonly known as the “swine flu.” The mobile tracking system offered by Sydion enables healthcare facilities and public health agencies to address the public need by offering a system to track, monitor and administer available vaccines either remotely or on-site.

With eMET®, patients are provided with a bar-coded wrist band or other form of identification that includes vital information which is used to create an electronic medical record. The patient ID is entered into the eMET® central database, creating a way for medical personnel to track and prioritize all patients, based on individual needs. The system automatically transmits all patient data scanned or entered into the mobile computer to the patient’s record in the eMET® database, ensuring that physicians have up-to-date information and can follow up with the patient as needed.

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Honeywell today announced two advancements in the Dolphin 9900 product line: the availability of Windows Mobile 6.1 for all models in the Dolphin 9900 series, and the new Dolphin 9951 mobile computer with support for long-range barcode scanning. These two enhancements provide users with advanced technology to accommodate their mobile computing requirements.

Microsoft’s award-winning mobile operating system, Windows Mobile 6.1, is now available for all Dolphin 9900 models. Featuring a broad number of improvements for developers and customers, Windows Mobile 6.1 offers increased performance, advanced features and improved network security functions.

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