The U.S. Naval Air Force Reserve needed to develop a Base Level Inventory Tracking System (BLITS) that was able to optimize manpower on base while expediting the repair process in order for aircraft to return to compat as soon as possible. Since several Naval Air Force Reserve bases had warehouses that stored equipment and parts for military aircraft repair, logistics personnel always had to call the other bases in order to track down the repair part. Parts were frequently tracked via spreadsheets, so when someone was unable to access the spreadsheet, it took a phone call and a lot of unecessary time and labor. Whenever a part was delivered to the base, a driver had to take the part into the warehouse and have the form signed. Then, the driver had to manually enter the data into the database, which left room for lots of errors.
 
The U.S. Naval Air Force Reserve knew that they needed a BLITS system, and turned to Intermec Technologies for help. Intermec Technologies and their partner were able to implement the BLITS system by using the Intermec CK31G, a mobile computer that’s often used for tracking repair parts. With the Intermec CK31G, the driver simply delivers the part, and it is then scanned by workers access card. Once scanned, the access card identifies who received the item, in addition to the date and time. The information is then stored on the Intermec CK31G until it is docked, and then uploaded to a central server. With this system, data can be retreived at any time during the day, providing visibility to each parts’ location in real-time.

Usint the Intermec CK31G allowed the U.S. Naval Force Reserve to become more efficient, and keep much better track of their inventory. If you’re interested in asset tracking with the Intermec CK31G, you can read more here.

Arthur Schuman Inc. is now the largest importer of Italian-style hard cheese, thanks to the help of automated data capture. Back in 2000, Arthur Schuman was still managing a large amount of inventory, but was still using paper-based systems for inventory tracking and management. They were using a legacy inventory management that had no data collection or inventory tracking functions, making it extremely difficult for workers to locate and process specific cheeses for order fulfillment. This lack of automation and real-time data made it difficult to track perishable products and created order-processing problems. In addition, since there was no data automation, each cheese was simply labeled with abbreviations of the type of cheese, demanding a lot of knowledge from warehouse personnel.

After much frustration, Arthur Schuman Inc. decided they needed a completely new, integrated system. After much searching, they decided to implement Intermec handheld barcode scanners with an accompanying inventory management system that provided automated data collection, order fulfillment modules, and many picking/receiving enhancements.

With their new system, Arthur Schuman was immediately to see measurable results in multiple areas of their business. Warehouse personnel became equipped with the Intermec handheld barcode scanners, allowing them to link to the whole enterprise via a barcode interface. The barcoding system included standardized label formats, making training quick and easy. Before the system, workers would be on a constant hunt for the proper type of cheese, but now orders were being transmitted directly to the handheld devices, providing them with a precise zone and bin location of the cheese needed. Orders that once took up to six hours to pick and pack now only take one thanks to automated data collection using Intermec handheld barcode scanners.

By automating their process, warehouse personnel were able to save time, and energy, and simply had to scan the bin, rather than interpreting product labels. This improved all aspects of Arthur Schuman Inc., slashing their per pound picked cost by 30%, doubling inventory turns, and reducing errors in every facet of the business.

Going from a paper-based system to using an automated data capture system with Intermec handheld barcode scanners truly helped Arthur Schuman Inc. become more efficient, allowing them to take the lead in the cheese importing industry. If you would like to find out more about what automated data capture can do for your company, please contact our sponsor.

If you need a mobile computer, but aren’t sure which one is right for you, or aren’t sure how many you’ll need and for how long, renting a mobile computer is the perfect option. However, it’s hard to find somewhere to rent from; most companies want you to buy. After doing some research, I discovered that you can rent mobile computers from Barcoding Inc.

How it Works
The program, called Rental2Go, allows customers to rent a Motorola MC70 or MC75 for 1 month, 3 month, 6 months, a year, or more and includes everything needed to get started. In addition to all of the necessary accessories, all rental units come equipped with CaptureSoft eXpress for application development to fit your company’s needs. To top off the rental service, Barcoding Inc. provides exceptional service for any questions and or issues that should come up during the time you’re renting a mobile device.

If you’re interested in working more efficiently and would like to rent a mobile computer, contact Barcoding Inc. for more details.

The GAO127005 is a 2.4GHz active RFID tag that sounds an alarm if someone tries to tamper with it. The tag is also waterproof and comes with a small “smart button” located at the bottom of the tag that will automatically pop up and sound an alarm should somebody try to peel off the RFID tag.

A built-in LED flash enables users to locate assets with the attached tag and is capable of up to 30 meters of tracking. Its bi-directional amplifier includes an Addressing Command and a Stop Addressing Command, and its ruggedness proves itself in even the harshest of conditions.

Additional features include:

• Excellent for mount on-metal applications
• Reliable RF signal and communication over a long distance
• Tamper-proof
• 100-tag/s identification rate, 2,000 tag management in RF field
• Transmits ID every 2 seconds

The alarm feature of this innovative RFID tag is ideal for high-security environments and especially useful in asset tracking.

Ace Beverage Co., one of the largest beer distributors in California, was looking for a better way to track order information, build loads on time, and manage crew overtime. One of their greatest challenges was gathering and sending pre-sales data from the field to the distributor’s warehouse before the deadline.

In the past, Ace tried to have all their orders in by 6pm, and the trucks would start to leave at 5am the next morning. This allowed only11 hours to dispatch and load the trucks, and one small problem could set them back, causing a lot of overtime and late truck departures.

In order to prevent this, the pre-sales team would need new tools that would reduce the amount of time from when the orders were sent to the field, to the warehouse, and to the delivery trucks, all while keeping searchable electronic records.

After implementing a field-force automation and customer relationship management software (CRM), Intermec Technologies was chosen to provide windows-based mobile pen tablets as the hardware of choice.

By equipping all store pre-sales reps with Intermec mobile pen tablets, data can be constantly updated throughout the day, allowing crew to get a jump-start on the loading process. This prevents overtime, saving the company money and keeping worker happy. In fact, by using Intermec pen tablets combined with a reliable CRM, Ace Beverage Co. saves 15-20 hours in driver loading and overtime each week, with an estimated ROI of over $50,000.

If you’re interested in making your business more efficient like Ace Beverage Co., contact our sponsor for an affordable solution that allows you to experience all of the wonders of wireless mobile computing.