Discover how Millgate delivers complete solutions for our clients, helping them succeed
For many, manual data input, pen and paper processes or even a “green screen”-style system within the warehouse are all too familiar. But with so many modern solutions on the market today, this needn’t be the case anymore.
Every day, we’ve been helping organisations in the manufacturing, warehousing, transport, logistics and retail distribution spaces to alleviate operational headaches and improve efficiency in the warehouse with asset tracking systems that work for them.
This drives greater speed of service while reducing human errors, which ultimately leads to a greater experience for clients’ staff and customers.
Whether the aim is to reduce loss of inventory or enable same day deliveries, a robust service requires a robust asset management system.
Perhaps you have considered implementing a barcoding system or overhauling your outdated one but weren’t quite sure what to expect, or even where to start?
Drawing on our experience implementing system upgrades across businesses like yours, here are the 3 top challenges we’ve observed from clients who initially shied away from such investment, followed by the 3 resolutions that helped them overcome these hesitations and go on to achieve greater operational efficiency:
“Manual input is familiar for our warehouse staff – that’s how it’s always been done and we’re worried they’ll be resistant to change.”
The introduction of automated processes such as barcoded entry are not designed to take away the human from the operation. Instead, they speed up processes that can be automatically checked, which reduces the risk of input error.
In turn, this will improve customer service by allowing you to accurately feed back stock levels and ensure customer orders are always picked correctly.
The lack of manual input ultimately gives time back to the operative so they can move onto their next order more quickly. This accelerates ROI for the company by reducing errors that ultimately lead to cancelled orders and also empowers the operatives to hit their KPIs more easily.
“My green screen application is Windows-based (a 5250 Telnet emulation, for example) and I know this is no longer supported by Microsoft. All current options operate in an Android OS and I’m concerned about the ease of migration.”
All the major Terminal Emulation developers (Staylinked, Ivanti, etc.) have already developed an immediate migration path for their Windows-based TE session to run on Android devices.
Licensing need no longer be perpetual and client-hosted as Android has enabled a range of cloud-based solutions, ultimately reducing the ongoing costs for users’ IT to monitor and maintain.
As we move away from large keyboard devices to more ergonomic full-touch options, a modern, customised graphical user experience can easily be added to your warehouse devices. This will provide a more familiar working tool for those of a younger generation who are joining the warehouse team and who may already be familiar with navigating Apps in an Android OS environment. This helps to speed up onboarding and therefore accelerate ROI.
“We have a mix of users working on foot and on forklift vehicles, some scanning near, some scanning far, and some require two free hands for lifting at all times, whereas others would be picking smaller parcels. We are worried we won’t find a single size to fit all.”
The introduction of Android as a standardised, touch-based and graphical OS has unlocked this flexibility.
For example, Honeywell’s Mobility Edge portfolio provides a standardised platform across a variety of mid-to-very-rugged solutions for the frontline worker. As a result, all OS, patches, firmware, etc. are identical throughout the portfolio, meaning that if an application can run on a CK65, for example, it will also run on a CT45XP or a VM1A, despite them being very different form factors.
In the past, Windows Embedded Operation Systems such as WEH6.5 and CE7.0 were usually the reserve of keyboard-focused designs that some lovingly dub as “bricks on sticks”. While that style of device still exists and is very popular, it isn’t ideal for your workers who are required to jump on and off vehicles or keep two free hands.
From wearable technology to vehicle mounted terminals, we can leverage our expansive vendor network to find a solution that suits the ergonomic needs of everyone in your warehouse operation, regardless of workflow or sub-team.
At Millgate, our mission is to help clients succeed by delivering tech that actually works for them. In essence, we will always take the time to understand your specific requirements and recommend the right solution to fulfil them.
If you’d like to speak to a barcoding specialist about whether an asset tracking system upgrade could improve your operational efficiency, request a call back and a member of the team will be in touch.
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