Primeur, a soft furnishings supplier toArgos,B&QandWilkinson, has deployed a Wi-Fi
bar-coding system in its warehouses to deliver paperless data
collection.
Installed and maintained by Barcoding.co.uk, the Wi-Fi
bar-coding solution has boosted efficiency and accuracy by
integrating with the firm's ERP business system.
The Wi-Fi system helps the firm handle a product line of 1,120,
with about 5m individual items a year being imported from suppliers
in India and Europe.
The entire Primeur site, across three warehouses, is equipped
with 20 Proxim Wi-Fi access points, comprising an appropriate mix
of AP700 and AP500 scanning devices.
This system enables real-time data collection and communication
using handheld computers equipped with barcode scanners. The
devices run terminal emulation and talk directly to the ERP
system.
This enables operators to place the correct item in the correct
stock bin. Then, by also using the portable terminals to assist
with picking, accuracy is maintained with items matching the
pick-lists displayed on the handheld devices.
Glynn Robinson, systems support manager at Primeur, said, "We
are able to run a very well-managed business using real-time data.
This is the right approach for us and has eliminated vast amounts
of paper, which reduces operational and environmental costs, and
significantly boosts accuracy."