Mobile computing has become a necessity in warehouse and distribution centres that demand global best-of-practice standards, particularly where companies are now competing as part of a global village, and it`s essential to have access to information in real-time to maintain a competitive-edge.
To have a fully integrated, mobile data collection system is not so simple and requires the assistance of specialists in the field. Various elements come into play to realise a best-of-breed solution, which is easy to use, upgradeable and compatible with industry standards.
Traditionally, data collection in warehouse/distribution environments has been facilitated by the use of barcode labels. With the emergence of radio frequency identification (RFID), we`re seeing more and more applications combining barcoding and RFID technologies, with some companies considering migrating from barcoding to RFID in the future.
With the emerging technology in mind, it`s important that companies ensure all elements of the solution - from label, printer and handheld computer to wireless network - are RFID-enabled and ready in order to protect their investment in the future.
With the emerging technology in mind, it`s important that companies ensure all elements of the solution are RFID-enabled and ready in order to protect their investment in the future.
Andrew Fosbrook, MD, ProScan Systems.
The data collection process starts with a good quality barcode label or RFID tag, which is generated from a barcode or RFID-enabled label printer. Ensure you use industry-standard barcode labels or RFID tags and that you can accommodate a RFID chip as an option in the future.
The next piece of equipment is a mobile handheld computer or vehicle-mounted (forklift) device, which allows information to be captured as the product continues its journey through the warehouse.
Standard warehouse tasks are performed with these handheld or vehicle-mounted terminals, ranging from receiving, binning, picking, movements, dispatch and stocktaking. In addition, this equipment facilitates complex tasks such as cross-docking, interleaving and cycle counting.
The mobile hardware in a warehouse/distribution environment must suit the application. For example, retail-type mobile computers differ from the more robust units suitable for an industrial or warehouse environment. Once again, it`s important to ensure the operating system of the mobile computer complies with industry standards so that it`s compatible and upgradeable.
A robust wireless network is required to connect the heldheld or vehicle-mounted wireless terminals to the company`s back-end warehouse management system or enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.
When selecting a wireless network, ensure it is 802.11 WiFi compliant and compatible with the latest industry standards, so that you`re not restrained by proprietary systems. In addition, security is another major consideration, so check the level of security and compliance to industry standards.
Once the mobile devices and network have collected the data, it needs to integrate into the back-end. There are several options here - most ERP systems have a standard interface for mobile computing, or alternatively, software specialists are called in to match backend requirements.
An important consideration when selecting a mobile data collection system is to protect return on investment by investigating the upgradeability of the solution with the view of accommodating future developments, such as RFID, the growth of voice recognition-enabled applications, and evolving wireless standards.
* Andrew Fosbrook is MD of ProScan Systems.
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