Rennies Logistics, in a strategic alliance with Nissan South Africa, manages the total supply chain for the export of Nissan vehicles in Complete Knock Down (CKD) or kit format to Zimbabwe and Egypt for local production and assembly.
Nissan South Africa in conjunction with Nissan Japan and Rennies Logistics established "Rennies Motopak" in February 1996. This made Nissan the first motor manufacturer with a CKD packing plant in South Africa and the first CKD export packing plant for Nissan outside Japan.
To ensure total control of the innovative operation Rennies has installed the Impact system which is based on manual inputs. Rennies Motopak contracted Symbol Technologies and Computer Support to convert this barcode input, which in turn led to the development of an automated barcode scanning system with radio frequency communications. This controls the packing process - from ordering, receiving and tracking of components to packing and dispatching.
Graham O Keeffe, sales director of Symbol Technologies said:" At its plant in Rosslyn Pretoria, Rennies Motopak pack complete kits consisting of locally supplied components - consolidated and combined with imported CKD`s from Japan - and exports about 40 such kits every week to each destination. It is also responsible for managing both the land side/sea movement of partial kits from Japan to South Africa and the transport pipeline to the Zimbabwean production facility. Accurate component packing and transportation costs control are therefore vital to Rennies Motopak."
Albert Venter, manager of Rennies Logistics Unit, said: " The System enables us to have access to accurate and immediate information. We have had and improvement of up to 99% on packing accuracy of total components since installing the system."
Local components, received on a Just In Tame (JIT) basis, are captured into the Rennies system for production control. Barcode labels generated by the Zebra Strip S300 printer are attached to the components. Using the Symbol LRT 3800 laser Radio Terminal which integrates a non-contact laser scanner, 16bit DOS computer and Spread Spectrum Radio, the operator scans all components into three packing stages. Stage 1 consists of packing loose components into specified boxes, crates, bags, etc. which are packed into outer cases during the second stage and then into containers with the components from Japan during the final stage.
O Keeffe added: "Each Nissan model consists of approximately 450 line items. The Symbol solution is therefore critical in tracking their location and movement during the packing stages."
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