Going Mobile without Getting Taken for a Ride

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Tim Wills

All of us in the supply chain business have been talking Mobile Solutions for years. However, over the last 18 months Mobility has been making headlines in the business press, and in popular culture.

The benefits of mobile solutions are significant and the return on investment can be quick and substantial. However, a word of caution: All this notoriety has attracted a number of newcomers offering “Mobile Solutions,” that can be long on promise, but short on substance.

The successful deployment of new technologies requires a high level of skills and expertise to seamlessly integrate the solution into your current operations without risking current business and without missing the opportunity to maximize and accelerate the return on investment.

This is particularly true when empowering the mobile workforce. Today’s mobile devices combine a variety of functions into a single handheld unit. This can be a double-edged sword. It can streamline your field workforce’s workspace, but its singular failure can bring productivity to a standstill.

A thorough approach to deploying new technologies allows you to apply expertise and experience to each phase of the solution, from needs analysis, planning and assessment, to design, staging and implementation, to ongoing maintenance and support. Deploying new technologies via an integrated, complete lifecycle approach allows you to leverage expertise in emerging technologies, while applying proven processes that reduce implementation cost and risk.

Beware of albeit good-intentioned newcomers that talk the talk, but lack the resources and knowledge necessary to fulfill all the steps necessary without impacting other areas of your operations. Not applying expertise in any one of these areas could reduce the impact of new technology, inhibit improved efficiencies, increase costs and ultimately jeopardize your business operations instead of improving them.

Mobilizing your workforce with next-generation technology can provide real, tangible competitive advantages. And working with an experienced partner that offers a full suite of professional and lifecycle support services allows you to reduce disruptions to your current operations while reaping real gains with minimum risk.

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If you run a paper-based distribution center, there is absolutely one thing you need to do in 2012

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Chris Wappler

If you have a distribution center still using paper for order picking, replenishment, put-away and cycle-counting, there is absolutely one thing you need to do in 2012 to keep pace with, or overtake, your competitors. You need to investigate voice-directed logistics solutions.

Maintaining that paper-based warehouse will cost you tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in added operating expenses from lost productivity, suspect order accuracy, non-value added processes and the cost of paper and printer maintenance again this year.

In the 12+ years I have been involved with voice-directed logistics, I have seen voice replace paper-based processes and provide productivity gains of 10 – 35%, reduce errors associated with picking and replenishment by 50 – 80% – all while delivering a total payback in about 12 months or even less.

In the past 3 or 4 years, voice technology has advanced and improved dramatically as compared to the first-generation voice solutions that became popular about 10 years ago. Like the evolution of any technology, the cost associated with it has decreased while the capabilities and flexibility have increased.

From the cost perspective, the initial investment has been reduced from ~$150K for 20 concurrent users to about ~$100K for the same number of users. Beyond the initial investment, the total cost of ownership (TCO) over the life of the solution has also dropped with lower software and hardware support and maintenance costs.

From the flexibility perspective, the hardware has evolved from proprietary and single-threaded wireless mobile devices that could only support a voice application, to commercially available multi-modal wireless devices that can support voice, barcode and RFID as well as screen and keyboard applications. While voice is a perfect fit for several business processes in the warehouse, barcode and other wireless data collection methods fit better with other processes. Now a single hardware platform can be leveraged to support all of the wireless data collection needs in the distribution center.

It has also become much easier for you to take voice for a “test drive” within the four walls of your own warehouse so you can see it being used by a few of your own employees doing their actual work.

If you are still running a paper-based operation, I highly encourage you to take a few hours to a few days to go through the payback analysis process and see how much voice could save your operation in 2012 and beyond. If you don’t, you are letting money walk out your dock doors every day.

You can see an sample ROI worksheet here.

If you want to know more or would like go through a payback analysis to see the ROI voice could deliver for your own operation, contact me and I will be happy to help.

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The Voice of the Worker!

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Chris Wappler

Labor, the folks that work in the warehouse, represent the single biggest cost in your warehousing operation. And technology is supposed to help reduce costs. Yet, we find that labor is often an area where technology is leveraged least. PEAK Voice Solutions optimize the distribution center workforce. In fact, workers who’ve experienced a voice-enabled solution often comment that picking without it is like working with one eye closed, and one hand tied behind their backs.

For any picking operations, voice-enabled solutions can offer potential savings and quick returns on investment, with businesses often recouping their entire voice investment in less than 12 months. Here’s how:

Improved Productivity
Voice solutions allow workers to accomplish more tasks per worker per shift. The voice-enabled worker performs tasks with his head up and hands free. Liberated from tasks that tax productivity, such as scanning, reading pick lists, apply labels, writing or keying in information, productivity improvements of 20% and higher are not uncommon.

Increased Accuracy
A single error incurs a series of costs to that error, from returns, re-picking, and re-shipping, to reduced customer satisfaction. By issuing workers exact instructions, confirming tasks and correcting errors as mistakes occur, near 100% accuracy is achievable.

Reduced Warehouse Labor Costs
Voice can reduce labor costs by creating a safer work environment, decreasing training time and lowering turnover rates. Voice also reduces costs of picking related consumables such as paper, ink and other materials.

Now might be the time to give your workers the voice they deserve…the voice-solution that will provide a better warehouse world for all!

For more on Voice ROI, visit our Voice Microsite.

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Talk is Cheap….Well, At Least Less Expensive!

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Chris Wappler

When voice-enabled solutions for the warehouse first emerged, they required a fairly hefty initial investment. The perception still remains that you need deep pockets to put voice-based picking into your warehouse.

While fewer than 1 out of 10 warehouses are currently using a voice picking solution, the rapid ROI made possible by next-generation voice-enabled logistics solutions is starting to be recognized by more than just the “big boys.” Voice-picking applications are now an affordable and cost-effective solution for organizations of nearly every size. In fact, companies with as few as 10 pickers can recoup their initial investment in voice within the first year.

Another concern holding back many companies are the ongoing costs. Warehouse managers with legacy voice solutions are often frustrated by high maintenance, licensing and training/retraining expenses. They also aren’t too happy to be locked into proprietary-hardware.

Fortunately, the next generation systems overcome these issues. For instance, phoneme-based voice engines are speaker-independent (vs. speaker-dependent). This eliminates the need to “train” the system to each user, which can be a significant cost/time saver for organizations with high turnover rates.

What’s more, the open architecture of next generation systems allows the customer to use whatever hardware works best, regardless of manufacturer or methodology. For example, the customer might initially deploy voice in conjunction with existing barcode scanners, then adopt a voice/RFID or voice-only approach as needs change.

Times are changing and assumptions about the cost and ROI of voice solutions may need to be revisited. Perhaps its time to take a new look at voice-based solutions scaled for your warehouse operations.

You can check out a sample ROI worksheet here

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Free Webinar – Purpose-built Barcode Label Printing & Mobility Solutions for the SAP Supply Chain of the Future

Posted on November 2, 2011 by Tim Wills

Join us on a free webinar exploring the latest developments for barcode labeling printing and mobility solutions for your SAP® supply chain.  You’ll learn how the latest solutions allow your organization to develop a scalable, real-time, efficient, and optimized technology infrastructure. 

The webinar is hosted by PEAK Technologies, Zebra Technologies and Motorola and will be presented by Chris Schultz, Sr. ERP Systems Architect and Calvin Fidler, Director, SAP Solutions Innovation of PEAK Technologies, Inc.

The Webinar will take place:

Date: Thursday, November 17, 2011
Time: 2:00 pm ET/11:00 am PT
Duration: 60 minutes (including Q&A)

Click Here to Register

Attendees will be able to take a brand new approach to their enterprise label printing challenges with an easy to use, quick to deploy, seamlessly integrated labeling solution tailor-made for the SAP environment.  The PEAK Technologies solution features Zebra Technologies printers, designed for use with your SAP supply chain system, helps optimize your labeling process from confirmation-of-action to compliance labeling.  This state-of-the-art approach makes your barcode printers and internal staff more productive than ever before.
In addition, the webinar will cover various factors that affect the performance of SAP ITSmobile including hardware, software, configuration, device settings, and more.

PEAK will also introduce the PEAK ITSmobile Accelerator, known as PIX, and discuss how speeds approaching terminal emulation are now possible when using SAP ITSmobile.

Attendees will also be able to receive real-world answers to common questions about SAP barcode label printing and ITSmobile that have been collected from several recent large SAP supply chain enterprise printing and mobile data collection deployments.

Key Learning Points:

• Tips for taking a brand new approach to solving your enterprise label printing challenges
• What are the key similarities and differences between the different methods of approaching barcode label printing from your SAP system?
• Evaluate new approaches to SAP enterprise label printing to save your company time, resources and money
• Understand ITSmobile performance factors and introduce a revolutionary new solution to maximize ITSmobile performance
• New solution developments for mobilizing the role-based worker outside the four walls of the supply chain
• Discover the latest printing and mobile computing solutions from Zebra and Motorola

Presenters:

Chris Schultz, Sr. ERP Systems Architect, PEAK Technologies, Inc. 

Chris Schultz has worked in the systems integration and data collection business for over 20 years, and has implemented numerous industrial data collection systems in SAP environments across a variety of industries. Chris has authored numerous thought leadership white papers including “Selecting an Approach for Industrial SAP Data Collection Solutions”, “A Best-Practices Approach to Getting the most out of SAPConsole,” and most recently “ITSmobile – Web-based SAP Data Collection Solution.” At PEAK, Chris is chartered with further developing PEAK’s architecture and development strategy in support of SAP solutions to help ensure a common platform for rapid deployment of SAP solution-based supply chain transactions and applications. Chris has also recently served as a Business Systems Consultant on several large customer projects who selected ITSmobile as their industrial data collection system for their SAP retail and supply chain environments.

Calvin Fidler, Director, SAP Solutions Innovation, PEAK Technologies, Inc. 

Calvin Fidler has worked in the SAP systems integration and data collection business for over 20 years, and has architected numerous industrial data collection, enterprise printing and RFID systems in SAP environments across a variety of industries. At PEAK, Calvin is chartered with further developing PEAKs architecture and development strategy for the PEAK Automation Controller product suite, including the PEAK Automation Controller for Enterprise Printing.

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Importance of Matching Your Media to Your Application

Posted on September 21, 2011 by Tim Wills

Printing systems devour consumable media like a bear during salmon season.  Ensuring your labels match your application can improve accuracy, lower handling costs and make your warehouse more efficient.

Barcode tags and labels come in all sizes, shapes, materials and adhesives.  They can be custom made to integrate with package design or to withstand extreme conditions.

Regardless of you labeling needs, investigating a few basic areas can help you pick the right label.

The Printer

The question may be obvious; direct thermal or thermal transfer?  Direct thermal does not require a ribbon, but uses special heat-sensitive paper, turning black when exposed to heat.  Thermal transfer printing uses high-carbon, thermal transfer ribbons.  The ribbon passes between the print head and the label, transferring the ink onto the label.  Knowing your printing method is imperative for selecting the right label material, or facestock, for your application.

Labels and Tags

A barcode label consists of the facestock, adhesive and release liner.  Peeling off the release liner exposes the adhesive on the back of the face stock…then you stick in on.

With some applications, you may need to avoid contact of the adhesive to the product.  Enter the tag.  Tags, or tickets, are generally attached using a hole in the tag.  This keeps the product free of any adhesive or glue and reduces waste by eliminating the release liner.

Label Material

Here the basic question is: paper or synthetic?  Paper is economical and acceptable for thousands of applications.  But when the going gets tough, the tough go for synthetic.

Synthetic facestocks offer a wide variety of material, each suited for a particular application or environment.  Key questions for determining the right synthetic label are:

  • What is the surface label to which the label is applied?
  • What type of environment will the label be exposed to?
  • What is the “journey” of the product once the label is applied?
  • How long does it need to last?

With this information in hand, the experts at PEAK Technologies are best able to guide you to the right material for your particular application.

Adhesive

There are lots of choices when it comes to adhesives.  Of course, if you use a tag this is one decision you don’t have to make.  But to make your label stick, you have some choices.  The broad categories are permanent, removable, repositionable, freezer-grade and patterned.

  • Removable adhesive can be removed, but only once. The glue can become stronger the longer it is on a surface. Over time, it becomes more like a permanent adhesive.  Labels with this component will stick to surfaces well and are not easy to remove.
  • Repositionable adhesive allows the label to be removed and reapplied to a broad range of surfaces.
  • Freezer-grade adhesives, as the name suggest, are designed for use within certain low temperature environments.
  • Patterned adhesive leave certain parts of the label free of adhesive. This is frequently delicate surfaces or valuable items, ensuring no adhesive residue is left on the product.

Specialty Labels

Specialty labels can be designed for specific applications; examples include:

  • Tamper evident labels are designed for extra security.  Once applied, the label cannot be removed and reapplied.
  • “Void” labels leave part of the adhesive behind showing they have been removed.
  • Destructible vinyl labels will break apart into little pieces.
  • Jewelry labels come in special shapes, ideal for labeling small items. An example is the dumbbell label, also called a butterfly label.
  • Self-laminating labels are also called cable labels. They have a white printable area and a longer clear part to wrap around the cable and the printed area.
  • RFID Labels: have an RFID chip imbedded on the back side of the label. This chip can contain much more information than a traditional barcode. RFID also allows an entire pallet of product to be scanned at one pass through the scanner.

The variety of specialty labels goes on and on: there are opaque, piggyback, retro-reflective, and even aluminum and steel barcode labels.

This is just a brief overview of point to consider when choosing a label media for your application.  For more information or questions, contact us at 800-926-9212 or email us at info@peaktech.com.

 

 

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Predicting Mobile Printer Reliability – Part 2

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Tim Wills

In the first part of this two-piece series we looked at ruggedness and IP ratings as two ways to predict the reliability of mobile printers.  In this installment, we will look at three other key gauges dependability.

Power Management
Mobility frees us from the power cord and wall socket, and for that, we thank our battery.  But a dead battery can bring the whole mobile process to a stop. The minimum performance benchmark for a battery is an entire shift of work based on your particular application.

Continue reading →

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Predicting Mobile Printer Reliability – Part 1

Posted on September 2, 2011 by Tim Wills

If your mobile worker and his or her trusty printer must complete their duties despite snow or rain or heat or gloom of night, just any printer may not be up to the task. In a previous post, we looked at ways to accurately evaluate the speed of your mobile printer based on your application. But, if your mobile printer isn’t up to the environmental challenges, all the speedy printing and productivity gains evaporate. Lets look at some of the key areas to investigate to judge a mobile printer’s reliability.

Continue reading →

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New Features Requested from the User Community

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Chris Schultz

One feature request that was raised had to do with handling a very common go live issue – RF users not having an RF profile (e.g. maintained via SAP transaction LRFMD).

When a user without an RF profile logs into SAP using ITSmobile – kaboom – they are basically out of luck and have to end the session and start over – even worse they have no idea why this is happening. We can add something to the PEAK PIX solution to fix this by displaying a friendly message about needing an RF profile and returning the user to the login screen.

Another feature I think might be helpful is being able to display the version of the PEAK PIX solution that is actively running in the user’s session. Since much of PEAK PIX consists of MIME files (e.g. JavaScript and CSS), they are cached locally by the browser and are not always refreshed the same way across different mobile OS’s and devices. After we updated PEAK PIX with the latest fix, there were a few instances where we determined the older version was still running (because they were still playing the wav file).

We will continue to monitor the operation of the RF system during the 2nd week of go live and evaluate adding more functionality to the PEAK PIX solution when and if required.

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RF Device & Browser Troubleshooting

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Chris Schultz

After sleeping a bit and thinking through the test results, we realized the screen freezing issue was most repeatable after triggering one or more errors during processing.

Currently the RF system displays a specific error screen and plays a wav file to make the RF device beep. We also noticed that on our problem RF device the beeps sounded like static, whereas the device unaffected by this issue sounded fine. This led me to run some tests with the wav file being suppressed. Initial tests were positive as no freezing occurred after performing multiple tests on different devices.

This triggered my interest to see if this was a known documented issue, since I was dynamically adding the link to play a wav file during a screen update. Apparently there are several accounts of <bgsource> triggering memory leaks within the IE browser engine. As further testing and the eventual transport into production revealed itself, this was indeed the cause of both problems.

Since regular ITSmobile screen templates trigger the wav file from the HEAD section of the web page and reload a new page for every screen change, this issue is not present. It is happening because with the PEAKPIX solution the web page rarely changes and all screen updates are done dynamically.

Big relief, as troubleshooting memory leaks on a mobile device is quite a challenge. Now with our two major RF issues resolved, it was on to observing performance and any ideas for features to improve the solution.  Overall a very good day

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