Case Study– Warehouse Inventory Management Efficiency
Challenge
Improve efficiency of Durabook Americas’ inventory management system to address growth and customer needs.
Solution
Reviewed Durabook product portfolio and identified the Durabook U11 as the ideal product given its integrated barcode scanner, functionality, and portability.
Result
By deploying the Durabook U11 as an inventory management solution’s, Durabook Americas was able to significantly reduce picking errors, improve efficiency and reduce costs.
Business Growth Challenges Current Inventory Management Solution
On a daily basis, the company managed hundreds of incoming parts, outgoing finished products, service orders, and more. To manage the inventory management process, the company used laptops, barcode scanners, and paper to track incoming and outgoing inventory. To pick the oldest goods from shelves– first-in, first-out– the warehouse technician would print out a list of serial numbers, then match that information with items on the shelf. Those items would be brought back to a workstation so that serial numbers could be scanned into the ERP system. The process required the management of multiple devices and their respective warrants. It also lacked mobility, resultant in a high level of paper usage and picking errors.
As its business expanded, the existing process was not able to sufficiently scale to meet changing needs. to provide the level of service its customers expected, the company needed to update its inventory management solution.
Finding the Right Solution
Durabook Americas reviewed its portfolio of rugged mobile devices to determine the ideal solution. The right device for the job needed to fulfill following requirements:
- Exceptional connectivity: The inventory status updates could be made and reviewed in real time.
- A high level of durability: To withstand the drops and dust in a warehouse.
- A screen viewable in varying light conditions.
- Serve as a mobile ERP terminal.
- A camera to capture detailed images for reporting purposes.
After careful consideration, the Durabook U11 fully-rugged tablet was selected.
Improvements Immediately Noticeable
Once the Durabook U11 was deployed, efficiency improvements were immediate. The use of a single integrated device that combined exceptional connectivity, a scanner, clear terminal, and a camera in a highly rugged and mobile package allowed the warehouse workers to complete their job in a single location, reduce the use of paper, lower picking errors and improve efficiency.
Before the introduction of the Durabook U11, the company used upwards of 200 sheets of paper a day. That number has been reduced to approximately 10, resulting in savings they estimate to be $10,000 per year. In the six months Durabook has had its U11 solution in place, the company has reduced its picking errors by two percent, resulting in a savings of $125,000. For every 100 items received, Durabook is estimating a 7.8-minute improvement in efficiency and an 11-minute improvement efficiency in the same volume of items picked.
“While we have seen these types of results with our customers in the field, it’s still impressive,” said Tom Wang, C.O.O. Durabook Americas. “The difference our products make in the day-to-day operations of our customer’s and our own business is all the proof we need that Durabook products deliver a real return on investment.”
About the Durabook U11
The Durabook U11 features Windows® 10 Pro, Intel® 7th Generation CPUs, 4-16GB of RAM, and a 128-512GB quick-release SSD, giving remote workers the power to complete nearly any task in the field. The device is designed for workers who face challenging operating environments, and is MIL-STD-810G certified for drop (6’), shock, vibration, rain, dust, humidity, high/low temperature (- 4°F ~ 140°F), and more. The U11 features the latest Intel® Dual Band wireless AC 9260, Bluetooth 5.0, has an optional 4G LTE-Advanced Pro multi-carrier mobile broadband and an optional integrated 1D/2D Barcode Scanner.
To meet the needs of mobile workers operating in environments that are not suited to consumer technology, the Durabook U11 was designed with the end user in mind. The 11.6″ FHD (1920 x 1080) LCD, features a 10-point capacitive multi-touch panel allowing users to keep their gloves on when engaging with the device. The display features anti-glare and anti-reflective film, making it readable in direct sunlight. The device’s hot-swappable battery enable workers to operate uninterrupted when charging isn’t an option.
The Durabook U11 comes with an available set of of accessories, including shoulder straps, vehicle and office docs, and spare and bridge batteries, to help warehouse workers do their jobs more efficiently.
About Durabook Americas
Durabook Americas, Inc. is the North American subsidiary of Twinhead International Corporation, a leading manufacturer and customizer of rugged computing solutions, including the globally acclaimed Durabook brand. Driven to meet customer needs, Durabook devices are designed, manufactured and tested in-house to assure maximum quality and reliability. These cost-effective ruggedized laptops, tablets, and all-in-one PCs are high-performance solutions that increase productivity, drive a clear return on investment and deliver a low total cost of ownership for government and enterprise customers in markets like oil & gas, power & utilities, field service, military, and public safety.
Durabook Americas, Inc. is headquartered in Fremont, California from where they also provide final assembly, inventory, technical support and other services. For more information on Durabook Americas, Inc., and the Durabook product line, visit www.DurabookAmericas.com.
All products/services and trademarks mentioned in this release are the properties of their respective companies.
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