A leading manufacturer of structural components came to Miles Data looking to eliminate the possibility of human error, and to improve efficiency in their inventory process. Miles Data proposed a solution that involved a custom piece of software specific to the customer’s needs, and a range of hardware options which would meet the requirements of the software and withstand the harsh environments in which the solution would be implemented.

Challenge

The software would need to communicate with an existing database and would need to operate on a rugged mobile computer. Because the areas where data would be collected did not have wireless coverage, the software and the device would need to be capable of batching data and synchronizing when connected to a PC.

Solution

Miles Data Technologies and business partner StrategyBytes collaborated on developing an automated physical inventory system solution utilizing bar codes and mobile computers. StrategyBytes analyzed the software requirements while Miles Data helped determine the appropriate hardware solution. After a thorough business analysis, StrategyBytes recommended their Advanced Warehouse Inventory System (WIS) with a few minor modifications. Miles Data recommended the Intermec CN3 mobile computer based on form factor of the device, ruggedness and operating system. Employees played a key role in the selection of the mobile device knowing they would be the ones who needed to make the migration from manual data collection to automated.

Results

The structural component manufacturer has reduced the time it takes to perform physical inventory by more than 60%. What used to take 90 ‐ 120 minutes, now takes 30 minutes. In addition to the time savings, the manufacturer has better visibility to their inventory and a more accurate inventory. A bonus benefit has been the CN3 mobile computer is used for placing weekly orders. Instead of uploading to a physical inventory, they upload to a PO, and can adjust the order to fulfill an order for a specific truck.