Time for change
The goal of Eine Welt Handel is to create as many decent jobs as possible through the support of development projects. In the course of realising this mission, the company itself is continuously developing too. In addition to direct saes via its own outlets, Eine Welt Handel now also supplies global shops, DIY retailers and other resellers with baskets, crafts and fair-trade foods. With its large warehouse, the company's new site at Niklasdorf (Styria, Austria) is the first "passive" commercial building anywhere in the EU. It even features its own railway siding and was presented with Austria's Climate Protection Award in 2009. In the course of this development, a modern scalable data capture system was also introduced: "easyMITS" from BARCOTEC.
Eine Welt Handel had actually been using a Barcode-System from BARCOTEC for years. The associated software was designed specifically for the company, but involved a fixed system. Marianne Pirsch, Managing Director of Eine Welt Handel, explains: "Although the software had been individually designed for us, it was not easy to modify. With "easyMITS", we now have a software system that has not only been custom-designed for us, but can develop with us as well."
Everything can be modified
The great flexibility of "easyMITS" is based on the so-called "configurator". This enables Eine Welt Handel to change the interface of the mobile device, the connections to the company's database and many other process details quickly and easily at any time. What needs to be logged where and what entries this necessitates via the terminal, or what information should be shown in what way on the device display: all these things can be defined by Eine Welt Handel on their own, and they are also free to make changes as and when they wish. "The BARCOTEC configurator is brilliant," enthuses Pirsch. "You don't need to decide at a certain point in time how the system should look, and there's no need for workshops or a thick technical manual. Just the opposite: you can modify the software so quickly and easily, without any programming knowledge. Because of this, the software is not just ideal when it's first implemented, but can grow and develop with us long-term as our needs change. You can see immediately how the terminal interface looks following any changes. The software itself offers so many customisation options that all our operations can be covered, both now and in the future."
One picture says more than 1,000 words
The current applications of "easyMITS warehouse" at Eine Welt Handel are highly diverse yet still represent only a fraction of the opportunities that the software offers. In addition to goods in and out, relevant data for specific inventories can be scanned by the mobile terminals and then transmitted to the Mesonic ERP system via "easyMITS". "The picture display on the mobile units is a great feature and we use it a lot," Pirsch commented. This function allows a picture of a given article to be displayed across the whole screen area, greatly helping with user orientation. In addition, label prints can be directly triggered from the mobile device, such as pre-defined EAN codes for wholesalers. Even the sales force on the road is benefitting from the new system. It is now possible to send orders and direct sales via "easyMITS" to the terminals in head office, at any time and from anywhere.
The software's flexibility also allows multiple processes to be performed in a single operation. For example, a stock transfer action and a label printing action can be carried out simultaneously in a single step. This results in huge time and cost savings, as staff can now pick orders far more quickly and accurately. This progressive automation has also reduced error rates, while data quality is constantly being increased.
BHT-700 for individual application
Eine Welt Handel also regards the equipment that the company uses as a reflection of their individuality. After five years using their old terminals, Pirsch felt that the time was ripe to introduce more modern devices. Besides new technical advantages, the key consideration was user-friendliness. After intensive discussions with BARCOTEC, the company decided on the DENSO BHT-700. The unit sits comfortably in the hand and the integrated GPRS/EDGE technology allows it to be used off-site or on the road. As a modular handheld terminal, it features open hardware and software platforms and has been designed for flexibility from the outset. And because it supports a range of technologies, such as Batch, WLAN, GPRS or Bluetooth®, it is optimally prepared for future changes in use patterns. Thanks to this open architecture, hardware requirements can be adapted to specific needs using a modular concept, as with a PC. Eine Welt Handel staff also appreciate these advantages. They were involved in the decision-making process and, since the implementation, have been very happy with the choice that was made.
About BARCOTEC
BARCOTEC is a provider of solutions for automatic identification (barcode, RFID) and data acquisition systems. Founded 22 years ago, the company has successfully established itself as a leading supplier within the sector as agents for global market leaders like DENSO. From their in-house, manufacturer authorised service centres in Vienna and Salzburg, the company can support customers across Europe with minimum lead times. In addition, BARCOTEC is a member of the Federal Logistics Association (BVL) and the Association for Network Logistics (VNL).
www.barcotec.at