Inventory & AIDC Software Blog

DMS Package Track: Streamline Mailroom Operations

Tired of losing track of packages that are delivered within your facility? Streamline your mailroom operations with IntelliTrack's DMS Package Track application. Track your package from the moment it leaves your hands to the second it is delivered to your intended recipient. 

As soon as you scan the barcode, the package is entered into our user-friendly database. Reduce errors and provide accountability for inbound deliveries by collecting proof of delivery information.

Package Track transitions smoothly into your existing package-handling system- we track any barcode and also identify tracking number formats with a carrier. Remember... barcode labels also ensure your package never gets lost since the package barcode is associated with the intended recipient. Package Track even handles package notification emails to the intended recipient, once the package-recipient association is entered into the system.  Now you can finally relax, knowing our technology has accounted for the internal movement of your packages. View a full demonstration: IntelliTrack University

Photo by boviate

A Sweet Beginning: Barcode-Enabled Inventory and Asset Management

22 years after the barcode was patented, Wrigley's Juicy Fruit gum became the first product, using a UPC barcode and barcode scanner, to hit the checkout line in June 1974 at a small grocery store in Ohio. See the pack of gum that was sold, on display at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History. Before the barcode invention, products were hand-tracked, which of course left room for tons of errors and low productivity levels.

Onward and upward! Today the use of barcode-enabled software has revolutionized the management of inventory and assets- spotted across the globe at fashion shows, rental car companies, space stations, airline counters and in the Wild.

An inventory and asset management system uses barcodes to manage or track anything from runway model sequencing at fashion shows, rental car inventory, airline passenger luggage, heat tile replacement on space shuttles, to mating habits of bees. The possibilities for using IntelliTrack software is limited only by imagination. Check out some of our clients.

Photo by jbcurio: Vintage Ad #1,096: Juicy Fruit

Citation: Brown, Stephen. "A History of the Bar Code". EH.Net Encyclopedia, edited by Robert Whaples. August 14, 2001.

Always Fresh, Never Spoiled: Warehouse Management Tip

CHALLENGE: Expired Inventory

SOLUTION: Warehouse Management System (WMS)

What inventory warehouse management system provides efficient value-based reports on product expiration dates? Look no further than IntelliTrack's Warehouse Management System (WMS) application. Our cost-friendly software will put money back in your pocket so your inventory is fresh, never out-of-date. Are you concerned about the size of your warehouse needing our system? No problem! Our three application versions (ISRP, WMS RF Standard and WMS RF Professional) are built for warehouses sized large, medium or small. You can also help your customers communicate with each other. The possibilities are endless! Get your warehouse inventory circulating the way it should be moving.

Photo by NatalieMaynor

Control Fixed Assets— Enjoy Time Off

Are you in charge of managing fixed assets such as furniture, computers or industrial equipment? Common problems you may encounter are spending too much time taking inventory or losing track of costly equipment. Sometimes, you can't see the flowers (or your garden gloves for that matter) through the weeds because you have no time to manage your fixed assets.

The solution? IntelliTrack's RFID Fixed Assets Data Management Software (DMS). Our fixed assets management system will reduce time spent taking inventory of your assets by 75%- time you could have spent developing new business relationships. The best part is our RFID readers automatically scan all of the inventory in a room at the click of a button. Batteries need not be included. Line-of-sight scanning is not required for our easy to use technology, which could also save you from muscle strains.

Losing track of items will be a distant memory. Discover which assets are missing right away; our microchip technology lets you read multiple tags at the same time. Our long-lasting microchip will also retain your data and never deteriorate. See how our software helped the Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center gain control of their assets.

Image by psd

Real Time for the Real World: Inventory Management Tip

Monthly inventory advice from the leaders in Inventory Solutions for small to medium businesses, IntelliTrack Inc.  Find out how you can get a handle on, track and control your Inventory and Assets at www.intellitrack.net.

April 2010 Inventory Tip:  What are the benefits of real-time information in small inventory environments?

We operate in a real-time world. For example, my home office is a virtual location over 3000 miles from IntelliTrack Headquarters. My phone is an IP (Internet Protocol) connection that allows instant global communication. My Blue Ray player and television are wirelessly connected to the network. Forbid we should even discuss the communications capabilities of our cellular devices. In short, like me and you, more and more of us are living in a world of real-time access to information where human intervention has been removed. So why as our personal lives become ever more assisted and dependent upon instant access to information, do we continue to shortcut our business needs and processes with antiquated batch data collection programs and processes?

The old argument was “COST”. That is simply not true anymore. Wireless and wireless-enabled devices are a commodity. The price differential between a wireless portable data collector and a batch data collection device can be measured in less than a couple hundred dollars. Wireless access points and infrastructure particularly for smaller environments are similarly priced and ever more affordable.

Did you know that unlike our direct competition 90% of IntelliTrack DMS and WMS products are Wireless ready right Out-Of-the-Box (OOB)? We are the only company at our price point to offer you the choice between batch processing and wireless real-time processing with advanced features to support your small inventory management needs. What do our wireless applications provide?

• Instant Report Updates
• Live to-the-minute updates of Inventory and Assets
• User Accountability in Real Time
• Reduced time on the floor
• Freedom to do a day’s work without the worry of data collision with other employees or the need to wait for BOB to plug in the hardware, update the database, then you having to update your handheld so you can do your task management.
• Improved efficiency
• Improved ROI
• Reduced labor cost

Let IntelliTrack reduce your operations cost as we continue to celebrate Version 8.0’s release! You get additional licenses along with the improvements that come with Version 8. And, due to the success of March 5,5,5, for 3,3,3 promotion we’re continuing our very special promotion for a very short time!

To summarize, these barcode based software systems allow customers to see available on-hand inventory, compare minimum and maximum levels of inventory, control inventory levels, establish reorder points and produce reports using real- time data. They reduce loss and limit human error. Small or large, any business can reduce operating costs by using this technology over paper and now batch portable devices.

That! Is the way to get inventory and asset management right!

-Will Daniel, COO IntelliTrack, Inc.

Questions? Ask IntelliTrack.

Photo by a_whisper_of_unrem itting_demand

Reduce the Cost of Taking Inventory

December 2009 Inventory Tip: Get Inventory Right!

Are you required to take a physical inventory? Are you one of those countless small and midsized businesses that spend hours taking physical inventory by hand with pen and paper? We feel your pain. No matter the size, a small one-person shop or a full warehouse, the process is all the same. Taking inventory is a tedious, time-consuming process and if you are using paper you open the door to human error.

One of our client's stores material for a manufacturer. They deliver the material on demand to this customer. They are required to supply detailed inventory of available material to the customer monthly. Their customer depends on that count to support their lean manufacturing practices. To our client that meant shutting down the warehouse, bringing in the crew, paying overtime and counting over a quarter million individual items. Their problem was solved with a Warehouse Management System (WMS) using barcodes for locations, tracking inventory receipts, moves and shipments using Wireless Portable Data Collectors. The result is that the reduction in time spent taking inventory was 60%. This was achieved by using a mix of cycle counts and only one yearly physical. Inventory accuracy soared to 99.8%.

You do not need to be a big warehouse to utilize an inventory counting system; the technology doesn't have to be expensive. Think about this. Another client of ours runs a small chain of restaurants who, weekly needs to count inventory to determine the next week's bulk food orders for the chain. The only concern was to know what is in the supply rooms now! Each week with paper order slips, a laptop with an excel spreadsheet, the client headed out to take inventory.  It easily consumed a twelve-hour day. Several problems were generated using the manual system and the most important was mistakes in ordering which often resulted in running out of product or worse, the amount of food going stale which needed to be discarded as spoilage.

The solution was a very simple inventory counting system, IntelliTrack Inventory. By implementing this solution using barcodes and portable handheld terminals, the client was able to assign the task of taking inventory to restaurant managers. In addition, each restaurant manager is in charge of setting minimum and maximum inventory amounts. Managers receive an incentive to keep items in stock while reducing spoilage. Three things occurred. First, the reduction in spoilage was over 85%. Over all, inventory is in line with customer demands and this reduced inventory levels for many items in the restaurants. Bulk supply cost is lower. The most important gain in the chain was that food was fresher and the customers noticed! Business grew and the chain is expanding. We do not claim to take credit for everything after all you have to start with good food in the first place. 

To summarize, anytime you use a paper-based system you open yourself up to "human error" and "human decisions". A barcode inventory system is a smart technology. These barcode based software systems allow customers to see available on hand inventory, compare minimum and maximum levels of inventory, control inventory levels and establish reorder points. They reduce loss and limit human error. Small or large, any business can benefit by using this technology over paper.
 
That! Is the way to get inventory right!

-Will Daniel, COO IntelliTrack, Inc.

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI): Increases Efficiency for Small Business

November 2009 Inventory Tip: Making EDI Simple

Do you run a small fulfillment warehouse? Are you under increasing pressure to provide better services and inventory tracking? Do your customers want EDI fulfillment, real time web based access, the ability to automate the overall fulfillment process. If this sounds familiar then you are one of the many small 3PL providers that are under increasing pressure to provide technology to allow your customers to increase their service levels to their customers. 

EDI does not have to be a difficult or expensive process. Common transaction based services from EDI providers like, 1 EDI Source and GSX Desktop EDI lower the overall cost of EDI implementations for smaller fulfillment warehouses. These applications provide the mapping tools that allow the collection and response to multiple EDI formats.

However, EDI is only half the picture. EDI service products are capable of integrating into back office applications like IntelliTrack ISRP and IntelliTrack WMS and that creates not only customer efficiencies but provider efficiencies as well. This integration streamlines small fulfillment warehouse processes at a very affordable cost.

The IntelliTrack EDI fulfillment Model:

In the example above, we see multiple EDI formats intercepted and responded to by the EDI software. Because the software supports full import and export capabilities to back office applications the exchange of data between the two systems is accomplished using simple delimitated text files. This type of interface significantly lowers integration cost. What does this mean? It means that with proper thought and planning any small provider can offer the same or like services larger operations provide for their customers.

To summarize, you should never feel you cannot compete in this advanced fulfillment environment. Low cost transaction based EDI servers integrated to IntelliTrack products such as ISRP, WMS Standard and I-View make you just as competitive as anyone else! More importantly, you can sell to your customers your ability to serve them and their customers.  

That! Is the way to get EDI right!

-Will Daniel, COO IntelliTrack, Inc.

Questions? Ask IntelliTrack.

 

Badly Printed Barcodes Waste Time & Time Is Money

October 2009 Inventory Tip: Barcode Printing Tips

There are three pieces of technology when considering implementing a barcode supported software application like IntelliTrack. The first is the software where the data is stored. The second is the portable or barcode scanner that scans the barcode to pass the collected data to the database. The third is the barcode itself.

The barcode is an essential component of the solution! It is contrast driven. The blacker, cleaner, more defined the barcode is on a white background the more efficiently it is read. The other more important consideration is the size of the label in regards to how far away you need to scan it. Why is this important? Every minute a user spends scanning and collecting data more efficiently is a savings in labor to you.

So why do many customers short-change themselves when it comes to printing barcodes? It sometimes feels like the barcode printing process is the afterthought instead of the piece of technology that ties the solution together.

Common Problems & True Stories

• Wrong Printer Type: A customer called in with a problem. "There's something wrong with your software!" "My scanner can't read the barcodes you (IntelliTrack) print".
• The facts: The customer was using an old laser printer that not only did not have a high enough resolution it was leaving a dark residue over the label. Not enough contrast.

• Bad Maintenance: A customer expressed concern that the label program in our software failed. It once worked fine. I actually went on site for this one. Arriving at the customer we went directly into the warehouse and the customer showed me a label grabbed a scanner and tried to the scan the label, bad scan!  The label looked good, nice white background good black thermal image. There were no lines running through the barcode and the customer was using a recognized barcode printing program.
  • The facts: The customer showed me the printer that printed the labels, a Zebra 105SE. For those in the know the 105 is a recognized industry standard warehouse print workhorse. I opened the case and it looked good. The printer did not appear dirty or misused. Then I saw the platen. Now the platen is the roller just under the print head that the label presses against as it comes out of the printer. The purpose of the platen is to ensure an even surface for printing. The customer platen had a label wrapped around it. To be more specific it had several labels wrapped around it. Like 10! Well this was not an even surface for printing and the extra diameter of the platen distorted the label just enough so that it was unreadable by a scanner.

• Wrong Size: A customer called in asking for help. Their team was having a heck of a time taking inventory or picking orders.
  • The Facts: The customer had an asset-tracking program and had several thousand blank asset labels they wanted to use. They were .5 inch by 1.5 inch. Instead of labeling the supply room with larger labels the customer used the asset labels and employees literally had to be 2" inches away to read the barcode that not only was printed two small were printed on label sheets out of an inkjet. Very wrong label size and wrong printer

To summarize, it never pays to take shortcuts with the technology that you expect to increase your efficiency. When printing barcodes do yourself and your employees a favor:

• Use a printer designed to print barcodes
• Use labels that are correctly sized for your environment
• Keep your printer clean and maintained by following manufacture maintenance guidelines.

You do these three simple things and the investment you made not only in your application but also in the equipment you invest in will save you time and labor. 

That! Is the way to get barcodes right!

-Will Daniel, COO IntelliTrack, Inc.

AIDC Distributor, BlueStar, Inc. helps out with AIM memberships

In the AIDC industry, AIM is known as the "Association of Automatic Identification and Mobility" (Not AOL Instant Messenger). http://www.aimglobal.org/technologies/barcode/

BlueStar, Inc. is currently offering it's Resellers $300 towards their AIM membership fees when they sell at least one software license from a BlueStar software vendor by December 31, 2009. BlueStar distributes data collection and mobility software internationally.

Is anyone currently a member of AIM? What are some of the benefits you've experienced from becoming a member?

September 2009 Inventory Tip: Get Picking Right!

This is a true story. My wife and I remodeled our kitchen last year and we did a lot of the work ourselves. One of the tasks we took on was putting new hardwood into the kitchen and dining room. We ordered 500 square feet of Bamboo Flooring from a local distributor and set up a pick up date.

We arrived at the floor distributor, wrote out a check and took the truck around back. The picker had the order ready and wrapped and dropped the load neatly in the back of the truck. It was a big pallet load! We quickly got back to the house and started unloading the truck and I was thinking it looked like we had too many boxes of flooring. It just did not look right.

I checked my invoice and the order was for 56 cases with each case containing about 9 square feet. I counted the cases and we had 86 cases. The picker had loaded 30 extra cases of flooring at a value of a little over $800.00. The picker's mistake was transposing the 5 into an 8 and the picker didn't double check. In this warehouse, all of the picking transactions are done using paper invoice copies printed on a dot matrix printer and trusting the picker to do the job right!

Immediately the little devil on my left shoulder started whispering in my ear to keep it. After all no one reports when we ship out too much.  My ethics finally got the best of me and I pulled off the 56 cases, left the 30 cases on the truck and went back to the distributor. They were stunned of course that we returned the over pick and when I asked them about their shrinkage and unaccountable lost inventory they estimated a little over $200,000.00 a year.  This is not a large company but they were producing a large loss.

To summarize, anytime you use paper-based systems you open yourself to "human errors" and "human decisions". A barcode inventory system is smart technology. These systems direct users in their activities and ask for validation. They have fundamentally altered the way knowledgeable companies operate by reducing loss, customer service errors and management frustration. Every company should investigate how barcode technology interfaced to smart inventory software can help you curb and stop your losses.
 
That! Is the way to get picking right!

-Will Daniel, COO IntelliTrack, Inc.