VIB currently manages almost 8000 product references, with an annual production of 1800 heat pumps, 500 tons of rectangular and circular ventilation conduits and up to 20,000 ventilation grills of all types. In order to be able to check the entirety of its stocks as well as its production orders, VIB has decided to introduce a competitive solution to be able to carry out physical inventories much easier and quicker, as well as to make the operators daily tasks easier.
VIB has thus decided to call upon SBII; Datalogic Mobiles partner, who specialise in developing and supplying barcode traceability solutions and RFID. VIB was looking for hardware that was both very efficient and compact so that it could easily be carried around in operators pockets. To address VIBs needs, SBII of course offered the Datalogic Memor portable terminal, which perfectly fits this type of application.
Datalogic Memor Portable terminal
This pocket-sized terminal, which comes with a powerful LASER reader and a cutting-edge Intel processor, includes a colour touch-screen so that information can be seen perfectly both indoors and outdoors; and its intuitive keypad lets data be entered quickly. As well as this, it comes with an easily accessible SD slot for a memory expansion card. It is extremely resistant against impacts and 1.2m drops on concrete. All of these properties come together to make the Datalogic Memor terminal, an ideal product that has been successfully tested by VIB operators.
A complete solution offered by SBII
As well as the Datalogic Memor portable terminal, SBII has supplied a complete solution, which incorporates a heat-transfer printer used for printing bar-code labels for identifying stored items, and inventory management software that has been specially developed to answer VIBs specific needs, with the possibility of field designations to be easily personalised (e.g. item type, storage area, etc.)
Application description
The full set-up of the application is as follows: the operator loads an items database from a production program onto the Datalogic Memor portable terminal. Next, the operator goes to the storage area to carry out the inventory on the relevant products. For each product, he/she scans the items barcode and checks the amount available. If there is a discrepancy, the actual amount in stock can be
directly adjusted on the terminal. Also, if an item is not in the database, it can be added at any time. When the check has been finished, the operator transfers collected data to the central PC. Information is recovered as an Access or Excel file and the stock is updated. The database is updated in this way and the operator can load a new database to carry out a new inventory.
VIB: a satisfied customer
Every day VIB receives the benefits of its investment and takes pleasure in carrying out its inventories on-the-go. Eric Prigent, VIBs Production Manager has told us: The Datalogic Memor terminal has considerably facilitated our operators work since they do not need to look up vast pages of listings to find the correct product reference, as they had to do previously... Now, all they have to do is scan the item code to find the product that corresponds to it, which has allowed us to gain considerable time.
Planned extensions
As VIB is satisfied with this solution, they plan on extending this application to other internal uses. Eric Prigent attests that We are considering using other Datalogic Memor terminals for carrying out production level checks, thus allowing us to check the manufacturing progress a product, compared to the customers order. In tracking each step in this way, we will be able to inform the customer of the exact situation of their product (bending phase, packaging etc.).
About VIB
VIB, based in Brittany, has been a specialist in industrial ventilation for over 20 years. The company has designed, produced and marketed products for better air control (air vents and accessories, cooker hoods and ceiling filters), as well as for renewable energy such as solar power (for producing hot water and heating), for aerothermal (air-based) heat pumps and for geothermal energy (water-based heat pumps). The team is made up of welders, sheet metal workers, electricians, refrigerationists, developers and those in charge of storage, who work every day to manage and improve supplied air quality (filtering, temperature, humidity, air speed, etc.). With more than 6000m dedicated to designing, producing and storing products used both professionally and privately; VIB has a turnover in the order of 10 million euro.
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