ERP has left the building

ERP is no longer just for the back-office technology but, through wireless communications, is being transformed into the vital heart of a network that reaches out to the shop-floor, to delivery fleets and to the customer at the point of delivery.  ERP everywhere is now a practical reality and it need not be expensive. 

Solarsoft is fully engaged with the revolution that is making wireless technology a standard part of everyday commercial life.  We supply complete barcode automation packages that are simple to use and very cost effective.  And we supply high-end RFID (radio frequency identification) systems for the most demanding supply chain applications.

All Solarsoft ERP platforms support wireless options and our Warehouse and Logistics Systems division specialises in adding wireless capabilities to other vendors’ systems.

In the Warehouse

Any organisation with more than a few people carrying out picking, packing and put-away activities in the warehouse could realise significant productivity gains by switching to barcode automation linked to the ERP software. In most cases, the simple automation of the warehouse process using barcodes delivers operational gains in the region of 15-30%. One Solarsoft customer has cut goods-in booking time by 90%.

Further benefits include improved speed and accuracy in locating goods and a cut in error rates in picking and fulfilment.  Our customers find they can reduce working capital and deliver significant improvements in customer service.

Whether you are setting up your own barcoding scheme or adopting a suppliers’ numbering system, modern ERP systems will readily handle multiple identifiers and formats.

Once in place, there are huge opportunities to add value for customers, such as pre-labelling products at the warehouse with the retail price as well as barcodes, enabling the downstream retailer to streamline its own inventory management processes.

In the Field

With warehouse automation in place, we can help leverage the barcoding system to drive improvements through the supply chain to the point of delivery.

Providing delivery drivers with mobile handheld devices (usually linked via GSM) enables real-time goods tracking, whilst photographic evidence or signatures can be captured in the field to show proof of delivery.

This proof of delivery is vital for many organisations servicing the building industry, where anything from bricks and cement to bathrooms and expensive heating units will be delivered on site. The ability to capture signatures and photograph the goods in situ to prove fitness is a key technology in minimising complaints or confusion.

If any problems arise with delivery – whether through operational error or a customer change of mind - a replacement delivery or authorised return can be immediately placed.

This immediate response drives up customer service, whilst prompt rescheduling can save days in the delivery of a replacement item, again improving the customer relationship.

What’s more, invoicing can be triggered immediately on acceptance without waiting for the delivery driver to return signed papers to the back office.

Hands Free

Taking wireless technology a step further, companies can look to voice picking and packing systems to yield additional gains.  This technology is proven and mature and particularly useful in tough warehouse environments where operators require heavy-duty gloves or require both hands to lift products, constraining the use of handheld technology.

Multi-lingual

A nice capability of all these wireless technologies is that they can be deployed with support for multi-lingual instructions, addressing demands for English/Polish in the UK and English/Spanish in the US, for example.

Real-time Management

Tight integration between wireless systems and ERP also provides unprecedented insight into the performance of warehouse and logistics operations. In a manual operation it is far too expensive to capture detailed operational information: it requires time-consuming form-filling and manual collation of information. Once a wireless  system is up and running, real performance data is captured as a free by-product of normal operations.

Combining this information with our Business Intelligence tools <link to MIO dashboard>, one can quickly assess the performance of different teams, shifts, even individuals, as well as performance across different product groups. This transparency enables organisations to drive significant procedural improvements across all movements.

Wireless World

Simple wireless technologies such as barcode scanning provide a platform for significant operational improvement. Critically, not only is there international backing for simple barcode standards, avoiding the complexity of RFID, but these wireless technologies, from Wi-Fi devices around the warehouse and out in the field via the GSM mobile network, are well proven.

So why waste time and money waiting for the latest buzzword technology?  ERP has already left the building.