Flooring
Executive Summary
In today’s high-tech climate, mobile computers and printers form a vital part of an effective warehouse management system. When Furlong Flooring Limited decided to develop their own system, they approached Waveform Solutions, who recommended Dolphin 9500 mobile computers from Honeywell, working in conjunction with Zebra QL420 mobile printers and Cisco Aironet Access Points.
Company Profile
Furlong Flooring Ltd was established in 1980, and over the past 25 years has expanded very successfully through indigenous growth and acquisitions. The Furlong Group has become one of the largest floor covering distributors in the UK and Ireland, with an annual turnover of over €100 million. Its policy of bulk buying requires warehousing facilities of over 150,000 sq foot.
The Solution
After detailed consultations and a thorough exploration of the solutions available, Waveform developed a complete warehouse management system. This includes a Cisco Aironet wireless Local Area Network, Dolphin® 9500 computers fromHoneywell and QL420 mobile printers from Zebra.
Alan Carroll, Managing Director of Waveform Solutions, explains:
“We wanted to provide a solution of the highest quality which would streamline the activities of Furlong Flooring’s warehouse facility. Our ability to supply high quality products that work seamlessly together allowed us to create a highly efficient warehouse system based around the Dolphins and the Zebra printers.”
The Dolphin 9500 is a state-of-the-art, feature-rich handheld computer which boasts the latest technology. This includes an industry-leading triple wireless radio design, with 802.11b wireless communications for maximum speed, efficiency, and usability. The 9500 is also GSM/GPRS and Bluetooth®-enabled. Although it is very light, its magnesium alloy construction makes it the toughest product on the market, ideal for use in a busy warehouse.
The Benefits
The Zebra QL420 is a mobile printer that can be used for labels, tags and receipts. Its wireless capability enables warehouse staff to print labels whenever and wherever they are needed. Previously, warehouse workers used a manual, paperbased method, but they now use the Dolphin connected to the QL420 printer.
This saves time and improves productivity, quality and flexibility. Following a radio site survey, the Cisco Aironet Wireless LAN was installed, using Cisco 1200 Access Points and specialised antennae to make the warehouse completely Radio Frequency (RF) capable with sufficent redundancy. When used in conjunction with the Dolphins and the Zebra printers, it provides a one-stop solution that has already boosted the efficiency and productivity of Furlong Flooring’s warehouse.
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