Handheld introduces new wearable ring scanner

Handheld Group, a leading manufacturer of rugged mobile computers, has introduced the RS60 Ring Scanner, a comfortable hands-free scanning solution for use in warehouses, retail, distribution and other situations requiring highly mobile scanning. This device is the second in the newly introduced wearable line from Handheld following the SP500X ScanPrinter which was released in August.

“The new RS60 ring scanner is all about efficiency and mobility. It can be worn on either the right or left hand so workers can maximise productivity while keeping their hands free,” says Johan Hed, Handheld director of product management. “Rather than holding a scanning device, a ring scanner is wearable and lets warehouse workers simply point and click, leaving them free to also move products and packages.”

RS60 ring scanner key features:

The efficiency of a traditional scanner and the convenience of a hands-free wearable solution

Super-fast 2D-imager accurately captures barcodes on the move

Tap to pair with any NFC enabled device or scan a barcode to connect

BT class 1 let workers stay connected to devices up to 100m (300ft) away

IP65 dust and water resistance, operating from 0°C to 50°C and can survive multiple drops to concrete

Up to 11 hours runtime

Enterprise-focused accessories, including a four-slot charging station and an eight-slot battery charger

“Enterprises have increasingly seen the value of equipping their workers with tools to maximise efficiency and mobility. Our new wearable line is designed to fit those needs,” says Thomas Löfblad, CEO, Handheld Group. “Handheld has always been about mobile computing, and we’ll be expanding our wearable product line further in the future.”

Kite releases affordable eco-friendly chilled packaging

When transporting temperature-sensitive items such as food or pharmaceuticals, insulating packaging is essential. Historically, environmentally damaging polystyrene has been the only option, but Kite Packaging has recently released an innovative corrugated box liner.

This thermal lining is 100% recyclable, low-cost and boasts the same temperature controlling qualities as polystyrene. The company conducted a series of externally verified tests to confirm this, revealing that at room temperature (23°C) the corrugated liners can keep the contents of a box below 0°C for 35 hours while being used in conjunction with our gel packs.

The BC flute corrugation also provides superb shock absorption alongside thermal regulation to protect products from both damage and changes in temperature that may affect their integrity. The liners comprise of two pads for the top and bottom box faces and different-sized packs for each side. When fitted to exactly match the interior of the corresponding sized carton, every surface area of the box is thermally lined with a material designed to resist the influence of external conditions.

Kite’s eco-friendly addition to the chilled packaging range works excellently in conjunction with its other products. It also supplies ice sheets, gel packs, thermal pallet covers, temperature-controlled pouches for smaller items and temperature indicators to gauge when a maximum threshold may have been breached.

By balancing environmental considerations with a focus on economic viability, the corrugated box liners identify themselves as a disruptive development with the potential to transform how items within the chilled food industry are packaged.

Kite releases affordable eco-friendly chilled packaging

When transporting temperature-sensitive items such as food or pharmaceuticals, insulating packaging is essential. Historically, environmentally damaging polystyrene has been the only option, but Kite Packaging has recently released an innovative corrugated box liner.

This thermal lining is 100% recyclable, low-cost and boasts the same temperature controlling qualities as polystyrene. The company conducted a series of externally verified tests to confirm this, revealing that at room temperature (23°C) the corrugated liners can keep the contents of a box below 0°C for 35 hours while being used in conjunction with our gel packs.

The BC flute corrugation also provides superb shock absorption alongside thermal regulation to protect products from both damage and changes in temperature that may affect their integrity. The liners comprise of two pads for the top and bottom box faces and different-sized packs for each side. When fitted to exactly match the interior of the corresponding sized carton, every surface area of the box is thermally lined with a material designed to resist the influence of external conditions.

Kite’s eco-friendly addition to the chilled packaging range works excellently in conjunction with its other products. It also supplies ice sheets, gel packs, thermal pallet covers, temperature-controlled pouches for smaller items and temperature indicators to gauge when a maximum threshold may have been breached.

By balancing environmental considerations with a focus on economic viability, the corrugated box liners identify themselves as a disruptive development with the potential to transform how items within the chilled food industry are packaged.

Mercadona takes charge of automated warehouse

Mercadona has ordered automated intralogistics systems from Cimcorp for four of its distribution centers – Zaragoza, San Isidro, Huévarand Sagunto – and now the first one, in Zaragoza, is up and running.

Installation and commissioning at the Zaragoza distribution centre was finalised just before Easter, which is always the busiest time of the year for Mercadona. One might assume that Spain’s leading grocery retailer would want the installation team to stay on site – in case of any issues – but trust in Cimcorp’s automation is so high that the Mercadona team has decided to fly solo.

Javier Blasco (pictured), Warehouse Purchasing Coordinator for Mercadona, says: “Our goal is to serve the orders of our stores with the highest-possible quality, and we must know how to do it on our own. We had the confidence do to it this way, because the robustness and reliability of this solution had been verified during assembly and commissioning, and our staff are trained to use it. The simplicity of the automation makes it easy to use and there is no need for a big team.”

Mercadona has ordered the same automation for four of its distribution centres. All four of the new logistics facilities will have different climate zones for packed meat products and for fruit and vegetables.

Using the same independent automation modules and scaling the amount of modules to meet the capacity needs of each individual logistics centre, Mercadona gets many benefits.

“Having modular solutions has advantages, such as all personnel knowing the installation regardless of which city it is in. Additionally, the solutions can be scaled up and the processes standardized more easily,” says Blasco. “The best part has been the sturdiness of the application; we haven’t had operational surprises with real orders and we’ve been able to provide a guaranteed service to our stores.”

Lifetime learning leads to partnerships

Last year provided many obstacles, but professional project management ensured the installation was ready on schedule and, most of all, respected the safety regulations. Jarkko Hakkarainen, General Manager of Cimcorp Iberia, says: “It is important that we are able to keep things in order even if things are not proceeding as planned. In these situations, quick response time and good adaptability are essential skills.”

Even though Covid-19 created some challenges and limitations, the installation was ready on schedule, and it was completed while respecting everyone’s health and safety. Blasco says: “The installation has really been made in the expected manner.”

Cimcorp supplied automation to Mercadona back in 2013, when it implemented a fully automated order picking system for fresh produce at the retailer’s DC in Guadix, near Granada. However the now finalised installation in the Zaragoza distribution centre is the first time that Cimcorp has acted as system integrator for the leading Spanish company.

Hakkarainen says: “Designing optimal handling and control systems is only the first step in implementing intralogistics automation. Project management is a hugely important element in the successful delivery of robotic solutions, but also in developing long-term partnerships.”

Automation secures employee and food safety

In Cimcorp’s fresh food solution there is no need for shelving, which reduces costs and enhances employee and product safety. “In our solution, overhead gantry robots handle food crates that are stacked on the floor. So when you need to clean the area, there’s no need to climb up ladders and check every shelf,” explains Hakkarainen. “Everything is on the floor, where it is safer and more ergonomic to clean.”

Food safety and a temperature controlled supply chain are always essential when dealing with groceries. “Mercadona always prioritises hygiene and quality in all products, whether in conventional or automated warehouses,” says Blasco.

Mercadona’s approach to the benefits of the automation is very human. The accuracy and quality of picked pallets, as well as shortened lead times are always reflected through the effect on people. “The biggest advantage is the reduction in errors to guarantee a better service for our stores and customers. The main benefit of automation is to secure employee safety and avoid excessive workload,” says Blasco.

Better service level through last-moment fulfillment

Although the total cost of ownership, purchase price and cost of operation affected the decision making while sealing the deal, Blasco wants to highlight that, for Mercadona, it is always about people – both employees and customers. “Even if the economic values are important, they’re not the first priority – we prioritize good customer service, taking care of our personnel and doing things in a sustainable way.”

To satisfy the diversity of delivery orders coming into logistics centres, grocery retailers need a fulfilment strategy capable of prioritising orders as they come in. Any last-moment requests entering the supply chain will demand a shorter shipping and fulfilment cycle.

“These orders have to be dealt with, without negatively affecting the rest of the fulfilment operations,” says Hakkarainen.

So how did Easter go? Smoothly and according to plan. “There were no major problems – as expected. Nothing remarkable happened,” Blasco says.

Mercadona takes charge of automated warehouse

Mercadona has ordered automated intralogistics systems from Cimcorp for four of its distribution centers – Zaragoza, San Isidro, Huévarand Sagunto – and now the first one, in Zaragoza, is up and running.

Installation and commissioning at the Zaragoza distribution centre was finalised just before Easter, which is always the busiest time of the year for Mercadona. One might assume that Spain’s leading grocery retailer would want the installation team to stay on site – in case of any issues – but trust in Cimcorp’s automation is so high that the Mercadona team has decided to fly solo.

Javier Blasco (pictured), Warehouse Purchasing Coordinator for Mercadona, says: “Our goal is to serve the orders of our stores with the highest-possible quality, and we must know how to do it on our own. We had the confidence do to it this way, because the robustness and reliability of this solution had been verified during assembly and commissioning, and our staff are trained to use it. The simplicity of the automation makes it easy to use and there is no need for a big team.”

Mercadona has ordered the same automation for four of its distribution centres. All four of the new logistics facilities will have different climate zones for packed meat products and for fruit and vegetables.

Using the same independent automation modules and scaling the amount of modules to meet the capacity needs of each individual logistics centre, Mercadona gets many benefits.

“Having modular solutions has advantages, such as all personnel knowing the installation regardless of which city it is in. Additionally, the solutions can be scaled up and the processes standardized more easily,” says Blasco. “The best part has been the sturdiness of the application; we haven’t had operational surprises with real orders and we’ve been able to provide a guaranteed service to our stores.”

Lifetime learning leads to partnerships

Last year provided many obstacles, but professional project management ensured the installation was ready on schedule and, most of all, respected the safety regulations. Jarkko Hakkarainen, General Manager of Cimcorp Iberia, says: “It is important that we are able to keep things in order even if things are not proceeding as planned. In these situations, quick response time and good adaptability are essential skills.”

Even though Covid-19 created some challenges and limitations, the installation was ready on schedule, and it was completed while respecting everyone’s health and safety. Blasco says: “The installation has really been made in the expected manner.”

Cimcorp supplied automation to Mercadona back in 2013, when it implemented a fully automated order picking system for fresh produce at the retailer’s DC in Guadix, near Granada. However the now finalised installation in the Zaragoza distribution centre is the first time that Cimcorp has acted as system integrator for the leading Spanish company.

Hakkarainen says: “Designing optimal handling and control systems is only the first step in implementing intralogistics automation. Project management is a hugely important element in the successful delivery of robotic solutions, but also in developing long-term partnerships.”

Automation secures employee and food safety

In Cimcorp’s fresh food solution there is no need for shelving, which reduces costs and enhances employee and product safety. “In our solution, overhead gantry robots handle food crates that are stacked on the floor. So when you need to clean the area, there’s no need to climb up ladders and check every shelf,” explains Hakkarainen. “Everything is on the floor, where it is safer and more ergonomic to clean.”

Food safety and a temperature controlled supply chain are always essential when dealing with groceries. “Mercadona always prioritises hygiene and quality in all products, whether in conventional or automated warehouses,” says Blasco.

Mercadona’s approach to the benefits of the automation is very human. The accuracy and quality of picked pallets, as well as shortened lead times are always reflected through the effect on people. “The biggest advantage is the reduction in errors to guarantee a better service for our stores and customers. The main benefit of automation is to secure employee safety and avoid excessive workload,” says Blasco.

Better service level through last-moment fulfillment

Although the total cost of ownership, purchase price and cost of operation affected the decision making while sealing the deal, Blasco wants to highlight that, for Mercadona, it is always about people – both employees and customers. “Even if the economic values are important, they’re not the first priority – we prioritize good customer service, taking care of our personnel and doing things in a sustainable way.”

To satisfy the diversity of delivery orders coming into logistics centres, grocery retailers need a fulfilment strategy capable of prioritising orders as they come in. Any last-moment requests entering the supply chain will demand a shorter shipping and fulfilment cycle.

“These orders have to be dealt with, without negatively affecting the rest of the fulfilment operations,” says Hakkarainen.

So how did Easter go? Smoothly and according to plan. “There were no major problems – as expected. Nothing remarkable happened,” Blasco says.

BITO expands to accommodate growth

BITO Storage Systems has taken on additional staff and developed new services at its UK subsidiary to support the storage and order picking projects required by sectors emerging from the pandemic. The Nuneaton-based company has doubled the number of staff in its warehouse that serves its online web store shop and the online page-turn catalogue.

BITO is executing in excess of 25% more orders than last year. “Having planned on a turnover of £15m for this year, we are currently forecasting above £20m, which clearly demonstrates a significant uplift in business levels,” said Edward Hutchison, Managing Director of BITO Storage Systems.

BITO has maintained a consistent growth trend over the years but, more importantly, we make regular modest profits averaging about 5% year-on-year. With the family-run BITO GmbH group reinvesting profits back into the business, this ensures we remain a solid, financially stable and reliable partner for our clients into the future.”

To ensure growing order volumes are fulfilled, BITO is bringing more full load deliveries into its Nuneaton hub, both for restocking the warehouse and to crossdock customer orders. Hutchison said: “BITO is shipping more consignments out of the warehouse than ever – in fact throughput has doubled, resulting in an increase from previously receiving two lorry loads of stock a week to now getting an average of four. In addition, the cut-off in terms of order value that we can fulfil direct from the warehouse has doubled to around £5,000.”

Crossdocking is a new development for BITO allowing the company to, for example, send several incoming pallets of plastic containers direct to a customer’s site on local transport. In addition to reducing paperwork and speeding delivery, the customer is provided with a more precise delivery slot, making it easier for them to book in their delivery.

A booming warehouse requirement across Europe is resulting in issues around steel price increases, availability and production capacity. BITO however is reporting significant growth not only in the UK but across the BITO GmbH group itself, which is based in Meisenheim, Germany and has subsidiaries across Europe and the world.

“The BITO group is more productive than ever,” reported Hutchison. “It has increased production capacity through extending shift patterns and by investing in additional production facilities outside of Germany as part of strategic production capacity growth strategy over the next 18 months.”

BITO’s GmbH’s capabilities provide the UK subsidiary with significant benefits, as Hutchison explained: “We are noticing that larger companies often tend to be international themselves. If they wish to source from a UK-based company for both domestic and cross border sites then BITO is well positioned to operate internationally on their behalf, thanks to the Group’s subsidiaries across Europe and the world.

“Having the facility to sell back into Europe directly, safely, legally and without VAT issues gives BITO in the UK an advantage over many other domestic suppliers. Furthermore, we are able to operate with the new EN codes for racking, which apply across Europe, and are recognised internationally, so we are not limited only to SEMA regulations.”

With business optimism riding high at BITO, Hutchison concluded: “Our confidence factor is underscored by an investment in bolstering our installation team and increasing staff numbers – both in our warehouse and in project management division. We have also revamped our Experience Centre showroom at Nuneaton and further developed our YouTube channel adding informative new films. This makes it easier than ever to find the right solutions to meet a broad range of storage and order picking challenges for retail, manufacturing and logistics operations returning to business normal as well as new sectors that have emerged from the pandemic.”

BITO expands to accommodate growth

BITO Storage Systems has taken on additional staff and developed new services at its UK subsidiary to support the storage and order picking projects required by sectors emerging from the pandemic. The Nuneaton-based company has doubled the number of staff in its warehouse that serves its online web store shop and the online page-turn catalogue.

BITO is executing in excess of 25% more orders than last year. “Having planned on a turnover of £15m for this year, we are currently forecasting above £20m, which clearly demonstrates a significant uplift in business levels,” said Edward Hutchison, Managing Director of BITO Storage Systems.

BITO has maintained a consistent growth trend over the years but, more importantly, we make regular modest profits averaging about 5% year-on-year. With the family-run BITO GmbH group reinvesting profits back into the business, this ensures we remain a solid, financially stable and reliable partner for our clients into the future.”

To ensure growing order volumes are fulfilled, BITO is bringing more full load deliveries into its Nuneaton hub, both for restocking the warehouse and to crossdock customer orders. Hutchison said: “BITO is shipping more consignments out of the warehouse than ever – in fact throughput has doubled, resulting in an increase from previously receiving two lorry loads of stock a week to now getting an average of four. In addition, the cut-off in terms of order value that we can fulfil direct from the warehouse has doubled to around £5,000.”

Crossdocking is a new development for BITO allowing the company to, for example, send several incoming pallets of plastic containers direct to a customer’s site on local transport. In addition to reducing paperwork and speeding delivery, the customer is provided with a more precise delivery slot, making it easier for them to book in their delivery.

A booming warehouse requirement across Europe is resulting in issues around steel price increases, availability and production capacity. BITO however is reporting significant growth not only in the UK but across the BITO GmbH group itself, which is based in Meisenheim, Germany and has subsidiaries across Europe and the world.

“The BITO group is more productive than ever,” reported Hutchison. “It has increased production capacity through extending shift patterns and by investing in additional production facilities outside of Germany as part of strategic production capacity growth strategy over the next 18 months.”

BITO’s GmbH’s capabilities provide the UK subsidiary with significant benefits, as Hutchison explained: “We are noticing that larger companies often tend to be international themselves. If they wish to source from a UK-based company for both domestic and cross border sites then BITO is well positioned to operate internationally on their behalf, thanks to the Group’s subsidiaries across Europe and the world.

“Having the facility to sell back into Europe directly, safely, legally and without VAT issues gives BITO in the UK an advantage over many other domestic suppliers. Furthermore, we are able to operate with the new EN codes for racking, which apply across Europe, and are recognised internationally, so we are not limited only to SEMA regulations.”

With business optimism riding high at BITO, Hutchison concluded: “Our confidence factor is underscored by an investment in bolstering our installation team and increasing staff numbers – both in our warehouse and in project management division. We have also revamped our Experience Centre showroom at Nuneaton and further developed our YouTube channel adding informative new films. This makes it easier than ever to find the right solutions to meet a broad range of storage and order picking challenges for retail, manufacturing and logistics operations returning to business normal as well as new sectors that have emerged from the pandemic.”

Expert Customs overcomes Brexit challenges with e-Customs solution

Descartes Systems Group, a global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, has announced that Expert Customs, a recently established customs agency based in Dartford (UK), is using Descartes’ e-Customs solution to enhance business operations with its UK-EU trade offering and provide customs compliance for customers.

“Following Brexit, we saw the demand for a smooth and efficient customs declaration process grow,” said Kasia Gancarz, Customs Clerk, Expert Customs Ltd. “We realised a great opportunity to provide assistance to other companies looking to import to the UK from the EU. After implementing Descartes’ e-Customs to help our Expert Joinery operations, we saw how straightforward the e-Customs solution made imports to the UK.

“With the continued and unparalleled support from the team at Descartes, we were quickly set up and able to implement customs clearances within weeks and offer a solution to other businesses struggling with navigating Brexit complexities.

“The solution is very user-friendly, the online training videos and step-by-step guides are detailed and easy to follow. We are looking forward to growing our customs business and continuing to work with Descartes as we offer both import and export solutions to our customers.”

Expert Customs is affiliated with Expert Joinery Ltd, an importer of windows and doors from the European Union. Expert Joinery first sought the help of Descartes for a particular shipment it was importing from Poland in February 2021. With many businesses struggling to navigate Brexit, often made more difficult with language barriers and the customs declarations required by HMRC, Expert Joinery quickly identified an opportunity in the market to support other small businesses importing to the UK.

Establishing itself as a professional customs agency with the help and support from Descartes’ e-Customs solution, Expert Customs now provides an essential service to other businesses seeking to overcome the challenges faced with importing goods to the UK following Brexit. Initially, Expert Customs was completing 250 declarations per month, rapidly increasing four-fold on projected volumes to 1,000 a month, as a result of the success of its newly established customs agency.

Pol Sweeney, VP Sales and Business Manager UK for Descartes, adds: “It’s very exciting and rewarding to support exemplary businesses such as Expert Customs to grow and prosper through using our e-Customs solution by providing effective and efficient technology to enable straightforward customs processes. It has been a pleasure working with Expert Customs to support its operations and help develop its offering for customers and we look forward to our continued partnership.”

 

Expert Customs overcomes Brexit challenges with e-Customs solution

Descartes Systems Group, a global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, has announced that Expert Customs, a recently established customs agency based in Dartford (UK), is using Descartes’ e-Customs solution to enhance business operations with its UK-EU trade offering and provide customs compliance for customers.

“Following Brexit, we saw the demand for a smooth and efficient customs declaration process grow,” said Kasia Gancarz, Customs Clerk, Expert Customs Ltd. “We realised a great opportunity to provide assistance to other companies looking to import to the UK from the EU. After implementing Descartes’ e-Customs to help our Expert Joinery operations, we saw how straightforward the e-Customs solution made imports to the UK.

“With the continued and unparalleled support from the team at Descartes, we were quickly set up and able to implement customs clearances within weeks and offer a solution to other businesses struggling with navigating Brexit complexities.

“The solution is very user-friendly, the online training videos and step-by-step guides are detailed and easy to follow. We are looking forward to growing our customs business and continuing to work with Descartes as we offer both import and export solutions to our customers.”

Expert Customs is affiliated with Expert Joinery Ltd, an importer of windows and doors from the European Union. Expert Joinery first sought the help of Descartes for a particular shipment it was importing from Poland in February 2021. With many businesses struggling to navigate Brexit, often made more difficult with language barriers and the customs declarations required by HMRC, Expert Joinery quickly identified an opportunity in the market to support other small businesses importing to the UK.

Establishing itself as a professional customs agency with the help and support from Descartes’ e-Customs solution, Expert Customs now provides an essential service to other businesses seeking to overcome the challenges faced with importing goods to the UK following Brexit. Initially, Expert Customs was completing 250 declarations per month, rapidly increasing four-fold on projected volumes to 1,000 a month, as a result of the success of its newly established customs agency.

Pol Sweeney, VP Sales and Business Manager UK for Descartes, adds: “It’s very exciting and rewarding to support exemplary businesses such as Expert Customs to grow and prosper through using our e-Customs solution by providing effective and efficient technology to enable straightforward customs processes. It has been a pleasure working with Expert Customs to support its operations and help develop its offering for customers and we look forward to our continued partnership.”

 

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