Efficiency and accuracy with a fast payback are the prime reasons. Efficiency comes from labor reduction in distribution centers and store back rooms; accuracy comes from scanning goods into each store's perpetual inventory system.

Using wireless or batch handhelds to scan in-coming bar-coded containers or pallets is the most popular approach.

SMALL OPERATIONS SAVE TOO

According to Jack Sloan, the owner of Landmark Pet, a single store in Alexandria, VA, "We don't buy cases, we buy onesies and twosies. When we do order five of something, it may come in three different boxes." When a single invoice runs 200 lines, items have to be checked in as they are unpacked or chaos would rule the back room.

To maintain superior service while streamlining receiving, Sloan recently bought a Compsee Apex II handheld data collection terminal from Retail Technology. It integrates with his new point-of-sale system, a Quicksell 2000 POS from Sales Management Systems.

Sloan can check in new merchandise like he's always done-piece-meal., in between serving customers. But now he knows when he finishes whether he received everything. The color-coded screen identifies problems: red indicates a variance from the quantity; green indicates merchandise not on the purchase order. Sloan estimates the new process saves him several hours a week.

Reprinted from:

RIS News
Edgell Communications
October 1998