For over 15 years, the Heavey RF Group has provided complete Voice, Handheld and Mobile technology and the award winning software solution VocalPoint™ with comprehensive 24/7 customer support for leading supply chain companies around the globe, and they pride themselves on developing lifelong partnerships with their customers.
Heavey RF’s collaborative approach to innovation integrates workflow strategy, superior industrial technology and specialised software through every phase of the design, development and implementation process, bringing the right solution to the client’s business. With their recent expansion into the UK in 2010, they are able to bring innovative integration of workflow strategies, superior industrial technology and their specialised software solutions to the supply chain industry around the world. Heavey RF has an increasingly global reach, now taking in Ireland, the UK, Germany, Poland, the USA and Australia.
Heavey RF also work with world class supply chain equipment manufacturers, including Vocollect, Intermec, Motorola and Psion. Since partnering with Vocollect, Heavey RF has continued to experience consistent and significant growth milestones with voice technology, installing the first voice SAP interface in Ireland in 2006, being awarded the 2007 Vocollect Trailblazer award and 2008 Vocollect EMEA Partner of the Year award. In May 2012 Heavey RF was named Vocollect “Best New Partner of the Year” at this year’s EMEA Partner Conference. Just recently one of their customers, HSE-Health Services Executive, received the 2012 National Procurement Award for Best Use of Technology for the implementation of Heavey RF’s VocalPoint Voice Solution.
Ronan Clinton, CEO of Heavey RF Group, spoke to Warehouse & Logistics News.
Warehouse & Logistics News – First of all, Ronan, can you run through the different products and services Heavey RF provides?
We provide VocalPoint™ Voice Solution, as well as mobile computing, hand held and vehicle mounted computers and wireless solutions, based on an in-depth understanding of the individual client’s business needs. These are all supported by our 24/7 customer care program ServicePoint? which is tailored to each client.
WLN – As CEO, what is your role in the company day to day? Are you directly involved in developing solutions for customers?
My role is primarily dedicated to overseeing the commercial and technical direction of the business as we continue to expand globally. I don’t tend to do specific development for individual customers, however I do play a part in the technical direction of the company in tandem with our highly skilled development teams. As far as development goes, we have purchased a location in Cork where we will be creating our Development Excellence Centre for all research and development moving forward. We expect to have at least 20 positions filled by the end of 2013.
WLN – Who were the founders of the business? Are they still involved? Who owns the business now?
Michael Heavey and I founded the business in 1999 as equal shareholders. Michael continues to be a non-executive shareholder, and I am the CEO. Andrew Moloney is our Technical Director and was awarded a small shareholding in 2007 in recognition of his contribution to our success.
WLN – How do you sum up the Heavey RF proposition in 2013?
Heavey RF Group develops and implements total mobile software and middleware solutions that empower the end user with visibility throughout their operations. Award winning products such as our specially developed VocalPoint™, ServicePoint and InHouse™ can assist the customer in properly managing their business, streamlining processes and lowering operational costs.
WLN – Can you tell us about VocalPoint™, ServicePoint? and InHouse™?
VocalPoint is Heavey RF Group’s exclusive integration software that provides our customers with a window into exactly what is going on in their supply chain. Delivering down-to-the-second information on each operator, process and order, it assists in properly managing resources and streamlining processes. ServicePoint is our 24/7 customer support programme that is tailored to the demands of our customer’s processes, making readily available the most knowledgeable and deeply experienced people in the industry. One of the various benefits provided in our SevicePoint programme is full use of InHouse, our award winning repairs and asset management portal. With InHouse, our customers are able to maintain complete visibility with regard to the status of their equipment, even schedule repairs, request service, interact with our technical staff and generate reports to ensure they are receiving the most out of their service contract with us.
WLN – Speaking of partnerships with other companies, how does your partnership with Vocollect work? Who does what? How does your technology fit in with theirs as part of a solution?
Vocollect is the world’s leader in voice directed work technology. We develop solutions for the supply chain, logistics and warehousing industries which integrate the hardware developed by Vocollect into our customer’s operational processes. We do this using VocalPoint Solutions – it provides not only the software piece which tailors it to the customers’ workflows, such as receiving, put away, picking, replenishing, outbound and stock checks, but also provides real-time information about their operations and allows for a reduction of supervisor floor time, customisable reporting, interleaving of tasks across multiple workflows, and much more. Importantly, not only does VocalPoint integrate voice into an operation, if that operation already has other existing RF technology such as handheld or truck mounted devices, VocalPoint will provide the same benefits across those devices as well.
WLN – Are you partners with any other equipment manufacturers besides Vocollect?
We are proud to be partners with Intermec, Psion and Motorola in addition to Vocollect, enabling us to provide our customers with the right solution to their particular supply chain needs. There are areas where handheld or truck mounted devices are more appropriate, such as the transport logistics industry. We’ve had quite successful transport implementations with customers such as Unilever, Uniphar, Johnston Logistics, and many others.
WLN – Where is your UK office? Who heads up your UK operations?
Our UK office is in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, near London. Our UK Country Manager is Steve Watson, who has been with the Heavey RF Group for numerous years in other roles.
WLN – How is your UK office doing?
During its first year of operations (starting in January 2010), we doubled our revenues from £1 million to £2 million. At the close of 2012, we not only saw an additional doubling of revenues, but also a doubling in staff. We are already anticipating an exceptional start to 2013, which includes business wins with a number of blue chip customers including DHL, Capper, Caterpillar, Poundworld, Culina Logistics and others.
WLN – Do you supply your products directly or through distributors?
We provide all of our solutions directly through our various country offices located in Ireland, UK, Germany, Poland, Australia and soon France.
WLN – What industry sectors are your target customers in?
In the UK we supply mobile technology solutions to the logistics, manufacturing, field service, retail and transport sectors.
WLN – Can you name any of your customers?
In Ireland, our customers include Glanbia Consumer Products, the largest branded food supplier into the Irish grocery sector, Gleeson Group, Ireland’s leading supplier and distributor of beverage products, Superquinn, the Irish supermarket group and Motor Distributors Ltd, Ireland’s largest vehicle importer. In the UK our customers include DHL, Capper, Caterpillar, Poundworld and Culina Logistics. Some of our international blue chip customers include DSV, Smurfit Kappa, Kerry Group, Syncreon, and Cadbury.
WLN – Can you tell us about what you have done for these companies? Do you publish case studies?
We have several video and written case studies published on our website at www.heaveyrfgroup.com. One of our most recent releases is about Johnston Logistics, which depicts our methodologies, developing a partnership with our customer throughout the years which ultimately delivers the best possible solutions as we sustain our customers’ growth. For example, we have partnered with Johnston Logistics for over 15 years, taking them from paper processes through four generations of technology, which enabled them to bring in new business each time. They have actually completed their first installation of a voice solution and we were thrilled to work with them for its successful implementation.
WLN – There are shoals of mobile computing vendors out there. What sets Heavey RF apart? Why buy a Mobile data technology solution from you?
This is actually a simple answer – our people, our experience and expertise, and our reputation. We have a very large technical support team who have been a part of Heavey RF since the beginning and are committed to the customer relationships and see the customer’s problem as their problem.
We invest significantly in ensuring that they have the highest training and certifications possible within our industry, and as they continue to work with our customers through the years, they develop long lasting collaborative relationships which lend to providing the right solutions to those businesses. These days it isn’t enough to just provide the right technology – you have to understand how, where and why that technology is being used. Heavey RF Group has a reputation for never putting in technology for technology’s sake. We make sure that when we do something, we’re doing it for the right reasons.
WLN – Do you also provide after sales service?
Yes, we do. We have built up a track record of delivering a first class after sales service which we believe has become a key differentiating factor between us and other established UK players.
WLN – What new products and developments will you be showing at IMHX? Will you be demonstrating your solutions?
We will be demonstrating all of our technology and solutions in a way where anyone will be able to walk up and start using it in a real-time environment, just as they would within their own warehouse. We will be featuring the soon to be released version of VocalPoint, which has some very exciting features built in as standard. Alongside of the Vocollect, Intermec, Psion and Motorola devices, will also be demonstrating InHouse, our award winning repairs and asset management portal.
WLN – What else is new from Heavey RF at IMHX?
VocalPoint 3 – this is an exciting new integration solution which is able to be applied across all areas of a supply chain, uniting multiple site operations, and providing its users with the tools necessary to make informed decisions with live data when optimising their operations.
WLN – How important are shows like IMHX to your company and its strategy?
We intentionally restrict the number of shows we attend throughout a year. We believe that there are only a select few venues that lend themselves to properly demonstrating the products and services we have to offer the industry – the IMHX is one of those shows.
WLN – The big question: why should a busy professional from the logistics industry take a day out of the office to visit your stand?
If someone is looking to find meaningful ways of cutting operational costs, reducing errors and claims, increasing productivity and creating a more flexible workforce, making processes more efficient and gaining complete operational visibility, then we have something significant to share with them. Spending a few moments talking with us will be well worth their time.
WLN – Looking at the wider picture, what do you see as the biggest pressures on users of Mobile data technology solutions? How are you responding to these pressures?
Having supplied many systems to the warehouse and supply chain industry for the better part of 20 years, I can see that the biggest pressure for warehouse and operations managers has actually remained the same. It is determining not only what technology, but more importantly which solution is the right fit. Understanding the position they are in, we make a concerted effort to understand the directives and goals of their organization in order to lead to a successful implementation and lifelong solution.
WLN – Finally, where do you see the UK Mobile data technology market and Heavey RF going from here?
We saw an interesting change take place during the past seven to eight years in the various manufacturers’ approach to the UK mobile data technology arena, in that they had become quite focused on big ticket man-in-a-van, utilities, and EPOD deployments of data capture. We are now seeing a clear shift in their focus back to the warehousing, distribution, manufacturing and multi-modal markets. Fortunately, this is where Heavey RF has maintained our focus – delivering solid results driven solutions – for nearly 20 years now. Our entire core competency, skills and expertise have driven the development of solutions such as VocalPoint, ServicePoint, InHouse, and TransPoint, which give the businesses we serve the ability to reduce costs, increase productivity and make informed decisions about how to best optimise the direction of their company.
As an autonomous and independent systems integrator, the manufacturers’ alignment with where we as a solutions provider have resided is excellent news for Heavey RF. Our knowledge of, understanding of, and continued commitment to this market is unparalleled in the industry. Show me an integrator who has a combined core skill set of Voice Directed Logistics, Narrowband Technology, Wireless Networking and Mission Critical Data Capture systems. We are unique in what we do, and that unique nature and autonomous stance will serve us and our customers well for the future.
Tel: 00 353 87 374 3506
email: page.cedarholm@heaveyrf.com
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