Many facilities such as distribution centres and retail stores, use large quantities of handheld scanners to improve operational efficiency, and they are fast becoming a mission-critical asset. However, the inefficient distribution (checking out and checking in) and management of these scanners is costing the logistics industry a significant amount each year, with scanners often lost or uncharged, preventing employees from doing their job and sending replacement costs through the roof. Julian Adams, Managing Director at Apex Supply Chain Technologies Ltd, discusses the critical role of automated dispensing solutions in managing handheld electronic assets to generate cost savings and improve productivity.
The annual replacement cost for lost scanners can quickly add up. For example, if five handheld wireless bar code scanners are lost in a year and they are worth £755 each, their replacement would equate to an annual cost of £3,775.
What’s more, without reliable and constant access to missioncritical assets, such as handheld scanners, there is a significant effect on productivity, and therefore operating costs. The cost of an employee being unproductive by spending more time searching for an electronic device or unable to work as an electronic device is unavailable can lead to large costs for businesses.
Manager time is wasted tracking the devices and making sure equipment is available and ready to use, resulting in significant cost implications. In fact, the cost of running a distribution centre is so high that just a few minutes lost per asset every day can have an annual impact of hundreds of thousands, or even millions of pounds. This also includes the maintenance of handheld scanners, a factor that is often overlooked. Scanners should be charged, calibrated and serviced regularly to ensure they are in good working order and available for use at all times, so that work isn’t delayed.
Furthermore, the distribution of such devices is often an expensive manual process that is both a poor use of employee time, and often provides inaccurate data as transactions are recorded manually in a log book.
Automated scanner management increases the control of and accountability for handheld electronic devices, and has the potential to reduce handheld asset replacement costs by as much as 40 per cent. An automated check-out and check-in process can not only reduce labour costs but, as a result of assets being stored effectively, can also reduce asset downtime and replacement costs. Recharging and calibration periods can also be managed automatically by the system, ensuring optimal asset performance and allowing 24/7 access and availability.
The logistics industry should be ensuring that mission critical assets are working and available at all times to avoid escalating replacement costs and lost productivity of employees who are unable to access what they need to do their job. Automated dispensing solutions offer the opportunity to make immediate and significant cost savings alongside greatly improved productivity and operational efficiency.
For more information about Apex Supply Chain Technologies® automated asset management solutions, please visit www.ApexSupplyChain.com/gb/asse t-management, email info.eu@apexsupplychain.com, or call 0800 840 4776
Tel: 0800 840 4776
Email: info.eu@apexsupplychain.com
Comments are closed.