While some feel that technology encroaches too much into everyday life, International Timber says its investment in a state-of-the-art bar coding system has brought nothing but benefits. In fact, so much so, that the company is looking to expand its functionality into other areas during 2007.
Currently the company operates the bespoke system at its 18-acre Grangemouth site in Scotland. Located right next to the quay, the facility imports the vast majority of softwood for distribution to customers and International Timber’s five branches nationwide. On average, it receives four shipments, totalling 12,000m3 of timber or 3,000 packs per month.
“Speed is of the essence at the docks, with goods offloaded for despatch in trailer loads almost immediately,” said International Timber IT support manager Allan Mullarkey, who is responsible for the new system. “This can mean up to 95 trailer loads transferring 700 packs per shipment arriving into the site over four to five days. It makes for quite a pressured situation. The bar coding system wins out because it makes the whole process run much more smoothly and efficiently.”
Ease of use
Operatives simply scan the bar code or enter the pack number on their 7400 Hand Held Products mobile terminals and the delivery is automatically booked in to stock directly to the live trading system.
“Staff love working with this system because it’s so easy to use, very accurate and real time, while also reducing the paper trail,” said Mr Mullarkey.
International Timber’s system operates on an advanced radio frequency, tracking timber shipments and pack transfers from the quay to their site. A key component is the wireless network which includes 18 wi-fi access points with two lamp post structures to ensure complete coverage across the large site. A further radio frequency connection to an ethernet bridge was added, allowing the company to print bar code labels at remote locations using Zebra wireless printers.
“The wireless technology is superb,” said Mr Mullarkey. “It gives us accurate and up-to-date information of goods received, timber stocks and their location. It has resolved problems of missing or lost stock and allows improved service with instant checks on the amount, type and location of all timber.”
One of the issues with wi-fi technology is security but International Timber says it is confident the infrastructure is protected. The high-spec technology boasts an encrypted system complete with firewalls, anti-virus software and complies with the company’s strict security guidelines for wi-fi installation.
The system was installed by Barcoding.co.uk, which has been in the automatic identification sector for 15 years. With an extensive client base including Nissan, Avery Dennison, Corus, Procter & Gamble and Grattans, Mr Mullarkey said the company was a natural choice as supplier. “It specialises in providing end-to-end solutions and has developed what it believes is one of the most advanced systems within the timber industry,” he said.
Minimal disruption
Embracing modern technology can be daunting, especially for an industry as traditional as timber, but International Timber said assimilating the new system was quick and caused minimal disruption.
An initial full site survey took a couple of days, followed by just three days to install the new technology, despite the size of Grangemouth and its constantly moving traffic.
According to Mr Mullarkey, the system is so easy to use that only a short training programme was required. The hand-held monitors are touch-screen operated and take the user through a simple menu of tasks and Barcoding.co.uk also provided full after sales service.
International Timber has already extended the use of the system within its internal operations. All manufactured and processed products produced by the plant are labelled and, in some cases, bar coded for specific customers, making for better stock control, greater accuracy and easier identification. Now International Timber is investigating widening the flexibility and functionality of the system into other areas of the business. A key area being explored is sales order processing and the benefits it can bring in terms of pick allocation and generating delivery notes. The main project under way is linking the hand-helds with the ADP Commercial Systems stocktaking software module which will allow International Timber to do full or PPI stocktakes in a live environment, rather than having to shut the whole site down for the weekend as has traditionally been the practice. Stocks as a result will be updated faster and more regularly and accurately.
