Parcel Delivery Service Depends on AXIOM-X™ for Improved Efficiency

DPD leverages technology of AXIOM-X™ laser barcode scanners to improve read rates and lower costs.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – (May 19, 2011) – DPD Dynamic Parcel Distribution GmbH & Co. KG recently installed AXIOM-X™ omnidirectional laser barcode scanners from Accu-Sort for its distribution center in Neufahrn Germany. The investment in automated sortation equipment will further enhance DPD’s reputation for fast, accurate parcel processing. Its adoption of a new generation of barcode scanners with improved read rates, high reliability, and a design that allows maintenance work to be carried out by in-house staff, has made the daily distribution of 150,000 parcels even more efficient.

The Accu-Sort high-speed omni directional laser scanners allow for up to 1120 scans per second. The new solution has reduced the rate of unreadable parcels from 1.5 percent to 0.1 percent. This translates into significant labor-savings because parcels with barcodes that cannot be read by scanners require manual processing.

Another aspect in favor of the system was its ease of support. Monitoring and maintenance can be performed by DPD service technicians. Scan heads are easily replaced and configurations are applied at the push of a button.

The upgrade also allows for redundancy. The new system was installed next to the existing scanners so the old scanners could serve as a backup system.

According to Guido Lodde, DPD technology manager, the improved read rate, the redundancy that eliminates downtime, and the fact that no maintenance contract is required lead to an anticipated payback of the investment within five years.

“Despite the complex technology behind the systems, components can be easily replaced, even by untrained staff. Extensive training, as required for the maintenance of laser barcode scanners in the past, is no longer needed,” he explained.

A long relationship with Accu-Sort barcode systems

The German DPD Depot 0180 Neufahrn, the distribution center where the automated sorting of parcels for final delivery takes place, has has a long history with Accu-Sort. The German office of the international provider of parcel delivery services has been using barcode systems from Accu-Sort / Europe GmbH for 16 years.

DPD started with a high-end barcode ID system that was followed by the conversion to a three-sided solution a few years later, and recently decided to modernize the two sortation systems. Accu-Sort / Europe GmbH was the only provider during the selection process to provide a test system that could be operated parallel to the existing one.

“Even the first tests showed that the new system would be a worthwhile investment. We then switched to the latest AXIOM-X™ generation and left the test system in place,” Lodde said. “The old system is still working well, so it can stay in operation. That way, operations are protected in the unlikely event of a scanner failure,” he said.

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