Zak Designs, located in Spokane, Washington, manufactures and/or distributes licensed children's dinnerware, seasonal plastic tableware, travel coffee tumblers, lunch kits and a variety of direct import products. To process orders for customers around the world, Zak Designs was using a manual system requiring a staff of five to 10 employees.
Challenges
As order volume increased, intensive labor was needed to pack products manually, print and apply retail-compliant labels, sort and fill cartons, and input EDI data for transmitting ASNs. Increased human interaction required extra time to handle order-filling errors.
Solution
Solutions provider Supplier Systems Corporation recommended its automated packing system called Packline Plus™, which included a conveyor system with computerized equipment, a barcode label printer/applicator, and two Accu-Sort Model 22 laser barcode scanners. As part of the total solution, the barcode scanners significantly reduced the labor and time required to process customer orders while increasing the reliability of the system.
Following the one-week installation, the automated system was automatically reading and tracking product barcodes, printing and applying labels, gathering data for ASNs, and validating labels with 100 percent accuracy. The system also automated the packing, palletizing and shipping process.
"Since first partnering with Accu-Sort 10 years ago, we have not found another company that can provide the performance features and reliability of its industry-leading barcode systems and sortation equipment," said Howie Kamholz of Supplier Systems Corporation. "Our customers have consistently reported reliable, error-free operation across its product line. That's why we knew that the Accu-Sort scanner would be the best choice for meeting Zak Designs' need for exceptionally accurate, high-speed scanning and order processing."
"Testing of the Accu-Sort AL5010 scanner has been successfully completed. The AL5010 appears to be a great replacement for the Accu-Sort Model 22." Kamholz added, "The flexibility and new features of the AL5010 will enhance our Packline Plus product line and help in difficult scanning situations."
Results
The solution has enabled simplified, error-free order filling at Zak Designs, which increases customer satisfaction. With its notable increase in processing efficiency, the automated system packs 30 or more cartons per minute and requires the attention of only a few employees. Zak Designs has also reported dramatically simplified physical movement around the plant, improved quality control, and easier compliance with the label standards required by retailers.
AccuLazer™ AL5010: Features and Benefits
The AccuLazr™ AL5010 is Accu-Sort's new line of compact mid-range barcode scanning solutions designed with industrial and manufacturing applications in mind. Housed in a rugged IP65-rated enclosure, the AL5010 series offers high-speed scanning up to 1200 scans per second capable of handling the most demanding applications. All AccuLazr readers include a mounting base and plug-in scan head. The scan head is available in five models for standard, medium, and high density codes.
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Accu-Sort® and AccuLazr™ are trademarks of Accu-Sort Systems.
PackLine Plus™ is a trademark of Supplier Systems.
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