Rugged portable barcode readers 'improve warehouse efficiency'

In 2007, Bio Living was started by two forward thinking individuals who identified the need for organic and health food products in Australia.

Bio Living encompass a number of brands under their banner, from Organic Baby Foods, Pasta, Breakfast Cereals and Biscuits, to Gluten Free Food and a large range of Natural and Organic Skin Care and Cosmetics.

Today, Bio Living has grown to be recognised as one of the major distributors of health and wellbeing products across health and organic food stores, pharmacies, convenience stores and independent supermarkets in Australia.

"For retailers we are becoming a one-stop shop with over 2000 products in our range," said Lino Scognamiglio, managing director at Bio Living.

As the business grew it was becoming apparent that the existing MYOB AccountRight Premier financial system wasn't coping.  Lino then came across a cost effective product that could extend onto his existing MYOB financials and turn it into a complete ERP/WMS. 

Lino said it was "important to meet the evolving needs of our growing business and to have full visibility into the warehouse operations, as well as to protect the investment in our current MYOB financial software".

It then became apparent he needed to gain the added advantage of mobility and this was done through the use of rugged portable barcode readers and a very intelligent and cost effective mobility software from ASP Microcomputers called ASPluris.

ASPluris is an innovative real-time mobility suite of modular solutions which provides a robust and cost-effective bridge to existing accounting or ERP/WMS software that is easy to deploy and maintain and delivered mobility for Bio Living.

"ASPluris is now an integral part of the business and we are glad we made the choice," said Lino.

Robert Kogoi, ASP Microcomputers director of R&D and marketing said: "ASPluris is a relatively new product on the market but we have combined our total experience of being in business since 1977 to develop one of the most advanced mobility solutions on the market today. 

"I am very proud of the fact that it was totally developed here in Melbourne and will provide efficiency gains as well as giving organisations an edge in today's competitive business landscape."

One of the greatest benefits which Bio Living has gained is the ability to dramatically reduce out-of-date inventory holdings.  This was achieved by serialised batch number barcodes which were applied to the products which then allowed date and batch code controlled inventory rotation.

"As well as reducing out of date inventory holdings, ASPluris has helped increase efficiency, picking times and errors have been reduced dramatically and order tracking has improved," said Lino.

Lino required hardware which could handle the harsh environments normally experienced in the warehouse or shop floor.  The Casio DT-X8 is the most rugged devices in its class on the market today having a drop rating of three metres as well as an operating temperature range of -20 to 50°C.  With the standard cold store operating at -16°C, the Casio DT-X8 won't have any operational issue in such a harsh environment.

Lino said he has used and tested a number of devices on the market and the Casio unit came up on top of the pile not only for its ruggedness but surprisingly [for such a rugged device] its ergonomics as well as its battery life, in which no other unit comes close.

Robert Kogoi added: "We have invested considerable time and effort working closely with Australian companies to develop ASPluris. 

"Our roadmap for the solution is to continue to build on its functionality and integration into various ERP/WMS systems. We know the work we are doing is crucial to improving the competitiveness of Australian business and giving them the edge over their competitors."