Every year a special garment hanger recycling operation run by a Cape-based national store chain ensures that over 35 million clothing hangers are sorted, checked, cleaned and packed into cartons by a workforce of 140 disabled people before being sold back to garment manufacturers for re-use.
The recycling facility, in partnership with Chris Steytler Industries for the Disabled, is an initiative of the Ackermans group. The facility is located in Stikland Industria Bellville South, and on average 10 000 cartons over 40 different styles of garment hangers are recycled every month. The hangers come to the recycling depot from the Ackermans group's 364 stores countrywide.
First started in 1977, the initiative has seen its workload grow tenfold and this year an investment has been made in a new wireless data collection and transfer solution designed and implemented by ICT company Square One Solutions Group. The solution has streamlined the entire process with speed, accuracy, productivity and portability.
Facility manager Cyril Margolis said a time-consuming, inefficient manual system had been in place whereby cartons in the dispatch area were physically checked and noted according to number, style and destination. These details were then manually entered into the office computer on an Excel spreadsheet and invoices created.
"Now, with the solution implemented by Square One, we are able to use handheld scanners to scan all of the pertinent information from the barcode label on each carton and transmit this data directly into the computer. This single process cuts out five different manual processes."
Margolis added that at the same time the software is designed to enable bulk pallet scanning, obviating the need to scan each carton individually. This is a major time saver.
"The solution has revolutionised a complex, time-consuming process. It is virtually error-free as the manual input of data, which is prone to human error, has been completely replaced. The handheld scanners work perfectly over long distances, as long as they are in line of sight.
"It was easy to implement, requiring only some minor enhancements to software. We have achieved speed, accuracy and much improved-productivity. The system compares the data with the original sales orders in literally seconds and then processes and prints tax invoices. We have real control."
Square One's channel manager wireless solutions in the Cape, Stanley Cohen, said the Nordic ID Piccolink scanning system had been selected for the solution.
"Because the intelligence lies in the host computer system, the scanning system is affordable and highly reliable. Within the solution the Piccolink scanners transmit the scanned data to a base radio station which is connected to the host computer either by a standard serial interface or a local area network via an Erthernet serial converter. It really is very simple and very effective."
Cohen added that wireless data collection and transfer technology is showing exponential growth with organisations worldwide turning to integrated laser and wireless technology to conduct real-time warehouse stocktaking and control, with stock data transferred directly into a computer.
The Nordic ID PiccoLink RF600 is the handheld scanner product. The wireless data collection system consists of radio handsets that communicate with the host system via base stations using a highly efficient communications protocol. The host system can be a PC or more complex computer. The application software is run by the host system, which sees the PiccoLink RF600 as a wireless keyboard, display and scanner so there is no need to program the handheld units. Software development and updating is extremely simple and flexible to cater for a wide range of applications.
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