Ace Endico’s RF system hindered productivity, so managers were looking for alternatives to improve efficiency while integrating with their existing ERP system. “The main things we needed were better productivity and accuracy and an easier, faster way to get new employees up to standard,” says Murray Hertzberg, President of Ace Endico. “Better selection accuracy helps us eliminate re-ships, which reduces our shipping costs. And since we are growing, we needed to be able to select orders more efficiently.”

The previous RF-based selection system used wearable computers with ring scanners, in addition to pre-printed case labels. Selectors would read the labels or computer screen to determine what items and quantities to pick. They would scan each case they picked, or, if the product did not have a barcode, they would key enter the quantity using the wearable computer, and place the appropriate label on each case. They would also scan or key-enter catchweight information, and key-enter lot or date information, if required.