Instore operates over 300 retail outlets in the UK, under both the Instore and Poundstretcher brands, providing variety retailing across an extensive range of products. In a bid to drive through greater efficiencies, the company has recently deployed Datalogic Mobile handheld terminals both at Instore’s central warehousing and distribution facility in Yorkshire and at all of its UK stores.
More than 300 Datalogic Skorpios handheld terminals have now been rolled out into each store. Each day the delivery consignments are downloaded to the store PC and transmitted to the Datalogic Skorpio via the device’s built-in radio or via the download cradle. Upon delivery a bar code is scanned for verification. The Skorpio’s red laser line changes to a green spot after a bar code has been successfully scanned which substantially speeds up the operation and ensures no mis-reads.
The terminals are additionally used for stock taking, product checking, label capture and partial counts. Further functionality is planned over the next year.
One of the reasons why the Datalogic Skorpio was selected was its support for the latest wireless security standards. The terminal fully supports WPA2 authentication and encryption, the highest level of security currently available for any mobile device. This was a key requirement in being compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard which governs the use of any wireless devices in a retail store environment.
The warehouse installed a combination of Datalogic Rhino Vehicle Mounted terminals and Datalogic Viper pistol grip terminals. The latter was selected due to its superior rugged design build. This handheld terminal is the only one on the market claiming to use a suspended internal cage to protect all of the key components such as the PCB and bar code laser scanner. Both devices are running an Aldata Gold application which controls functionality such as goods in, put-away, transfers and goods out.
Roy France, IT project office and development manager at Instore, says: “These devices have resulted in key operational benefits to our business. In turn these savings are ultimately passed on to our customers. Furthermore, the staff feel empowered and are very keen to use the new technology.”
All of the three different types of Datalogic Mobile devices were supplied and supported by OpalTec International, based in Bristol. OpalTec is a Datalogic Mobile Quality Partner.
