Barcoding, Inc., a leader in supply chain efficiency, accuracy, and connectivity, has successfully automated Azteca Foods, Inc.’s ability to track and trace pallets moving into its finished goods warehouse. With the systems integrator’s barcode scanning solution, the Mexican foods leader is generating unique pallet identification numbers and eliminating manual data collection processes to streamline its day-to-day operations. To read the full case study, visit http://bit.ly/1Ih8Cbk.
Working closely with Azteca, Barcoding implemented a barcode scanning system, consisting of Zebra MC65 handheld computers, a customized software application developed on its CaptureSoft eXpress™ platform, an internally hosted web service, and network extenders to provide maximum wireless coverage inside the facility. Now, when pallets come off the line, warehouse operators scan a barcode. The application then queries the web service for pallet-specific data, which it uses to generate a unique identification number. The application links the data to that number, stores the information, and transfers it to Azteca’s back-end system.
As a result, Azteca has enabled full traceability of its pallets. It knows not only the location of a pallet, but also how many items it includes, which shift or line created it, and even which pallet to ship out to which customer. Looking forward, Azteca plans to introduce printers that create pallet tickets to track products in the shipping process.
Nannette Zander, vice president of information technology, Azteca Foods, Inc., said, “Barcoding did an excellent job of coming in and figuring out how to best make our scanning solution work. They were careful to understand all of our requirements and created a customized solution that will help drive our efficiency, accuracy and connectivity well into the future.”
Azteca’s successes earned the company the first-ever Barcoding, Inc. “Innovator of the Year” Award, presented at Barcoding’s 2014 Executive Forum. This award recognizes a person and/or company who has implemented a mobile or automated data capture solution that has greatly impacted the business’s efficiency, accuracy, and connectivity.
Shane Snyder, president, Barcoding, Inc., said, “Congratulations to Azteca Foods for demonstrating how a seemingly small change in operations – like assigning pallet numbers – can have a huge impact on an organization. We hope to continue working with Azteca to reveal additional opportunities for introducing AIDC and mobile technology to help them realize further results.”
