![]() ![]() “We can have multiple people looking for different locators,” Larkin said. Once an order is complete, the DartTag is sent to a new zone in preparation for the next order. They now move orders to the most appropriate location in the warehouse without concern over whether others will find it. To find each staging area, pickers consult one of several large monitors placed strategically throughout the warehouse or handheld devices and bring items to the right location. Oracle specifies the staging location associated with a UWB tag where pickers should deliver items for a specific order. The warehouse assigns a DartTag to each order and places it in a staging area. To improve communication regarding staging areas, Zebra leveraged its Dart Ultra-Wideband (UWB) RTLS hardware and Visibility Server Software (VSS). Already, the warehouse had the Zebra WhereNet ISO/24730-2 and Ultra Wideband (UWB) infrastructure in place. RTLS provides precise positioning solutions with active RFID for real-time identification and tracking of objects and people. Zebra turned to its own real-time locating systems (RTLS) technology to improve communication and efficiency at the Vernon Hills distribution center. Real-Time, Accurate Data for Staging Orders. ![]() ![]() Goods accumulated in the narrow aisles, blocking picking, creating a safety hazard, and slowing order completion by up to 15 minutes – several times a day. Yet, they had no way to notify the shipping staff when it was time to remove items from the aisle. Team members would stage completed reconfigurations in the aisles until the finished goods were moved to the shipping area. Reconfigurations refer to customizations of printers and other accessories for specific customer needs. Pairing reconfigured products with the rest of orders presented another challenge. “It was taking one to two minutes to find where to put the material we had just picked.” “It was very difficult to locate individual items to pair up orders,” said Daniel Larkin, Warehouse Control Board Manager. At times, they would relocate an order multiple times before it was complete and pickers frequently had to search through products already in the staging area to complete an order. However, in Oracle, orders are “blind” to the size of the area required for staging. “With our Oracle implementation we improved our operational efficiency and capabilities from a business process perspective, but we still lacked visibility into the actual actions taking place in our warehouse.” Ashley Ford, Vice President & General Manager – North America Items remain in a staging area until the entire order is complete. When pickers move products from the warehouse to staging areas, they often need to combine items with other picked goods before they are ready for shipment. With the move to Oracle, Zebra had to change its process for consolidating orders. “With our Oracle implementation we improved our operational efficiency and capabilities from a business process perspective, but we still lacked visibility into the actual actions taking place in our warehouse,” said Ashley Ford, Vice President & General Manager – North America. ![]() With the deployment, Zebra identified opportunities in its North American distribution center to enhance operations. As part of that, the company deployed Oracle, allowing it to connect many stand-alone systems into one and drive operational efficiencies. Zebra’s North American operations recently initiated a multi-year program focused on systems and processes to support its overall business transformation. The location serves customers and partners across North America and Latin America. From its 72,000 square foot distribution center in Vernon Hills, Illinois, Zebra Technologies processes and picks more than 16,000 items comprising printers, RTLS equipment and accessories every day. ![]()
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