Radio frequency data collection and communications links seamlessly with leading soft furnishings supplier’s ERP system, delivers real-time benefits and supports excellent customer service.
Primeur is the UK’s leading manufacturer, importer and distributor of soft furnishings. Serving major and independent retailers, the company supplies such well-known names as Argos, B&Q and Wilkinson with cushions, rugs and floor mats.
The UK market for furnishings and furniture is worth in excess of £8 billion. This encourages stiff competition among suppliers. From its Bingley base Primeur operates a slick operation, enabling it to respond quickly to customer requirements and so retain a significant lead on its competitors.
At Bingley rapid and agile response is supported by a high-tech wireless system supplied and installed by Barcoding.co.uk, which helps the company to handle a product line of over 1126, with about 5 million individual items per year being imported.
Product throughout is subject to seasonality and so Primeur has to be flexible. The company, therefore, applies lean principles to ensure efficiency and yet Primeur must be able to handle demands effectively to maintain excellent levels of customer service. This is made possible by using the wireless real-time solution that integrates with a Strategix ERP system, which handles all the sales and purchase orders, customer and product data, etc. All operations link to this system, with barcode technology playing a lead role in enabling Primeur’s personnel to perform paperless warehousing tasks.
In brief, the standard process begins with Primeur raising purchase orders with its manufacturers in India and Europe. The products are then shipped to Bingley where they are put into stock bins within the warehouses. Accuracy is paramount with barcode labels being applied not only to individual items and to batches of the same items, but also to the stock bins.
The accuracy and efficiency of the stock movement operation is where the Barcoding wireless system comes into play. The entire Primeur site – across the three warehouses – is equipped with 20 Proxim WiFi access points, comprising an appropriate mix of AP700 and AP500 devices. These enable real-time data collection and communication using handheld computers equipped with barcode scanners. The devices run terminal emulation and talk directly to the ERP system. This enables operators to place the correct item in the correct stock bin. Then by also using the portable terminals to assist with picking, accuracy is maintained with items matching the picklists displayed on the handheld devices.
Glynn Robinson is Systems Support Manager for Primeur. He talks enthusiastically about the system saying that is of “great benefit” to the company. “We are able to run a very well-managed business using real-time data. This is the right approach for us and has eliminated vast amounts of paper, which reduces operational and environmental costs and significantly boosts accuracy,” he says.
Primeur relies on Barcoding.co.uk for ongoing service and maintenance and enjoys an excellent business relationship.
“Barcoding’s service is excellent, the team responds quickly to our needs and this means we in turn are able to provide the high levels of service our customers expect from us,” concludes Glynn Robinson.
Facts at a scan: Primeur wireless solution supplied by Barcoding.co.uk
- 20 x Proxim WiFi access points – appropriate mix of AP700, AP600 and AP500
- 1 x Citizen CLP desktop thermal transfer printer
- 2 x Zebra Technologies RW220 portable direct thermal barcode printers
- 4 x Datalogic Kyman.net handheld terminals
- 10 x Datalogic Viper handheld terminals
- 4 x Hand Held Products Dolphin handheld terminals
- Printer consumables
