Feb-March 2003

Intellident, a company well-established in automatic identification and radio-frequency identification (RFID), has entered the proof of delivery market with an integrated package known as ConsignIT.

The system uses Symbol handheld terminals with integral barcode scanners, which travel with the driver and are used to monitor the loading and delivery of goods throughout their journey to customers. At the depot the driver uses the terminal to scan goods on to the vehicle, and the data is automatically cross-referenced with the loading manifest to stop the vehicle leaving if the load is incomplete.

At the delivery point, the goods are signed for digitally on the terminal, and the data is downloaded in batches via docking cradles back at base. The host system can be a free-standing PC or a PC network linked to other company systems.

Unusually in an era when the Pocket PC operating system is becoming ubiquitous, the handheld terminals in system use the Palm OS, and accept input by Graffiti if users are familiar with this.