Jan/Feb 2006

Often checking goods into the warehouse and tracking them in the field are separate components of the same overall function - which is to provide a full track and trace system for goods throughout a supply chain.

That has been the approach of Acumen Logistics in adopting a track and trace solution from Skillweb for one of its key customers. The operation involves receiving goods from the United States, warehousing them at Halifax, and delivering them in cartons the customer's own distribution centres and to home-based technicians. It uses a fleet of dedicated vans and trucks, making multiple drops throughout the country.

The new system from Skillweb has provided Acumen with unload, count, check and load functionality in the warehouse and proof of delivery and consignment tracking for the delivery team. In both cases the company is using Intermec handheld computers to do the actual monitoring.

According to Acumen managing director Chris Doughty: "We know what product is where, and as we distribute it to our customer's sites we have an easily accessible comprehensive audit trail and rapid proof of delivery retrieval. We can provide this information back to our customer in near-real time, and as a result we get fewer queries and more thanks for delivering to schedule."