The San Pellegrino Group faced the challenge of ensuring the efficient replenishment of its external sales channels, which include bars, restaurants, and other refreshment outlets across Italy. The company needed a system to monitor and manage the stock in cold drinks cabinets provided on a free loan to these outlets. The primary issues were ensuring that the cabinets were used exclusively for San Pellegrino products, maintaining an ideal stock structure that matched the demand of different areas, and collecting accurate data for sales analysis. The traditional methods of dealing with wholesalers were no longer sufficient as the company shifted focus to winning over end consumers directly in various retail environments.

DP World Southampton, one of the largest ports in the UK, aimed to maintain its position as the UK's most productive port. The port needed to maximize the return on investment by increasing the flow of goods through the terminal, reduce costs, and use connectivity to boost operational efficiency. Additionally, they required a rugged device suitable for the harsh work environment, real-time tracking and visibility of assets, and a customized and easy-to-use navigation system.

Accolade Wines, a leading wine company, needed to renew its fleet of picking forklift trucks and its estate of truck-mounted and handheld mobile computers. The company required reliable, robust hardware at competitive prices to support its general expansion, including the installation of a third bottling line. Additionally, the new hardware needed to minimize maintenance costs and reduce the time required for staff training and familiarization. Accolade Wines also sought a reliable partner capable of providing technical support for the rugged computers.

Ahlsell AB, a leading wholesaler in the Nordic countries, faced a significant challenge in their warehouse operations due to the harsh and cold climate of their Nordic warehouse. The company needed robust and reliable printers that could withstand the demanding environment and ensure continuous operation in their 24-hour warehouse. The existing printers were not built for mobile printing and often failed to meet the high-volume thermal printing requirements, leading to increased service costs and operational disruptions.

Golden Messenger, a transport and delivery company in Australia, faced significant challenges with their manual, paper-based processes. These processes were cumbersome, time-consuming, and prone to human error, particularly when providing proof of receipt. The lack of real-time availability and visibility of goods was a major issue, especially for mission-critical deliveries to hospitals and laboratories. The company needed to replace their outdated processes with an autonomous, process-driven electronic system to improve efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Kennards Hire faced the challenge of providing their customers with easy access to information about the equipment they hire. The existing manual log book system for recording maintenance and service history was cumbersome and not accessible to customers. This lack of transparency made it difficult for customers to verify the service history and safety records of the equipment they were hiring. The company needed a solution that would empower customers with real-time access to this information, ensuring that they could confidently use the equipment knowing it had been properly maintained.

Gateway Health, a top-ranked managed-care organization, needed to transition from outdated BlackBerry devices to Apple iPad tablets across all company departments. The goal was to enable employees to see sales progress in the field while minimizing downtime and ensuring information security. However, Gateway lacked the staff to manage the challenges of implementing new technology in a healthcare setting.

The major airline needed to implement several mobility initiatives to improve efficiency and customer service. They required expert assistance in managing multiple mobile operating systems and the rapid deployment of devices. The airline aimed to enhance its operational efficiency and customer service by leveraging advanced mobile technologies.

Sony of Canada faced challenges with their paper-based and RF systems for distribution. The paper system was cumbersome and lacked a locator system, making it difficult for employees to find products quickly. RF scanning, while faster than paper, involved too many steps and errors. Employees had to input data into handheld units, view screens, and the system was often slow to respond. The rapidly changing business model, with increasing online orders and more, smaller orders, exposed these weaknesses further. The company needed a more efficient system to handle high seasonality, support changing business models, and maintain a highly satisfied customer base.

In 2010, with the opening of a new terminal, Vnukovo International Airport needed to equip over one hundred check-in counters with reliable, fast, and easy-to-operate printers for producing boarding passes and bag tags. The printers also needed to be certified to work under a SITA CUTE multiuser access environment. The airport's IT team faced the challenge of finding a solution that could handle the high demands of a busy airport environment, ensuring high levels of uptime and ease of use by different airlines.

Prior to using Intermec by Honeywell CN3 mobile computers, all of the processes associated with criminal, moving and municipal violations were manual. When an officer stopped a violator, he or she recorded the driver’s details, information regarding the incident and the ensuing court dates with pen and paper. Prone to human error, this process caused additional labor when information was recorded inaccurately, as well as caused potential trial delays. Many times officers neglected to fill in certain boxes or entered incorrect data. This created extra labor for both the quality assurance process and for the officers who would be required later to complete necessary paperwork to fix the error or risk the citation being thrown out in court. Once the ticket was issued, it was then sent to the records division for quality control. If the ticket did not pass the quality assurance process, the check person issued an amendment form, attached it to the original ticket and returned it to the officer to correct. If the information on the ticket was validated, one copy was sent to the courts and entered into their database, and another copy was sent to the police department and entered into a separate database. By segmenting the process for entering violations into the system databases, there was more opportunity for error. Two different data entry departments meant two separate opportunities for mistakes. Using this system, the SJPD was averaging a 10 percent annual error rate. Two systems for data entry also meant twice the labor— something the SPJD needed to optimize during budget cuts.

Ewing Irrigation Products faced challenges in optimizing their picking process due to the bulky and non-standard-shaped products they handle. The transition from paper to handheld devices provided some performance improvements, but workers still struggled with the cumbersome nature of handhelds and the company's odd-sized product mix. Management sought a solution to enhance individual worker experience and overall operational efficiency. Additionally, they aimed to expand voice functionality to the pick-from-reserve section without incurring costly customization fees and extensive IT time.

With all products being produced and distributed in their 100,000 square foot Flint, Michigan facility, the company was operating an antiquated manual labeling system that required roll label dispensers equipped with roll-style date imprinters. They also had to stock a separate label for each product and were experiencing major downtime as a result. Their print quality had also begun to falter, causing unreadable labels. In short, they realized it was time for a major technology upgrade. However, because of the facility’s washdown cooler environment, any new solution involving PCs, displays, keyboards and all the resulting wires and fans – in addition to printers – was not an option. Koegel needed a simpler, cleaner and more reliable solution to improve their product labeling and tracking.

With an entire supply chain relying on its operations, time is of the essence for 3663’s Logistics division. The division has a long-standing commitment to moving goods to the right place at the right time without incident or error. For the business to sustain increased growth and profitability, 3663 could not afford unexpected costs such as sending out half-empty lorries or high levels of inaccurate selection. In addition to accuracy, productivity and speed are of vital importance to the company’s profit margins. The more products the company can move in a day, the greater the increase in revenue, so having a focused approach to ensuring processes are not duplicated needlessly is essential. In their quest for logistics excellence, 3663 turned the spotlight on the company’s long-standing, paper-driven processes to see how voice technology could help to increase accuracy, speed up order selection, gain better visibility of stock, streamline processes and make the best possible use of its workforce.

Toll Helicopters, contracted to operate the New South Wales (NSW) Ambulance Aeromedical Rescue Helicopter Service, needed an efficient inventory management and maintenance system for its helicopter base. The fleet, consisting of eight AgustaWestland 139 (AW139) helicopters, provides critical services such as emergency medical service, search and rescue operations, and passenger transfer. The challenge was to find a smart, compact, and easy-to-use solution that would enhance accuracy, efficiency, and productivity while providing a good return on investment.

The luxury retailer faced the challenge of managing over 10,000 mobile devices, including Apple iPhones for corporate employees, Apple iPads for sales associates, and rugged mobile computers for inventory management. The company needed a managed mobility services (MMS) provider to handle the deployment, support, and management of these devices. The complexity of managing a multiplatform environment and ensuring confidentiality and security for high-profile customers were significant concerns.

The company needed to migrate approximately 50,000 BlackBerry devices to Windows smartphones in a seamless and cost-effective manner. This migration was essential to maintain operational efficiency and ensure that the company's mobility needs were met across its global operations. The challenge was to find a managed mobility services (MMS) provider capable of handling such a large-scale migration while providing comprehensive services including procurement, deployment, helpdesk support, depot services, wireless optimization, and mobile device management administration. The company conducted an extensive request for proposal (RFP) process, evaluating more than six vendors, including pure play MMS providers, wireless carriers, and systems integrators.

Fastway Couriers faced significant challenges with their mobile computer repair process, which took 2-4 weeks. This delay forced couriers to use paper-based run sheets, leading to lost productivity and errors. The company needed a mobility solution to maximize device uptime, replace faulty devices quickly, and eliminate paper-run sheets. Additionally, they aimed to speed up the delivery process, allowing couriers to earn more money by delivering more parcels. Freeing up IT resources by removing the burden of mobile device management from the internal IT department was also a priority.

Kennards Hire faced challenges with their manual, paper-based process for hiring and returning equipment. This system was time-intensive for customers and inefficient for the company, particularly in the equipment returns process. Returned equipment could not be listed as available for hire until all paperwork was completed and lodged, leading to delays and inaccurate tracking in their ERP system. The company needed a technology solution to overhaul the manual returns system, minimize equipment downtime, and provide a faster, flexible, and easy-to-use solution for customers.

The pressure on suppliers for fast and accurate customer service is constantly increasing. An order placed today means delivery for tomorrow. Such delivery terms can have major consequences for suppliers. This was indeed the case for Kruitbosch, a leading bicycle supplier in The Netherlands and Belgium. As well as supplying the well-known bicycle brand ‘Cortina’, Kruitbosch also supplies bicycle parts and accessories to store and direct-to-consumer. In order to improve their service levels, they opted for a VocollectTM voice solution for their picking process.

Muscle Maker Grill needed a solution to quickly scan orders and receipts at checkout. The company was using in-line scanners and its employees were having difficulty lining up the barcodes on drink bottles. Additionally, the company planned to roll out a digital loyalty program using a smartphone app, as the previous paper card punch system was easy for customers to lose and did not provide insights into customer buying habits. With the rise in digital coupon usage, Muscle Maker Grill wanted to capitalize on this trend to better engage with customers.

National Food, a snack food producer and distributor, was using outdated handheld PCs and a mix of software packages that were not designed for the Direct Store Delivery (DSD) industry. This setup made it difficult to generate necessary sales and inventory reports, often taking hours to create a single report. These inefficiencies impacted deliveries to key customers such as regional and national supermarket chains including Publix, Winn-Dixie, Wal-Mart, BJ’s, and Sam’s Clubs.

Copper Mountain, a premier ski resort, faced significant challenges in managing the high volume of skiers entering their lifts daily. With over 10,000 skiers on average and up to 14,000 on busy days, the resort needed a fast and efficient scanning solution to ensure smooth operations. The existing scanning devices were heavy, had poor battery life, and struggled in extreme weather conditions, leading to frequent network drop-offs and potential revenue loss. The resort required a robust, lightweight, and reliable scanning solution to handle the high throughput and harsh environmental conditions.

Providing aid for a large number of people requires extreme efficiency. World Vision needed a way to streamline the process of distributing aid to approximately 12-15 million people each year. The manual process of recording aid distribution was time-consuming and prone to errors. The organization needed a solution that could improve the speed and accuracy of beneficiary verification and aid distribution.

GraysOnline faced the challenge of consolidating its four existing warehouses into one centralized distribution center (DC) at Homebush, Western Sydney. The company needed to upgrade its entire warehouse management system (WMS) to streamline operations, drive greater efficiencies, and introduce clearly defined processes. With over 30,000 products and servicing 10,000 customers, they needed to ensure the integration of inventory into the Homebush warehouse was seamless and caused limited downtime. Additionally, GraysOnline had to integrate the inventory of oo.com.au, a newly acquired online department store, into its existing warehouse operations with minimal disruption to customers. The outdated RF-enabled operations and processes no longer offered the flexibility, speed, and accuracy required for business growth, necessitating a more advanced solution.

Back in 1997, Chronopost already broke new ground by introducing mobile computing and digital signatures. Since 2002, it has selected Honeywell Dolphin mobile computers, provided by the French integrator CEMI for data collection and communication. Facing the growing needs of the express delivery market, Chronopost has placed traceability of its deliveries using cutting-edge information technology in the core of its development strategy. Offering flawless real-time tracking information to its customers at each stage was one of the main concerns for Chronopost already at an early stage.

Bon Appetit Bakery faced significant challenges with their existing consumer-grade personal digital assistants (PDAs) used by their 400 delivery drivers. The demanding delivery environment led to nearly 5% of their PDAs needing repair or replacement every week, resulting in about 1,000 costly concerns annually. This frequent need for repairs and replacements was not only financially burdensome but also time-consuming, as the repair or replacement process took a two-week turnaround. Bon Appetit recognized the need for a more rugged and innovative hardware technology that could withstand the rigors of the delivery environment and support future growth.

Excelsior, a luxury department store in Milan, needed a mobile solution to enhance the productivity of their sales staff, improve customer assistance, and streamline internal communication. The solution had to be flexible and multi-purpose, supporting point-of-sale management applications and real-time voice communication. Additionally, it needed to align with the store's innovative style and format.

Wilsonart, a manufacturer of decorative laminate and acrylic solid surfaces, faced a significant challenge in keeping up with the increasing demand for sample chips at home improvement centers. The company needed to modernize its sample chip production line to minimize label waste during changeovers and reduce the total cost of ownership. The existing system, which had been in place for over a decade, relied on DatamaxO'Neil printers, but it required an upgrade to meet the growing demand and improve efficiency.

Bossard North America faced significant challenges with their existing mobile printers used on forklifts for order processing. The inherited printers from Europe degraded in performance over time, leading to frequent breakdowns and long repair times of up to three months. This caused operational inefficiencies and downtime, as workers had to resort to stationary printers, leading to misplaced or incorrect labels. The company needed a more reliable and high-volume printing solution to meet their growing demands.