Retail market leader
Optimization of order picking processes, supported by modern applications
This customer is a retail market leader in the Netherlands with more than 1100 supermarkets, 6 distribution centers and more than 10 “home shopping centers” (HSCs).
The home shop centers are the heart of the home shopping service that allows you to order your groceries online and get them delivered to your home. This service is offered nationally and is growing rapidly, especially since the corona pandemic.
The rapid increase in customers and orders put a lot of pressure on home shop centers that were already running at full capacity. To cope with the increase in orders, both the capacity (number of branches) and the efficiency of the internal processes and supporting tooling had to be increased.
The order fulfillment processes (order picking, stock replenishment, inventory counting, time registration, item information, expiration date check) were partly supported by unsafe and outdated applications. We also worked partly on paper and with Excels.
A new suite of fulfillment apps that run on the latest Zebra handheld scanners (running Android) was required.
Scalability and maintainability
The apps should be easy to deploy and maintain on thousands of handheld scanners spread across multiple HSCs.
No downtime
In the event of network problems, employees must be able to continue their work undisturbed without losing progress. The previous app was completely dependent on network connectivity. Without a connection, all activities came to an immediate standstill.
Performance
Despite the fact that the previous app was outdated, that app was very fast. Delays or errors in the app directly disrupt the order picking process, causing employees to be frustrated because they have strict targets. Orders may then not be able to be delivered on time.
Convenience
Every second you spend looking for a feature is an expensive waste of time. So making the apps easy and intuitive to use is crucial for the operation to run efficiently.
Security
The previous apps had a direct database connection (telnet session) that was very fast but not secure.
Suite of order fulfillment apps
- A suite of android-based order fulfillment apps that works on the latest Zebra hand scanners.
- Each app synchronizes its required data locally and lets employees perform their tasks while the progress in the background is synchronized to a central database. In the event of network problems, the apps still function, so employees offline are able to continue working and their progress is monitored.
- Minimalist designs focused on the tasks at hand, which only show what is relevant in context.
- Local validations for every user action to prevent unexpected errors (scanning incorrect product, incorrect barcode, too many products, etc.).
- Local business logic that lets employees take the shortest route for order picking, skipping products if they're not available to come back later, and many other smart improvements to make processes run as smoothly as possible.
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Frank
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