Case Studies
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Tread Again Tires
Maricel Del Pilar, Staff Writer - OCR
"Tread Again Tires Masters Efficiency With The Aid Of OCR's Barcode Readers."
Established since 1953, Tread Again Tires is based on the fundamental belief of superior service backed by top quality products, at competitive prices.
Tread Again Tires is Canada's largest retreader of truck tires, using nothing but the best brand of tires and superior trained technicians , with the ultimate goal of winning customer trust. Over the years, they have developed an extensive network of 50 associate dealers. Their aim now is to develop a software and choose a mobile device which will contribute in the success of running their business.
They have been evaluating with hand held scanners manufactured by Intermec and Psion Technologies; they asked OCR to evaluate their products choices and propose their solutions. OCR then presented a family of Symbol units to them and conducted a study at the same time to better understand Tread Again Tires's company operation. A series of Symbol MC9000 is what Tread Again Tires believed best suited their business.
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The chart below demonstrates how MC9060 can help alleviate a few of Tread Again Tires's business challenges.
BUSINESS CHALLENGE |
SOLUTION |
| Workers are preoccupied doing manual orders and causing decreases in customer satisfaction. | MC9060 solution improves productivity by enabling hands free warehouse picking allowing workers to accurately pick and locate the products in no time. |
| Want to gain more efficiency within the warehouse by automating tasks such as inventory control, shipping, and receiving. | The one-dimensional scanner with 43 keypad options, clear display and touch screen feature enables capturing, entering and viewing data all in one solution making it cost effective. |
| Accidental drops and unpredictable warehouse work environments can be a big issue with mobile devices any damage can cause worker's productivity from equipment downtime. | The rugged design and a rating of IP64 decrease the volume of down time due to accidental drops and exposure to harsh environmental elements such as windblown rain and dust. |
Tread Again Tires chose the MC9060 for various reasons, some stated above. This mobile device features a pocket PC 2003 operating system which gives their workers audio capabilities, allowing the use of voice communications.
They also wanted to create a warehouse management system that would allow them to control their inventory and pick orders. The MC9060 is compatible with the management software from Wavelink called Avalanche and also MSP from Symbol.
Choosing the right software can be very confounding. The Avalanche and MSP are both reputable but they do have their differences. For instance, Avalanche is proven software for centralized management mobile devices. It performs rapid, hands-off updates of wireless devices located anywhere in the warehouse. It increases the security of wireless networks by enabling quick easy updates such as WEP and EAP. When using this software in conjunction with Wavelink Mobile Manager, capabilities such as automatic WEP key rotation and AP detection will protect your network from any unauthorized equipment and malicious intrusions.
Avalanche automatically downloads new information directly to each device via the wireless LAN. This initial process requires a cradle to operate and if a mobile device fails, Avalanche will minimize downtime by quickly configuring and deploying a replacement right at the mobile site. Another advantage of this software is that it can be downloaded from any PC, making it inexpensive and it can be easily integrated with other hand held devices.
The MSP on the other hand is more expensive; it supports all symbol wireless infrastructure and mobile devices as well as Windows CE and pocket pc-based mobile devices. This software can deploy thousands of devices in minutes, a lot faster than the Avalanche could. This reduces the time and cost associated with the initial and ongoing device deployment.
MSP delivers the power to remotely and automatically manage applications and operating systems on the company's devices. This service provides a single point of control for the entire wireless LAN infrastructure, whether in one location or more. It has instant notification of network issues which allows timely resolution before the performance is impacted. If your decision is going to be based on what is nominal for your company, Avalanche is definitely the software to buy. But if you are looking for more profound software, then the MSP would be the best choice.
The following chart demonstrates why Tread Again Tires chose the Symbol MC9060 over the Psion Teklogix WORKABOUT PRO.
COMPARISON |
Workabout PRO |
MC9060 |
| KEYPAD |
Short Keyboard configuration 24 key Long keyboard 53 key | Offers 28/43/53 key terminal emulations |
| DISPLAY | Embedded with CE & Windows ¼ VGA, daylight readable touch screen display | Embedded with CE & Windows 3.8 in. ¼ VGA with the option of either mono or color |
| BATTERY LIFE | Optional 3.7 volt 1700 mAh standard Li Ion battery | Rechargeable 7.4 volt 2200 mAh Li Ion battery |
| OPERATING SYSTEM |
Windows CE. NET 4.2 Windows Mobile 2003 |
MS Windows Embedded CE NET Windows Mobile 2003 |
| OPERATING TEMP. |
14 F to 122 F (-10 C to +50 C) |
-4 C to 122 F (-20 C to 50 C ) |
| MEMORY |
64MB Flash/128 MB RAM SD/MMC memory expansion slots w/usb |
Embedded CE 64/64MB Windows 64/64MB |
| DATA CAPTURING |
Optional 2D imager expansion module Optional 1D SE 1223 |
1D scan engine Omni directional 1D & 2D Imaging engine |
| DROP SPECIFIC. | 4ft / 1.1m drops to concrete |
Multiple Drops to concrete 6 ft -10 C to 50 C 5 ft -25 C to -10 C |
| INGRESS PROTECTION |
IP54 dust hazard environment |
IP64 dust hazard environment |
| COST |
Windows 2003/CE.NET Basic Cost $2270.00 Wireless optional |
MC9060 Windows Mobile 2003 $3400.00 |
This company is expanding to build more distribution centre and stores. Until then we are here to further assist them by guiding them in the right direction to SUCCESS.
The name Tread Again Tires is used to protect the interests of the real manufacturer.



