Saddle Creek Corporation Keeps Shipments, Data and People Moving with Wavelink Software
Third-party logistics provider enhances the management and maintenance of customer inventory within the supply chain
The ability to deliver on its promise of "personal touch"" service sets Saddle Creek Corporation apart from other providers of third-party logistics (3PL) services. One key enabler of that ability is Saddle Creek´s mobile-technology infrastructure, which provides a foundation for practical, cost-effective solutions that are tailored to a customer´s specific needs.
"The consistent use of best-in-class mobile technology throughout our operations is helping us retain our personal touch even as we grow," says Woody Blaylock, Saddle Creek´s vice president of information technology. "As we expand from the Southeast and Southwest into other parts of the US, our ongoing investment in mobile technology helps us maintain great customer service while also producing efficiencies that give our customers an edge."
Saddle Creek´s growth includes the addition of several new warehouses in locations nationwide that are increasingly distant from company headquarters in Lakeland, Florida. Within each new warehouse, Saddle Creek relies on a trio of Wavelink software products-Wavelink Emulators™, Wavelink Avalanche™ and Wavelink Mobile Manager Enterprise™to efficiently deploy, secure, monitor and maintain its wireless local area network (WLAN).
Boosting Efficiency and Accuracy
A modern warehouse is a hive of activity, swarming with associates and lift trucks that seem to be in constant motion. Inbound trailers and containers must be quickly unloaded, with data from every pallet being recorded and then sent to the warehouse management system (WMS). Outbound shipments must be loaded rapidly and accurately according to the shipping order, and pallet data is again captured and transmitted to the WMS.
To increase the mobility and efficiency of its warehouse staff, Saddle Creek was among the first 3PL providers to use WLAN-based scanning systems in its warehouses. The current data collection system, comprised of wireless access points and mobile terminals, is tightly integrated with SSA WMS, a warehouse management application from SSA Global.
"The WMS is most useful when it receives timely, accurate inventory information from the warehouse," says Blaylock. "We´re always looking for ways to increase the speed and reliability of wireless data communications, even as we add new facilities."
Finding the Right Solution
As the number of warehouses grows, so does the number of mobile devices-and so does the task of keeping them up-to-date: "Early on, our IS team had to touch every mobile scanner to apply the latest patches or updates," explains Blaylock. "It became clear we needed tools that would make it easier to update existing devices and deploy new systems as we continued our nationwide expansion."
Conversations with personnel from SSA Global and other vendors had a common theme: Wavelink software. Saddle Creek then worked with a system integrator to assess, evaluate and specify the best-fit solution. To meet its present and future needs, Saddle Creek selected Wavelink Emulators, Wavelink Avalanche and Wavelink Mobile Manager Enterprise.
"To ensure smooth interoperability and one-stop support, we wanted a single-source mobile software solution," says Blaylock. "Wavelink was able to provide exactly what we needed."
Saddle Creek put the Wavelink products to the test in a pilot system that included 15 access points and 11 mobile devices. They installed Wavelink Emulators on the mobile scanners to enable terminal-based access to the WMS system and avoid lost data if a connection was dropped. Wavelink Avalanche made it possible to update mobile scanners-while still in use-in a matter of minutes via the wireless network, and Wavelink Mobile Manager Enterprise enabled Saddle Creek to monitor and manage individual access points and overall network performance from a central console.
Reaping the Benefits
After the successful pilot program, Saddle Creek adopted all three of the Wavelink products for use in every new warehouse installation. To date, the company is managing over 450 access points and more than 200 mobile devices-handheld, truck-mount and wearable-in warehouse operations that encompass more than 8 million square feet.
"Deployment has become truly fast and simple," offers Blaylock. "When we set up the mobile network in a new warehouse, we can plug in, flash and hang an access point in about 10 minutes."
Once a network is up and running, uptime improves, too. With automatic alerts and single-screen visibility into all mobile components, Saddle Creek´s IS team can quickly detect problems remotely and often respond before users notice any disruption in service. This translates into an efficient, productive warehouse staff that can stay focused on the process of getting customer products to the right place at the right time-Saddle Creek´s core value. What´s more, inventory information is increasingly accurate and up-to-date, and that helps Saddle Creek´s customers respond quickly to rapidly changing requirements in their own businesses.
Looking to the Future
"We know there´s a perception in the industry that managing a mobile environment is painful, but that´s no longer the case for us," comments Blaylock. "With Wavelink, we´ve reduced the pain of network and device management, and also freed up time to pursue initiatives that would otherwise sit on the back burner."
With the proven success of Wavelink software in its new warehouses, Saddle Creek is considering the conversion of existing warehouses. To test the concept and process, the first conversion will be a facility in Atlanta that has limited onsite IS staff. If all goes as expected, Saddle Creek will begin converting other warehouses that can benefit from remote management of mobile networks and devices.
The company also is looking at other possible applications, including an WLAN-based labor management and time tracking system. Saddle Creek is evaluating the use of Wavelink software to deploy, secure, monitor and maintain that system´s wireless network and devices.
In addition to the departmental benefits, Blaylock sees a personal benefit on the near horizon: "When I recently asked our technical services manager how things were going with Wavelink, she said, ´This may sound like a canned answer, but the software really does make life easier for my team.´ I guess that means it will make my life a bit easier, too."
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