CASIO Mobile Industrial Solutions
CASIO Mobile Industrial Solutions
CASIO Mobile Industrial Solutions

News

10.01.2018

Streamlined furniture logistics finally a reality
Working in close collaboration, hardware provider CASIO, software developer DataIdent and a team of logistics experts with a wealth of practical experience have together developed a perfect complete solution for the furniture industry:



FurniTour
The transportation of fitted furniture is like a puzzle with a whole host of indispensable individual parts. The scope of delivery for a kitchen, for example, can easily amount to well over a hundred individual boxes. Manufacturers, logistics companies, retailers and ultimately consumers are all too familiar with the annoying little problems that can arise if, at the end of the lengthy supply chain, something is missing, faulty or doesn't fit. A reliable solution for this complex puzzle was long overdue.

DataIdent has come up with the answer, in the form of its FurniTour software that runs on CASIO handheld terminals and brings a whole new dimension to the quality of day-to-day work in the field of furniture logistics.

Fitted kitchens under the spotlight
There are a lot of pieces of the puzzle to slot into place before a new kitchen is ready to use: Once the kitchen components have been manufactured, it is time to package them. Unlike standardised goods, such as shoes that always come in the same size box, a kitchen comes in boxes of various shapes and sizes that all need to be stored and scheduled for shipment. It is often the case that multiple kitchens or kitchen components are loaded onto a single vehicle for transportation to various locations. When the goods are unloaded, it is generally only possible to check that the correct number of boxes has been delivered. This means that missing items, duplicates and wrong or damaged parts are often only discovered during installation. The time that is therefore lost before another order is put in with the supplier ultimately leads to substantial delays in receiving a complete delivery, which reduces the overall quality of the experience.

What was needed was a documentation system for a closed-loop supply chain that included all associated components of a delivery. The aim would be for suppliers to have a continuous overview at every stage of transportation and at every loading, reloading and unloading location.

This was the task that the DataIdent software developers set themselves.

The FurniTour users
One of the key tasks when developing the FurniTour system, which combines software and hardware, was to ensure that it would definitely work as intended in a practical setting. To achieve this aim, the practical performance of the system was verified at each stage of development. Renowned Lower Saxony-based company rational einbauküchen GmbH was pivotal to this process. The company has been providing excellent design, innovative technology and outstanding functionality for a discerning clientele for over 50 years.

Thomas Klee, Managing Director of rational, neatly sums up why his company supported FurniTour right from the outset:
"We simply can't afford delivery problems and for this reason we only work with professionals in all areas of our business. With FurniTour, we always have information about the current status of deliveries."

People working in logistics or as drivers for transport companies are the ones who really appreciate the value of the decisive competitive advantage provided by having continuous control of the entire scope of delivery, right up until the point when the customer signs for the goods on the online handheld terminal. Stuttgart-based Munz Transport & Logistik GmbH & Co. was quick to supply its entire fleet with the FurniTour system. Lothar Hust, who has many years of experience in the field of professional furniture transportation, is delighted with the possibilities offered by the system in his daily work as a driver. The details of his practical experience are perhaps the best reference for the system:
"With FurniTour, I have all the data about the delivery in the palm of my hand: the route, the customer, the order etc. Any errors are immediately and automatically communicated to the control centre and then clarified. This guarantees completely reliable control of the delivery process."

The software
From its headquarters in the south of Hamburg, the automation expert DataIdent GmbH supplies solutions for clients the world over, and has been the go-to partner for everything related to barcodes and RFID for the last 20 years. The specialists from this company have made a name for themselves as experts in automatic identification and sensor technology, and specialise in consulting, sales and service for barcode systems and 2D code systems - from printing through to capture. This also includes data connection and data transfer, both wired and wireless.
DataIdent also has over 10 years' experience in the field of RFID and has brought customer-specific HF and UHF projects to fruition.

This diverse portfolio of experience formed the basis for the company to develop the FurniTour application. Lars Bauer, Sales Manager at DataIdent, describes the results of the development:
"Our complete software solution, FurniTour, will ensure that the correct furniture components are delivered for shipments of any size. Schedulers can see every operation in real time, no matter where in the world it is taking place."

The key features of FurniTour at a glance:
  • Huge time savings throughout the entire logistics process
  • Incorrect deliveries are virtually eliminated
  • The current status of the delivery is always visible
  • Simple operator guidance
  • Detailed archiving and control of delivery
  • Photographic documentation of damaged parts
  • Simple handover to other teams
  • Accurate documentation of deliveries
  • Signature from the customer on site

The hardware
CASIO and DataIdent can look back on a collaboration that is both long-standing and fruitful, and that has delivered many synergies for both parties in the joint development of professional solutions in the field of mobile data capture. The name CASIO is synonymous with ultimate hardware quality, robustness and reliable project management and rapid support in the data capture market.

The CASIO IT-G500 and in particular the new IT-G400 have been developed to tackle the complex requirements of the challenging everyday work in the field of furniture logistics. Here are a few facts about the two latest-generation innovative mobile data capture devices.

The CASIO IT-G500
This high-spec handheld combines the best features from the two established handheld product lines for business and industry: Extremely robust, comfortably ergonomic and just as high-performance as it is versatile. Along with its functional versatility, the handheld is easy to operate, features an excellent 4.3" touch display, and offers exceptional performance and resistance against external influences. There are a total of nine different models available, featuring Microsoft® Windows® Embedded Handheld 6.5 or Embedded Compact 7. It is therefore no surprise that the terminal has received the coveted recognition of industry publication "BusinessHandel": "The Top Produkt Handel 2017 award-winning handheld may look elegant but its highly user-friendly operating concept coupled with precision technology is what really impresses." Thomas Uppenkamp, Manager of Mobile Industrial Solutions at Casio Europe: "Casio is proud that the IT-G500 has impressed by demonstrating its high level of adaptability when used with existing IT systems."

The CASIO IT-G400
The IT-G400 is a robust handheld with full-touch display and Android 6.0.1 universal operating system, which supports the use of various applications. This mobile computer features a powerful ARM® Cortex® A53 quad-core processor (1.2 GHz), a bright touch-screen display and a high-speed imager as a reliable code reader. It is designed to support all current standards of data communication, such as NFC/RFID, GPS, WLAN, Bluetooth® (4.1) and LTE WWAN. Based on professional hardware quality offering optimum availability, and with first-class product support, this handheld is a sound investment for years to come.

The outlook
The starting point for development, and the first goal to be completed by the FurniTour developers - with considerable success - was restructuring the complex operations that existed in the logistics chain for fitted kitchens. However, it goes without saying that FurniTour can also be applied to great benefit in the wider field of furniture logistics.

The developers involved were particularly keen to hold in-depth discussions with all the interested parties.

The FurniTour product film
A detailed description of the application being tested in a practical setting can be found in the current -> FurniTour product film

More information is available here:

CASIO Europe GmbH
D-22848 Norderstedt - Casio-Platz 1
Telephone: +49 40 52865.407 - Fax: +49 40 52865.424
solutions@casio.de - www.casio-solutions.de

DataIdent GmbH
D-21218 Seevetal
Gustav-Becker-Str. 20 B
Telephone: +49 4105 14 11 0 - Fax.: +49 4105 14 11 999
info@dataident.de - www.dataident.de

Image appendix
(click image to download a printable version)

Image 01 Starting FurniTour
"Our complete software solution, FurniTour, will ensure that the correct furniture components are delivered for shipments of any size. Schedulers can see every operation in real time, no matter where in the world it is taking place."
Lars Bauer
DataIdent Sales Director

Image 02 Selecting unloading points
The unloading point can be selected directly from the overview.
Each unloading point can still be edited until the point at which the data is sent to the FurniTour reporting server system.

Image 03 From box chaos to superior furniture logistics
This is a kitchen. Or at least it should be one. In the past, getting this chaos of packages under control was an enormous logistical challenge.
For meeting deadlines, maintaining quality and reducing costs, FurniTour is the solution to the problem.

Image 04 All product details
Clear parts display including volume and weight.
Excess weights are highlighted in colour.

Image 05 FurniTour is intelligent
The package code assigned to each package during the loading process ensures that package groups will remain together right up to the final delivery.

Image 06 Transport damage online report
Report damage to suppliers during the unloading process, including photograph.

Image 07 Binding delivery completion
Delivery completion:
with the signature of the recipient, photos, route data, GPS data and other detailed information.

Image 08 FurniTour reporting dashboard
All the data from the transport and unloading operations is available live and worldwide.

Image 09 CASIO IT-G500
The perfect hardware for the perfect software:
The CASIO IT-G500 in use:
Taking a photograph to document transport damage; with simultaneous data transfer to the supplier's server.

Image 10 CASIO IT-G400
CASIO IT-G400
FurniTour-ready

The robust and hardy android mobile computer has a full-touch display, high-speed imager and NFC/RFID, GPS, WLAN and 4G WWAN.

More information is available here:

CASIO Europe GmbH
D-22848 Norderstedt - Casio-Platz 1
Telephone: +49 40 52865.407 - Fax: +49 40 52865.424
solutions@casio.de - www.casio-solutions.de

DataIdent GmbH
D-21218 Seevetal
Gustav-Becker-Str. 20 B
Telephone: +49 4105 14 11 0 - Fax.: +49 4105 14 11 999
info@dataident.de - www.dataident.de



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Press pictures

Press contact

Contact
(for press enquiries only):
Christian Lubinski
Casio Europe GmbH
Mobile Industrial Solutions
Casio-Platz 1
22848 Norderstedt

Tel.: +49 (0)40 528 65-413
solutions@casio.de