Customer: John Nichols, IT Manager
Company: Community Foods
Industry: Wholesale
Publish Date: 17 April 2023
Community Foods is a UK-based company that specialises in providing high-quality, ethically sourced food products for retail, wholesale and food service customers. They have been operating for over 40 years and have established themselves as a leading supplier of organic, vegan, and gluten-free foods. They operate a BRC A** accredited 80,000 sq ft production / warehousing facility built to meet clients’ demands that is rigorously managed 24/7.
The Challenge
Community Foods operates a massive warehouse Community Foods operates a large warehouse, across separate storage and production areas, in which it is a struggle ensuring that all devices and equipment remain connected and communicating effectively.
“Our ageing hardware was performing poorly resulting in lost or misdirected inventory, delays in order fulfilment, and reduced productivity.” – John, IT Manager The critical outcome for Community Foods was to provide continuous and reliable connectivity across the entire warehouse space.
Additionally for Community Foods the warehouse environment exposes devices to challenging conditions, therefore it was essential that devices were rugged and durable to eliminate downtime from device failure or breakage. One of the key requirements of the mobile devices was that they needed to be capable of scanning pallets and immediately transmitting this information to customers via the cloud. This was critical for efficient inventory management and streamlining the ordering process.
“By having the ability to scan pallets in real time, Community Foods could quickly and easily track our inventory, identify any issues or discrepancies, and make adjustments as necessary.” – John, IT Manager
Evaluation: Following a comprehensive evaluation of Community Foods’ requirements, Conker proposed the NS82 2D rugged 8-inch Windows tablet. This met their requirement for a device running a full Windows 10 Pro OS to support the applications used across their entire operation. Importantly, user-testing confirmed that it was also small enough and light enough to satisfy staff that would be carrying the device to perform their work. Testing also validated that the NS82 Wi-Fi resolved connectivity issues, enabling seamless communication with other devices and the cloud.
“Conker showed a deep understanding of our specific requirements. The evaluation process was smooth and straightforward, with excellent communication from the Conker team throughout” – John, IT Manager
Solution The NS82 2D rugged 8-inch Windows Tablet combines the full capability of Windows 10 with a powerful 2D barcode scanner and a substantive battery, running for 16 hours in our lab testing.
Together these features met Community Foods’ requirements:
- The integrated 2D barcode scanner met inventory management requirements empowering staff to easily scan pallets and transmit information to customers via the cloud, ensuring timely and accurate inventory management.
- The excellent battery life ensured that staff members could use the devices throughout the day without the need to recharge. Given the 24/7 nature of the warehouse this was critical.
- Windows 10 ensured seamless integration with existing software and systems.
- The 8-inch display provided the right balance of portability and visibility.
”The device was exactly what we needed to enhance our operations. The reliable connectivity of the NS82 2D rugged tablet has helped to mitigate the previous connectivity issues we faced our warehouse operations.” – John, IT Manager
Overall the NS82 2D addressed Community Foods’ connectivity issues and supported their operational and environment requirements. With the fit for purpose rugged windows tablet Community Foods were able to improve their overall operations, increase productivity, and provide their customers with high-quality, ethically sourced food products in a timely and efficient manner.
“Even beyond our initial expectations, Community Foods has seen a remarkable improvement in our inventory management. The device has provided a user-friendly experience for Community Foods’ staff helping to improve productivity and efficiency, allowing for seamless scanning and transmission of inventory information to customers via the cloud.”
“The tablet has been able to withstand any kind of rigours in the warehouse environment, and Conker’s support team has been very helpful in making sure that we have a seamless experience by quickly resolving any issues which may arise.”
“The Conker team remains in constant communication to ensure that the devices continue to perform their intended function effectively, and any issues that arise are quickly addressed. This level of support has been critical to the success of the NS82 2D implementation at Community Foods.”
