The customer

HassiaGroup is one of the largest mineral spring operators in Germany; its original location is at the Hassia mineral spring and the company also owns the subsidiaries Lichtenauer, Glashäger, Thüringer Waldquell, Wilhelmsthaler and Rapp's, as well as the Höhl and Kumpf press houses. Some 775 million litres of non-alcoholic branded drinks are produced each year in six locations by a total of around 1250 staff, forming the foundation for an annual turnover of approximately €225 million.

Practical experiences

"For us it was very important that all of the necessary functions be integrated into a single device", recalls Steffen Richter, Head of Delivery and Transportation. Route director Heinz Gau adds: "Our aim was to be able to work with accurate data and to ensure that the customer receives a clear receipt without any handwritten additions. We also wanted to get rid of any unnecessary manual data logging steps and use the time saved used to improve productivity."

The use

HassiaGroup supplies drinks wholesalers, grocery retailers and drinks stores using around 140 delivery vehicles. The HassiaGroup logistics centres load and unload around 600 deliveries each day. The company heard about CASIO and Systemhaus Movis Mobile Vision GmbH via case studies from other users in the logistics sector.

The project team was unanimous in its decision to use the CASIO IT-3000 multi-function terminal. The integrated printer was the main deciding factor. Solutions using individual devices, like those used by other companies in the drinks industry, were not an option, as they are less user-friendly and more prone to faults. After the successful implementation of the new system, the whole delivery process was optimised. At the start of a delivery route, the driver accesses the MDE terminal and, using a CASIO cradle, loads the current route data onto the terminal. In the delivery vehicle cab there is a bracket that holds the MDE terminal. The IT-3000 immediately connects to the Movis DataLogger via Bluetooth. From this moment onwards, the terminal shows the geographical location of the vehicle and uses this information to record the route. The Mowis® software allows the driver to enter specific reasons for delays, such as traffic jams or petrol station stops. This increases route transparency for the company and opens up further optimisation potential. On arrival at the customer, the delivery is made and any discrepancies are documented. The type and quantity of empties being returned is also recorded, along with the signature of the driver and customer using the touchscreen. Lastly, the integrated thermal printer is used to print the delivery documents. All order data and archived documents are saved on the Casio-IT 3000 and automatically transferred to the HassiaGroup IT system at the end of the journey. The HassiaGroup management team is confident that investment costs will have been offset within just three years. What's more, customer satisfaction levels are already showing a noticeable increase.

Many other expansion options are a possibility for the future. The Casio IT-3000 therefore comes with a variety of interfaces and, using these, a CMOS imager can be integrated to capture two-dimensional identification codes for example, or a card reader to take card payments. In addition, it is possible to install a GPS navigation system in combination with the Movis DataLogger already installed in the vehicle, allowing even greater route optimisation in the future.