The Challenge

figleaves.com have worked with CASIO for over 6 years having previously used the IT-500 for its warehouse operations. They required an upgrade to their system because the current model was reaching the end of its useful life and the expansion plans for the business demanded more up-to-date technology.

A new back-office solution was needed to deal with an increased volume of shipments, improve usability and increase ROI on each device.

The new batch of handhelds will have to perform in excess of 24 million picks and 72 million scans in their lifetime. Ease of use, reliability and long battery life were essential requirements.

The Solution

figleaves.com chose to upgrade to the new DT-X7, an ultra-light and ergonomic grip-type terminal which is ideally suited for tireless scanning in logistics and retail. Its innovative and contoured design makes it comfortable for users to hold and easy to use in the warehouse environment.

The project entailed not only the updating of the handheld devices but also the software applications originally developed for the IT-500. Along with updates to the server side systems, the software development part of the project was a major undertaking.

figleaves.com recognised that their in-house resources were best suited to the work planned for the server components and asked CASIO to recommend a suitable partner for the handheld software development. CASIO introduced FMK Software, a long-standing partner, who specialise in bespoke programming for handheld devices.

figleaves.com purchased 80 devices in the months leading up to Christmas. They were extremely time-conscious and needed a fast effective solution with minimum set-up time. Effective teamwork was a vital part of the success of the project. In fact, in the event, the project was completed and delivered ahead of schedule.

The Benefits

figleaves.com have benefited from many excellent features of the CASIO DT-X7, including:

CASIO DT-X7 Features

The DT-X7 is a revolutionary, easy-to-use device grip-type handheld terminal with laser scanner and WiFi. The innovative case design, advanced software and hardware technologies ensure quick, easy and comfortable scanning.

This lightweight terminal has been designed in accordance with the concept of human-centred design for interactive systems, based on the internationally recognized ISO 13407 standard. The result is a device that users actually want to use rather than just have to use.. The DT-X7 has a 2.4 inch QVGA transflective colour screen and displays graphics and text in superb clarity. It has versatile communications - WLAN, Bluetooth, IrDA - and runs Microsoft Windows CE 5.0 ensuring easy software development and ease of integration into typical enterprise infrastructures.

The DT-X7 keypad features a set of ‘remote control style’ coloured keys. The software was developed to take full advantage of these to drive the on-screen actions.

As Jamie Ovenden comments: “The coloured buttons allowed us to make the applications very intuitive to use. This significantly reduced the time required for user training”

The DT-X7 is one of the few rugged handheld Windows CE devices on the market that has been designed to be used without a touch panel. Although it is not immediately obvious, this makes it much easier to create truly one-handed solutions, a real advantage when the devices are being used at the pick face in a warehouse environment.

As Jamie Ovenden says: “The previous devices had a touch panel but we have not missed that at all on DT-X7. In fact, the DT-X7 has proved ideally suited to warehouse picking because it can be used more easily as a one-handed solution”.

The touch panel has historically proven to be one of the main weak points of any handheld device. This is not because they are inherently a bad idea but rather that it is all too easy for users to operate them with the wrong implement or drop the device on sharp objects. The DT-X7 eliminates this cost both in terms of repair charges and device downtime.

Software Integration

figleaves.com have one of the most sophisticated logistics management solutions in the world. Originally developed especially for figleaves.com, the solution, called Global Logistics Management, presented some interesting challenges for FMK Software during the development of the handheld solution.

As Geoff Day, Managing Director of FMK comments: “We brought 12 years of specialist knowledge in creating mobile data collection solutions, including several on CASIO hardware. Our experience in working with a huge variety of clients’ back-end systems meant that we could analyse and interact with the figleaves.com systems with minimum impact on figleaves.com resources.”

Deployment

All CASIO devices offer a useful cloning feature whereby a fully working software installation can be beamed using infrared to another device.

This cloning feature made it very easy to set-up all the devices. Usually it would take days to complete the installation, but the cloning feature made it possible to set up 80 devices within a day

Conclusion

Feedback on the DT-X7 usability from warehouse staff has been extremely positive.

“CASIO’s DT-X7 has been extremely simple to use, is light-weight yet durable and has excellent battery life…”

“...We are very happy with the DT-X7 and impressed with the increase in productivity we have seen since going live.” Jamie Ovenden - System Architect and Infrastructure Manager

The Future

figleaves.com are looking forward to working with CASIO on the next stage of the business and to incorporate other features to enhance the processes further.