OVERVIEW
The primary goals of the Delivery and Return Tracking Scanning System (DARTSS) are to:
- insure accurate delivery preparation (prep) of requested items (rentals, productions, job site equipment, re-usable supplies…), in the right quantities, to the appropriate location and
- based on scans of returned items report those that are missing. DARTSS is an add-on system to existing order entry / inventory management systems that brings the accuracy and simplicity of bar code tracking and wireless communications to the logistics of managing inventory movement.
The system consists of 3 components:
- Interface to Existing Business Management Application: DARTSS draws information regarding part numbers and delivery orders (rentals, productions, customer orders, inter-company orders …) from a variety of data sources. Depending on the existing order / inventory management system the feed of information to DARTSS is usually seamless and automatic. Other systems require the users to periodically generate data for DARTSS from within the order management / inventory system.
- Work Station Module: Control of order prep and return by DARTSS is done via the Work Station Module. These programs:
- Allow the user to define the inventory items that are bar coded and thus managed by DARTSS
- Report the bar code ID(s) for each inventory part number including assigned serial numbers
- Designate the orders ready to be scanned for delivery / prep
- Monitor exception conditions found during scanning such as:
- Number of units scanned exceeds those requested for an item
- Number of units scanned is less than that requested for an item
- An item was scanned for the order that is not called for
- An item is scanned for return to inventory that was never scanned for delivery
- On Screen display of order detail information provides immediate and obvious order delivery and return status of each item on an order
- Order reports show current order delivery and return status highlighting items not yet scanned for delivery or not scanned for return
- Bar Code ID scanning history reports show each delivery and return for a bar coded item and its associated orders
- Bar Code Scanners: Hand held scanners are used for a variety of tasks. Initially, and for system maintenance, the scanners are used to affiliate unique bar code IDs with inventory part numbers. After orders are downloaded to the scanner for delivery / prep each item scanned is validated against ordered items and quantities. During order prep the scanners display to the user the quantity of each item expected by the order and the quantity actually scanned. Errors are displayed when unexpected items are scanned or the quantity of an expected item exceeds the requested quantity. Lastly, scanners are used to capture the bar code for items scanned back into inventory when returned from use. The scanners can use either wireless and/or hard wired communications to send the data to the Work Station Module.
