Cases Archive • Page 2 Of 6 • PHI DATA

Inkendaal Rehabilitation Hospital specialises in treating patients with neurological, locomotor and cardio-pulmonary disorders. The hospital comprises 178 beds for hospitalisation, polyclinic and medical-technical services as well as a day hospital for the multidisciplinary treatment of adults and children. In a unique setting, specialised doctors, therapists, nursing staff and hospital staff envelop the patient with a personalised care package and they jointly set realistic objectives to maximize the quality of life.

Inkendaal approached PHI DATA during its search for the best solution for hospital ward D100, consisting of 31 beds. This ward accommodates adult patients who are disoriented (who no longer know what day it is, where they are,…) and/or suffer from confused speech or actions because of acute brain injury (stroke, accident, reanimation,…). A number of those patients tend to wander off, meaning that they leave the ward on their own and get themselves into a dangerous situation. For these patients, the ward has to remain closed to prevent them from leaving the ward unaccompanied. Other hospitalised patients, however, are able to independently go to therapy rooms outside of the ward without too great a risk, while there is also a large group of motor-impaired patients, who cannot leave the ward independently. Furthermore, many visitors drop by daily, wishing to enter and leave at any time.

Before PHI DATA was contacted, Inkendaal had been operating with a permanently closed door for more than ten years. Patients and visitors wanting to enter or leave, had to key in a code to open the door. But this was far from ideal: patients, staff and visitors would forget the code, or patients with restricted freedom of movement would slip through with visitors. In reality, therefore, the door was kept permanently locked and could only open after intervention by the staff. As a consequence, the staff had less time to focus on their primary tasks, and many visitors of patients who don’t need a fully closed ward, experienced it as a psychological threshold. That is why Inkendaal requested PHI DATA to look for a way to create a selectively closed door, whereby the staff would only need to intervene when patients with a tendency to wander off, want to leave. For the other patients, as well as visitors and disoriented patients wanting to enter, the door had to open without staff intervention. Of course it was vital that the solution would be completely reliable.

“Working together with PHI DATA was very constructive. They were actually the driving force behind the project and thanks to them we achieved the final result. They came up with the location detection of patients with a tag, as well as the tailored-written logic of the entire system.”

Doctor Peter Diels, neurologist and rehabilitation specialist at Inkendaal Rehabilitation Hospital

PHI DATA proposed a stray prevention solution to Inkendaal based on RFID tags by Stanley Healthcare. This involves patients with a tendency to wander off, to be fitted with a wristband containing a tag. If they move too closely within the proximity of the antennas near the double automatic sliding door, the door remains closed. At the same time, the solution sends a signal to the supervisor, who can then intercept and accompany the patient at the door. The doors will open without intervention for untagged patients and visitors. Should a patient with a tag manage to pass through the mantrap doors, for instance by slipping through with visitors, an alarm will sound.

“The return on the solution is hard to express in terms of money. There is, however, far less stress among the staff, especially around visiting times, while the ward’s operational quality has improved and our patients are safer“, says Doctor Peter Diels, neurologist at Inkendaal Rehabilitation Hospital. A less predictable result of the solution is that the aggressive behaviour of patients towards staff has diminished. As the door doesn’t open when a wandering patient feels compelled to leave, the staff do not have to intervene to stop him/her. Besides, the patients find the system so complex that they believe the staff when they tell them that they are unable to open the door because of the current settings.”

PHI DATA provided the necessary hardware, such as the patient tags, installed the antennas and exciters at the door and connected the solution to the existing network to ensure that the right people are alerted when an alarm goes off. Furthermore, PHI DATA wrote the central application that controls all inputs and outputs, such as push buttons, badge readers, lights and sliding doors, and also controls the alarms.

As the system is able to detect the precise whereabouts of the patient(s), it knows how to respond. For instance, when a visitor pushes a button to enter the ward while a patient with a tag is standing in front of the door at the ward, the door will not open. When a patient with a tag is inside the mantrap, only the door to the ward will open. These response models were pre-entered into a separate table, allowing the logic to be adjusted without having to re-programme the entire system.

Infrastructural changes were kept to a minimum for the installation of the double sliding door.

Inkendaal is looking to expand the system in the longer term. “Wandering within the ward itself sometimes leads to disruptions and/or dangerous situations”, says Doctor Diels. Sometimes patients who are confused move other residents’ belongings, hide themselves at night, or show aggressive behaviour towards staff and other residents. We are also considering to section off areas within the ward, where a restricted freedom of movement will apply, or to restrict access to rooms. Another option is to make sure an alarm goes off when certain patients enter certain areas. For patients who do not really wander off, but do suffer from disorientation, we are considering to install a solution that enables us to localise them across the entire hospital site.”

The Jan Yperman Hospital in Ypres has achieved accreditation according to the standards of Joint Commission International (JCI). This means the hospital is setting high standards. No less than 1,113 measurable aspects are tested against the JCI standards by a team of JCI auditors. We have asked Norman Cleenewerck, Head of Biotechnology at the Jan Yperman Hospital, what the added value of such accreditation is and what role PHI DATA has played exactly in the improvement of quality.

‘My department is mainly in charge of the repair and maintenance of the medical equipment. But we do much more. In short: anything that includes some software and technology goes through us. This means also telephony, alarms, and therefore also RFID, which is integrated into just about everything.’

Objective quality mark

Joint Commission International (JCI) identifies, measures and shares best practices regarding quality and patient safety. The innovative solutions enable health institutions to improve themselves and their performance. JCI works together closely with hospitals and other care institutions, government bodies, academic institutions and companies in order to continuously lift patient care to a higher level. Therefore, the JCI accreditation and certification are ideal means to keep improving quality and safety.

‘We have recently achieved our second accreditation. This makes us one of the first in the country to be awarded two consecutive accreditations. With each edition, new points of attention are added. We are proud to be the first Belgian hospital to be accredited according to the sixth edition of the handbook.’

‘Thanks to JCI we have objective criteria to continuously improve our quality. The 1,113 quality requirements are ticked off one by one. For our first accreditation we had to reach 90%, and we obtained 98.4%. The latest accreditation imposed a minimum score of 98%. We also surpassed this score, obtaining 98.5%.’

PHI DATA as a partner for smooth accreditation

‘The way in which we made contact with PHI DATA is rather funny. Our previous financial director had seen a TV report on a technician in a hospital whose only task was to look for wheelchairs and other equipment in the car park. At the time we were a fairly new hospital ourselves, and we got the idea to introduce RFID technology in order to be able to locate all the equipment. In the meantime, PHI DATA has equipped 30 hospitals with this solution, and its implementation in our hospital went smoothly as well. As PHI DATA are real specialists when it comes to this technology, we got the best possible assistance. As a result, this technology is being used in all relevant areas. And we are already reaping the fruits.

For one thing, we are saving a lot of unnecessary costs. Before, we often had to rent equipment, because we were unable to find our own equipment. Today, we are perfectly able to locate everything at all times, thus eliminating the need to rent equipment.’

‘But there is more. Thanks to RFID, our medicine refrigerators emit a signal when the temperature threatens to fall outside the standard. In addition, our night nurses benefit from the RFID tags. They feel safer and can efficiently activate the alarm in case of aggression. Finally, we also use it to detect straying. Patients suffering from dementia tend to wander off. By providing them with tracking tags, we are able to locate them even before they have left the Jan Yperman Hospital premises.’

Accreditation for continuous quality improvement

‘I think that, although such accreditation has advantages for employees, it is mainly the patients who benefit from it. We can now say with certainty that the maintenance of the medical equipment is done systematically. But we are also improving quality in all other areas. Our procedures have been optimised to such an extent that we hardly make any mistakes anymore.’

‘I am convinced that any hospital would benefit from accreditation. Not least because it provides the certainty that you will be able to guarantee quality and safety for your patients and employees. But also because it will result in the entire organisation sharing the same goal: to always keep improving.’

Febelco Group is an association of companies that together pursue one common goal: to defend the interests of independent pharmacists and the pharmaceutical industry via an extensive distribution network and a wide range of high-quality services. The Febelco Group includes the cooperative company Febelco, Pharma Distri Center, Sodiap and Axone Pharma, among others.

Febelco is a cooperative wholesaler whose share capital is fully owned by its customers, who are independent pharmacists in Belgium. Febelco’s customer base consists of more than 3,200 pharmacies that are supplied up to three times a day by 250 trucks from eight locations throughout Belgium: Bruges, Izegem, Kortenberg, Olen, Sint-Niklaas, Wijnegem, Zolder and Frameries. Febelco has 1,200 employees and has an annual turnover of €1.5 billion. This places Febelco among the top 100 Belgian companies.

PDC, or Pharma Distri Center, is also part of the Febelco Group and is an independent logistics partner (3PL) for the pharmaceutical industry. From several warehouses, Pharma Distri Center handles the storage, picking, packaging and distribution of pharmaceutical products for customers all over Europe.

Track & trace from warehouse to pharmacist

Major pharmaceutical producers, including Sanofi, had expressed a wish to be able to track and trace certain smaller deliveries and supply pharmacists from PDC. As Febelco wholesale already had this transport network at its disposal, it was decided, after mutual consultation, to work together and draw on the strength of the group: PDC would take care of the first part of the tracking (from PDC’s warehouses to Febelco’s wholesalers), after which Febelco’s wholesalers would deliver the parcels to the pharmacists.

This meant that Febelco needed to implement a solution that would make it possible to trace all deliveries up until the pharmacy. To this end, Febelco uses PHI DATA’s Proof of Delivery solution, IDdelivery®. Thanks to this solution, the delivery of goods (including packages or individual items) can be tracked in real time, meaning that every parcel can be tracked effectively from start to finish. All packages or pallets have a barcode with a unique number that is linked to a packing slip. Each driver delivering the packages has a mobile device with a built-in barcode scanner, the Unitech EA602, which is connected to a central database in real time.

The system makes it possible as early as the loading stage to check whether the correct packages have been loaded on the truck. Delivery errors are generally attributable to an error at the loading stage, such as a forgotten or incorrect package. After the packages are loaded, the system displays a list of all the delivery addresses of the round. With just one press of a button, the driver can set off to the address. If a package cannot be loaded for whatever reason, it can easily be moved to the next round, if of course this is still possible bearing in mind the agreed delivery time.

Every package is then scanned and delivered to the customer. If there are any problems with the delivery, these can be indicated, using photos if necessary. After delivery the details are immediately available, allowing the administration to be finalised or for customer service, without the driver having to bring in the paperwork first. Not only does IDdelivery® avoid complaints and frustration for the customer, it also increases the efficiency of the driver.

Project building blocks

The Febelco project partly consists of software, via IDdelivery®, for handling the delivery orders, communication and integration with the back office, and partly of hardware. To this end, 280 Unitech EA602 PDAs were purchased and installed in Febelco’s vehicles. Implementation of the POD solution started in April 2019 and was completed as early as June.

In addition, it was decided to use MobiControl, the SOTI MDM tool supplied by PHI DATA, in order to achieve end-to-end management from Febelco’s IT perspective. Updates, if necessary, are easily pushed to all 250 users (e.g. at night).

Advantages

Whereas previously drivers worked with pen and paper, they now simply have to identify themselves with a badge containing a 2D code. After logging in, the driver will see which parcels have to be delivered. After loading, the screen shows which parcels have to be delivered to which pharmacies. The relevant route is also immediately indicated. This significantly reduces error rates.

This way of working has various advantages. Bruno Mortier, General Manager of Febelco, explains: “In general, we now have a much better view of deliveries and transport. And that means we have the knowledge to improve our existing processes and offer additional services to our customers, the independent pharmacists, in the future”.

PHI DATA’s solution also offers a range of other advantages: “With the new PDAs, we also have an extra method of communication with our drivers”, explains Pieter-Jan De Bock, Supply Chain Project Manager at Febelco. “We can send our drivers information, and at the same time they can also contact us via pre-programmed numbers in the PDA device. In addition, in the next phase we will also use the devices to automate subsequent administrative flows, such as accident protocols, etc. Another advantage of the solution is that the system stores all customer-specific needs and information about pharmacists after the first route. This also significantly reduces training time, which makes it easier, for example, to deploy student workers quickly.”

Approach

“We are delighted with the PHI DATA approach”, Pieter-Jan De Bock concludes. “Unlike other parties, from the outset they have been on our wavelength in terms of how to approach the project. They didn’t just say yes to everything straightaway, they regularly challenged our suggestions and gave us real advice.”

Kurt Nauwelaerts, Business Development Manager at PHI DATA IDdelivery, explains: “PHI DATA is always happy to be involved in projects like this one. It means we can also gain better insight into how our customers tick. The FEBELCO project also highlighted the fact that it is no longer just a question of Proof of Delivery, but that the importance of Proof of Collect is also constantly growing in the market.

Transports Michot has been a specialist in the transport and storage of merchandise since 1981. Its services include the collection and delivery of merchandise as well as storage and order preparation for its clients. The business also offers an express service in Belgium and abroad, using partnerships with other carriers to deliver around the world. Transports Michot, whose premises are in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, is a family-run business with around 20 vehicles travelling throughout Benelux.

Efficient stock management

Before choosing PHI DATA, the company had developed its own tracking system for managing warehouses. However, with a growing client base and increasing amounts of stock, it needed to find a professional solution for managing stock movements. Furthermore, a lot of the merchandise managed by Transports Michot is subject to excise duty; in view of the specific regulations that apply to this merchandise, it must be easy to identify and locate in the warehouses in order to avoid errors.

“Our main aim was to make our storage service more professional and find a suitable solution that was easy to set up. The PHI DATA solution quickly proved to be best suited to our needs”, said Sébastien Michot, Co-Manager of Transports Michot.

All merchandise can be precisely located in the warehouse using the IDWMS (Warehouse Management System); the programme allocates a unique identification number to each palette and then prints identification labels with barcodes, which are then scanned by the stock controllers. These controllers use hand-held terminals fitted with barcode readers and a WiFi connection to obtain real-time stock information. This makes it easier for them to manage the arrival and storage of merchandise. The system therefore allows the carrier’s employees and clients to accurately trace the merchandise.

“We were convinced that IDWMS was effective, so we asked PHI DATA to develop a solution that would also allow clients to access real-time information about their stock”, continued Sébastien Michot. Approximately ten clients now use the system, in addition to the four employees who use IDWMS every day.

User-friendly

“There was just a short training course to familiarise employees with the system, which shows how simple it is”, said Sébastien Michot. For Michot, “the main advantage of IDWMS is that it prevents errors during the handling of the merchandise, from receipt to end delivery. Using this modern technology has also allowed us to enhance our reputation in the logistics world.”

We have an excellent working relationship with PHI DATA, whose employees are skilled, available and always ready to help us move forward. We are currently extending this collaboration and have already recommended the IDWMS solution to several of our partners.”

Leading Belgian Foodservice Company Deploys Zebra Touch Computers And SOTI® MobiControl For Successful Delivery Management

JAVA Foodservice is a leading name in the Belgian fresh food delivery market. Known originally for its coffee, JAVA is a family business, founded over 90 years ago. Part of the company, including JAVA Foodservice, has recently been taken over by the Dutch group Sligro. JAVA Foodservice supplies ingredients and catering services to hospitals, restaurants, schools and amusement parks.

Challenge

The food service market is a very competitive market. JAVA had previously deployed MC75 Handheld Mobile Computers and mobile printers to its drivers to manage deliveries. However, the MC75s were reaching their end of life and JAVA wanted to move to a paperless delivery solution, design its own new inhouse application and equip its drivers with smartphone-type devices. Having tested some consumer smartphones, it realised it needed a more rugged, industry standard device. JAVA turned to long-term Zebra partner PHI DATA. Based in Wemmel in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant, PHI DATA advises on, integrates and maintains Auto-ID solutions for automation and business process optimization along the supply chain and in various industries throughout the Benelux. Its solutions ensure its clients can rely on accurate information at any time, resulting in better quality and higher productivity for their businesses. PHI DATA recommended Zebra’s TC55 Touch Computer running SOTI’s MobiControl for remote management.

Solution

Drivers receive their daily delivery schedule, and contact details for every customer on the schedule, via JAVA’s own bespoke in-house Android application running on their TC55. Any updated instructions are received whilst they are en route. The driver has to register actions for each client, such as, is he or she able to deliver the goods, what kind of carriers is he delivering, for example roll-cages or pallets, and whether he can return some carriers to JAVA. The driver uses the TC55 to scan pick lists, items and delivery trolleys, to ensure he delivers all the right goods and picks up the right number of containers and boxes to return to JAVA’s warehouse. In case there is an issue with a certain product to be delivered, or a carrier to be collected, he’s able to mark it as undelivered or not available for pick up, choosing from a selection of specific causes; these trigger alerts and actions in the back office for the sales team to action. Finally the client has to sign on screen for the delivery; the client can choose a number of personnel who are authorized to sign for a delivery and the driver can scroll through the list to find their details; this way JAVA and the client always know exactly who has taken receipt of the goods. The driver no longer carries a mobile printer, so, rather than having a printout, the customer receives a digital copy of the order and an electronic POD. Drivers can take photos when necessary and also text or call into the HQ, if they need a two way conversation about a particular delivery, for example. All information is updated and processed in real time on JAVA’s back office systems. This ensures accurate, clean data is available; there are no more queries caused by illegible handwriting or damaged paperwork. JAVA has a Zebra OneCare service contract in place for the TC55s; any device needing repair is sent to the Zebra Repair Centre and replaced within 2–3 working days. Moreover, if the IT team needs to configure or update a device whilst the driver is in the field with it, they now use SOTI’s MobiControl. JAVA’s previous delivery app was regularly being updated and, historically, due to the busy schedules of delivery drivers, rolling this out to the handsets had been very slow and problematic. However, by deploying SOTI’s MobiControl, the JAVA team could quickly, easily and remotely update the handsets with the new versions of the application. JAVA was also concerned about confidential client information stored on the devices; it liked the idea of being able to remotely wipe all data from the device, if a device was left at a client’s premises by mistake, lost or stolen. This was one of the first projects where SOTI MobiControl was deployed on an Android device and there were initially a few challenges; however, these were soon ironed out with close collaboration between Zebra, SOTI, PHI DATA and JAVA.

“Our drivers are on the road for most of the day. We wanted to equip them with a smartphone-type device, but the ones we tested just weren’t rugged or reliable enough for our type of business. Zebra’s TC55 ticked all the boxes. Moreover, speed is of the essence in our competitive industry, so the fact that we can use SOTI MobiControl to manage and download our app remotely to a driver’s device whilst he is on the move is indispensable.”

Wim Heylen, ICT Director, JAVA Group

Results

Most of JAVA’s clients are moving towards the paperless process; and, as they do so, they are appreciating the associated time savings, the reduction in paperwork and administration and the improved customer service; clean, accurate data in real time means office teams can react to and resolve any delivery issues much faster. Moreover customers and JAVA now have an electronic record of all historical data relating to PODs and orders. The drivers love the look and feel of the TC55s; being high performance and robust, they are suited for tough day-to-day usage in the logistics environment. The new paperless solution is a step forward in JAVA’s business aim of lowering its environmental impact. The new system reduces administrative work and minimises the possibility of errors. Data is transferred immediately to the back office, which cuts costs and time and improves the invoice cycle; combined with the time and costs saved managing, updating or deactivating the devices remotely via SOTI, the solution is delivering an excellent ROI. Looking forward JAVA will continue to develop the app and will include elements such as GPS tracking, in case a device gets lost and the battery has run out.

The transport company Kris De Leeneer was founded by Kris De Leeneer in 2001. The company started with just two lorries and a delivery van. However, thanks to the tireless efforts of the owner and his staff the company has not stopped growing since. New customers are coming on board, and the fleet of vehicles is increasing, including the addition of refrigerated lorries. In 2007 the transport company became a logistical service provider when it opened a warehouse measuring over 3,000 square metres in Lebbeke. Halfway through 2015 a further warehouse measuring around 10,000 square metres was added in Dendermonde.

Kris De Leeneer does more than just transport and storage. The company also repacks its customers’ goods. This means that goods arrive in bulk, are packed and stacked on pallets and labelled. In order to give customers a clear and real-time view of their stocks Kris De Leeneer went looking for a warehouse management system. This needed to be capable of tracking the movements of incoming and outgoing pallets with a unique identification number, able to work with barcodes, allow De Leeneer’s customers to track stock in real time and provide automated warehouse management. The Warehouse Management System IDwms by PHI DATA was the best option available. “There were a number of reasons for this”, says owner Kris De Leeneer. “PHI DATA wanted to help us think things through and also offered a full package, consisting of WiFi, hand-held terminals, printers and software at an acceptable price for an SME.”

With IDwms it is possible to localise all goods very precisely: the programme allocates a unique identification number to each pallet in the warehouse and then prints the identification labels with a barcode. These barcodes are then scanned by the warehouse operators using a held-held terminal. Using the connection between the terminal and WiFi network, warehouse operators and customers can look up stock data in real time and easily manage the intake, storage and orders of goods. Thanks to this system all goods can be accurately traced at any time, both by staff and by customers.

At Kris De Leeneer IDWMS not only allows customers to keep track of their stock in real time, they can also enter delivery instructions into the system and confirm that they have received their goods. This helps to avoid errors and simplifies invoicing.

“The collaboration with PHI DATA has run smoothly for years”, says Kris De Leeneer. “At the start we knew what we wanted, but not how to achieve it. Fortunately staff at PHI DATA thought things through with us, which means we have now been using a system for years that still remains innovative. That’s why we have also chosen IDwms for our new warehouse in Dendermonde.”

First LabelEasy customer

In 2011, SCA Hygiene Products Stembert (now Essity) , a manufacturer of paper hygiene products, was the first Belgian company to opt for the LabelEasy solution newly launched by PHI DATA. With this new concept, PHI DATA wanted to offer its customers a global solution for labels. The LabelEasy solution, which has many industrial applications, is an “all-in-one” solution, thus guaranteeing the company continuity of service and delivery and, therefore, productivity. This solution establishes a set price per label and covers the different steps in the printing process. With this, the customer no longer needs to collaborate with several suppliers for the buying, installation, maintenance or training phases.

“The LabelEasy solution meets all our needs, as much in terms of productivity as the control of costs.”

Fabien Grégoire, Financial Director at Essity

Ensure product traceability

In the frame of its new project (2017), Essity wanted to secure its so-called “pallet” label application system and replace the control system for its two Print & Apply machines. The company’s main aim is to ensure the traceability of its products in order to guarantee a quality service for its customers. Therefore, it was looking for a practical and efficient solution that would also enable the control of production costs.

The solution offered by PHI DATA comprises the provision of the equipment for five years, programming, equipment test and maintenance phases on site, as well as the delivery of labels. In the case of Essity, it was calculated on the basis of an average consumption of 1.4 million labels per year.

For Essity, there are three advantages to the solution proposed by PHI DATA: it ensures continuity of operations and deliveries for the period of the contract, freeing the customer from the usual concerns concerning the conclusion of new contracts, the search for suppliers, or the management of maintenance operations. Therefore, it is able to devote even more time to important projects that enable the company to grow. Also, the solution is advantageous in that it combines the different costs related to the printing of labels. It enables greater visibility and controls production costs because it is possible to know exactly what each label costs beforehand. Furthermore, by opting for LabelEasy, the customer does not cover the initial investment, which is usually high, for launching such a project, because it switches directly into OPEX mode, with a price per 1,000 labels.

Finally, the contract offers a certain flexibility because it is established on an estimation of an average volume of labels per year. However, a count is implemented every year and may result in an adjustment of the amounts invoiced. At the end of the contract, there are several options, such as, for example, renewal or the purchase of the equipment, the residual value of which is limited.

Long-term relationship

“We are seeking to establish long-term relationships with our customers. The LabelEasy project is perfect for this: indeed, thanks to LabelEasy, our customer is guaranteed an on-going and advantageous quality service for the next five years. Therefore, it no longer has to concern itself with the tricky question of labels and is able to focus on its “true profession”, namely the development of its activity”, explains Rudi Lambrechts, Business Development Manager at PHI DATA.

According to Fabien Grégoire, the Financial Director at Essity, “the relationship of trust built over the past few years with PHI DATA has convinced us to take this new step with them. The LabelEasy solution meets all our needs, as much in terms of productivity as the control of costs.”

Wemmel, 31 May 2016 – PHI DATA^®, which specializes in automatic identification and location solutions, is devising a comprehensive RFID solution for automated stock-taking of 3,500 works of art for the Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Belgium. The hardware and software solutions used will also make it possible to trace all movements of the works of art and update the database containing the 3,500 items automatically.

The Modern Art department of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium possesses over 3,500 paintings. All these items are catalogued in the museum’s database. The museum calls on the services of the curators for archiving, stock-taking and tracing these works in the storage rooms and the exhibition rooms of the RMFAB. They carry out a manual check at regular intervals on the location and physical condition of the art works. If art works change location, this needs to be meticulously updated. Because it is such a large collection, these actions are often a time-consuming, laborious affair.

Automated asset management

Therefore, the museum started looking for an automation system that would enable faster, more efficient inventory control. The solution also needed to be able to track the movements of works of art between the various buildings, and update the database automatically. “We were looking for a hardware and software-based system”, says Frederik Leen, Head of the Modern Art Department, who wrote the specifications for this aspect of collection management together with Maarten Lousbergh, Head of the Security & Facility Department of the museum. “We wanted a total system that we could link to our database that enabled us to handle asset management efficiently.”

A public procurement tender was issued, and PHI DATA^® submitted the winning bid. “Not only was the solution they proposed the most advantageous in financial terms, but the quality of their system rated very highly. It is also a system that combines the latest technology with simple implementation and excellent user-friendliness. And in this case, that is of the utmost importance”, Frederik Leen and Maarten Lousbergh said to explain their decision.

Unique identity and location with RFID technology

PHI DATA^® proposed a solution using RFID technology and custom-written software, IDAsset. Each work of art receives an RFID label, which gives it a unique identity. These labels can be read-in both by the curators’ hand scanners, and by strategically placed portals with antennae. In practice, this means that all works in the exhibition rooms and the storage rooms are read-in automatically via the radiofrequency technology of the handheld scanners. Using PHI DATA^®‘s IDAsset software, the database is automatically notified of the precise location of a work of art. When being moved from one room to another, the works pass through portals, which also record RFID labels. These portals are configured so that movements are recorded automatically. By reading the RFID label and detecting the direction in which the work moves through the portal, the database indicates the room where a work is located and when it was moved. The software also updates the database automatically.

Accuracy and efficiency

RFID technology increased the accuracy of stock-taking, risky operations are kept to a minimum, and the detailed history of the movements of the art works are available at any time. PHI DATA^® and the museum opted for passive RFID labels. These are so small that they can be affixed to the works of art without causing damage. Another advantage is that they do not need to be replaced, because they do not contain batteries that go flat after 2-3 years. The proposed solution includes a printer. This prints visual information on the RFID labels. This provides the curator with the digital information on the RFID reader, as well as the visual information on the label. This simplifies the job considerably.

An extra challenge

The collection contains extremely valuable works. That is why the works of art are stored and transported in crates specially designed for the purpose. So it was also very important that the RFID labels, the portals and the readers should be powerful enough to be able to read “through” the packaging. “There too, we were pleasantly surprised”, explains Frederik Leen. “We tested the power of the RFID by putting the paintings inside a double-skinned package. The results were very positive, even in narrow aisles, long corridors or where there are iron doors.”

Next phase: rollout

Now that the test phase is complete, the next few months will see the installation. The museum is installing the facilities and the electricity cables. PHI DATA^® will then configure the portals, implement the software and establish the link with the database. “The second half of the year will be used for testing and trial operation. If everything goes according to plan, the major stock-taking will take place at the beginning of 2017, after which we will be going fully live”, says Maarten Lousbergh. “The aim is to extend the project to other departments of the museum in future, and handle the inventory of a large proportion of the museum’s 20,000 items using an RFID solution”, adds Frederik Leen.

Optimization of semi-finished products flow allows Continental Sarreguemines to boost production

With an annual production of more than 10.5 million tires in 2012, the site Sarreguemines in France plays a central role in the strategy of the Ger-man tire manufacturer Continental. With the help of PHI DATA, Continental has undertaken an extensive process automation and improvement of inventory management on its French site. Thanks to the accurate geolocation of production containers, real-time planning and better internal transport logistics, Continental Sarreguemines managed in a little over a year to significantly increase the availability of its semi-finished products. On the site of Sarreguemines, tire manufacturing requires a well-oiled internal logistics. To ensure optimum quality, rubber must be processed in a specific timeframe. Therefore, it must be transported on large carts to specialized machines placed all around the plant. Until recently, the carts were only equipped with a num-ber, causing loss of carts, material and time.

“We had been looking to implement a tracking solution for some time”, says Christian Matejicek, Head of the IT-department of Continental France SNC. “After contacting a lot of suppliers, we finally selected the AeroScout technology which has the quality that it is easy to integrate with existing Wi-Fi networks, avoiding new investments in a parallel network. However, several environmental factors made this a more complex project. The Continental plant in Sarreguemines includes many neighbouring buildings that were expanded progressively. As there are many machines and thus a lot of metal, the installation of a RTLS system was not obvious and required the assistance of a partner that is both experienced and flexible in its approach. PHI DATA proved to be the best choice for us.”

Specifically, PHI DATA deployed in several phases the geolocation system by integrating it in the existing Cisco Wi-Fi network. Today, already more than 1,900 AeroScout tags were attached to carts used by Continental for the transportation of semi-finished products to different workstations. 90 percent of the semi-finished products are geolocated in real time. Workers responsible for the internal transport can, using their onboard computer, view on a map where a product should be brought or retrieved. This way Continental ensures that the right cart reaches the right machine faster, while avoiding errors and respecting the timeframe to process the rubber. Workers responsible for planning have a direct view on the stocks and know precisely what semi-finished products are available. During the first phase of deployment, 500 carts were equipped with AeroScout tags and the accuracy of the system was evaluated in a part of the plant. Once everything was functioning optimally, Continental expanded the Cisco wireless network to other parts of the site and 700 additional carts were equipped with tags. Several phases followed and, ultimately, some 2,000 tags

The complementarity between PHI DATA and AeroScout was essential to the success of this project. PHI DATA has extensive knowledge of AeroScout solutions as well as the requirements and demands of a production site such as ours. In the end, this system is appreciated by both our workers and our management, and has a direct impact on the overall productivity of our plant. It has become a strategic tool which we could not do without.”

Christian Matejicek, Head of the IT-department of Continental France SNC

PHI DATA helps Krëfel in its logistical processing and automates the follow-up of deliveries. The solution consists of a combination of Tom Tom Bridge PDAs with PHI DATA’s IDdelivery software.

Krëfel was looking for a way of obtaining proof of delivery for the administrative follow-up of deliveries in a fast and user-friendly way – more specifically for deliveries to the end customer who purchases products via the webshop or in the shop; for deliveries of kitchens that leave from the central depot and go to the shops; and for the follow-up of the installation of electrical appliances on customers’ premises.

“Previously drivers had to deal with an abundance of administrative work after they had done their rounds if interactive follow-up was lacking. With a new system – a combination of software and PDAs – the entire administrative and logistical follow-up of deliveries would take place interactively and could become automated. The greatest need was to get rid of all paperwork“, says Mark De Brabanter.”

For this reason Krëfel contacted PHI DATA, who were offering IDdelivery as a solution. IDdelivery is a system that allows the customer to follow up deliveries of “identifiable” objects, such as packages or individual articles. IDdelivery works thanks to the unique identifier of every object to be delivered. Every object has a barcode with a unique number (also called SSCC). These SSCCs are linked to a delivery note belonging to a particular round or route. Every driver has an industrial Tom Tom Bridge PDA with built-in barcode scanner at his disposal, which is connected in real time to the central database. Thanks to IDdelivery one can already verify whether the right packages are being loaded onto the lorry during the loading process. Mistakes on delivery can normally be explained by faulty loading such as a forgotten or faulty package.

After loading IDdelivery displays the list of all delivery addresses on the route. Once it arrives at the customer the delivery note and the article or package are scanned. Should there be any problems with the delivery, these can be recorded, using photos if necessary. The recipient can place his signature on the screen of the PDA. After delivery the details are available straight away, allowing administration to be finalised or for customer service, without the driver having to bring in the paperwork first.

IDdelivery is made up of several components. A database, in which all details are saved and which is in contact with the customer’s ERP system, a mobile application that allows drivers to send in information, a website and modules (which may be optional) such as for example import/export of data, ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival), e-mail (such as reports of delivery), use of parts, handling of payment and so on.

“There are a number of proof of delivery solutions on the market, but PHI DATA have added a number of added value points”, explains Kurt Nauwelaerts from PHI DATA. It is also possible to manage the conditions of the vehicles such as cleanliness or possible damage. This is done via a questionnaire that the driver can fill in on his mobile PDA, which in turn is in contact with the system.

Furthermore, there is a time-out function in the system: the driver may at any time interrupt his assignment, stating a reason for the interruption. Examples could be a lunch break, when the vehicle has broken down or is stuck in traffic etc. As a consequence, there will be a report about the working hours by the driver himself. The ETA module is connected to this. This allows the expected delivery time, on the basis of a number of criteria transmitted by the ERP system, to be communicated to the customer.

Subsequently, it is also possible to give the driver extra assignments upon delivery which have an added value for delivery of a product. The driver can confirm with a yes or a no or with a photo. Here is an example: if a product has not been unpacked, if old appliances are returned, if a new appliance was under test, or if instruction or training was given to the user and so on.

The entire question path is registered in the system and has also been automated. “Moreover, there is no requirement for an intervention from PHI DATA during the configuration of the question path”, says Kurt Nauwelaerts. “The customer can himself send a command from his ERP system with the help of XML files. We realise that these extras represent absolute added value for our customers. We constantly strive to keep the product up-to-date, and to make its features available to other customers who also work with IDdelivery.”

“We have opted for PHI DATA because they had already got part of the solution in their standard solution IDdelivery. So they could quickly offer an adequate solution by means of a number of modifications to the software”, says Ronny Kemps, Logistics Manager at Krëfel. The fact that the solution was implemented so quickly can be taken literally,” Ronny Kemps concluded. There have been a total of only six to seven months between the initial starting up through to the actual commissioning of the solution and the PDAs, and that is for the most part thanks to the very good project managers at PHI DATA. They have taken excellent care of the follow-up.”

“In total more than 200 people will ultimately work with the solution”, says Mark De Brabanter, Distribution and Transport Supervisor at Krëfel. PHI DATA has made sure that drivers can use a very easy-to-operate and user-friendly piece of equipment. Since the equipment is so user-friendly, it wasn’t necessary to give drivers as much training as originally thought – after all, the drivers are the users of the solution, so they must be able to use it easily.”

“What really matters to us is the professional manner in which the project has been managed. PHI DATA have, since the beginning, shared their ideas with us and kept in mind our needs and concerns. The collaboration between our IT department and PHI DATA has been excellent. They have always remained within the budget. “Everything that had been agreed has stayed well within the budget”, added Ronny Kemps.