Universal Express Distribution Sp. z o.o.
Universal Express Distribution is a leading company dealing in the storage and distribution of promotional materials, such as stickers, posters, samples, promotional stands, gadgets and advertising boards. The company provides comprehensive support for elements supporting the promotion of enterprises in many industries. “We have been providing promotional material storage and distribution services for 12 years, so we have unparalleled experience in Poland,” says Adam Bieniek, General Director of the Distribution Department at UED. The company is a member of the international Universal Express Capital Group.
Company development has led to the need to modernize warehouse management system
As the company is growing at a rapid pace, the number of customers, and hence the amount of assortment, has constantly increased. As a result, the existing logistics solutions proved to be insufficient. It was necessary to introduce a system that would simplify storage procedures and provide quick information on the location of goods.
„The development of the company has forced us to invest in an automatic identification system. The lack of quick information on the location of stored goods, as well as the constantly increasing amount of paper documentation are the main reasons that motivated us to implement a modern WMS class system” – adds Adam Bieniek, General Director of the Distribution Department at UED.
„A very important element of the implementation was the invitation to a wide range of Universal Express employees to the project. A fully professional, project-oriented approach to implementation, as well as very high commitment and clearly defined expectations on the part of the client not only saved the time necessary for implementation, but allowed to overcome any problems before they appeared.” – notes Maciej Rafałowski, Commercial Director at IBCS Poland.
The need to meet high demands
A team of experienced specialists from IBCS Poland was employed to implement the system. The first stage of cooperation was to develop the concept and main assumptions of the project in consultation with UED employees. The effect of these consultations was to create a list of implementation requirements. They included, among others ensuring control of work efficiency, elimination of mistakes in issuing goods, shortening the process of goods release from the warehouse and limiting the number of printed documents It was also very important to ensure the possibility of integration with UED master systems.
„Our WMS system – ibcsTiger had to be adapted to the individual needs of UED. We also had to configure it properly to work with systems used in UED. For the system to work efficiently, it was necessary to implement a radio network adapted to work in the environment of working machines and a warehouse made of sheet metal and concrete. ” – said Marek Groszkowski, UED project manager from IBCS Poland.
Radio network was based on Motorola Spectrum24 technology, using Motorola AP5131 access points. A prerequisite for the operation of the radio network according to the adopted design was to make the wiring earlier. The UED network is based on category 5 cabling and fiber optic backbone.
8 Motorola WT4090 mobile terminals are used to operate the system, 4 Zebra ZM400 and Zebra RW420 label printers, several PCs and a WI-FI network. The areas of application of the ibcsTiger system at UED are very wide: starting with the acceptance of delivery, deployment of the assortment in the warehouse, through the issue and acceptance of products for packaging, to the release of the goods outside as well as inventory and quality control.
„Thanks to ibcsTiger system, the control of warehouse processes has significantly improved, which in turn translates into the functioning of the entire company. The Motorola WT4090 mobile terminals and Zebra printers used in the project guarantee not only high ergonomics, but also the highest quality and durability while maintaining a moderate price” – adds Łukasz Pychyński, Sales Specialist at IBCS Poland.
Warehouse marking is an essential element of the IT system
„An inseparable element of an efficiently operating IT system is the correct marking of all destinations in the warehouse – alleys, gates, etc.” – explains Magdalena Zakrzewska, Specialist in consumables from IBCS Poland.
Various types of labels and boards that meet the latest standards were used to mark the warehouse.
„Marking the warehouse went smoothly, it was completed within the assumed deadline. It should be mentioned that the task was carried out precisely, using good quality materials.” – said Adam Bieniek from UED.
In addition, specialists from IBCS Poland conducted a two-stage training for UED employees. Basic training covered the entire scope of knowledge about the ibcsTiger system, and was addressed to key users. The second stage is complementary training targeted at end users.
Implemented assumptions
“The implementation lasted from December 2008 to April 2009 and was successfully completed. The basic benefits include, first and foremost, the elimination of human errors, greater warehouse control, order picking, and lowering labor costs by improving performance. “In addition, a large part of the paper documentation has been eliminated. All these factors meant that our customers also feel the increase in the standards of our services” – said Przemysław Jędrychowski from UED.
Both companies express their satisfaction with the cooperation, while emphasizing their willingness to cooperate in the future. Adam Bieniek from UED assures: “The task was completed in one hundred percent. We are pleased with the choice of this service provider and we can confirm his professionalism”.