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INTRODUCTION
Walsh Mushrooms is reliant on an effcient packaging and dispatch
process, making sure that the correct product is delivered to the
right depot at the required time. Walsh Mushrooms used a manual
process to label its range of products and pallets prior to dispatch
to the supermarket, and like any manual system, the procedures
involved were open to the possibility of error. Norprint has provided
Walsh with a complete streamlined solution, including high perfor-
mance Toshiba printers and rugged Opticon terminals, saving Walsh
Mushrooms administration time, minimizing errors and streamlining
the packing and distribution processes.
CHALLENGE
TESCO will be implementing SSCC labelling
conformance to all their fresh food
produce suppliers by November 2009 and
working with these suppliers to ensure
that they are ready to meet the SSCC
requirements. With this in mind, Walsh
Mushrooms started working out potential
solutions. The Norprint’s innovative
barcode compliance solution turned out
to be ‘the preferred Tesco SSCC labeling
solution’. Walsh Mushrooms implemented
this system in November 2008.
SOLUTION
Information from the (electronic) Tesco
order is downloaded to the PHL7112 from
Opticon. The terminals are connected
with the robust Toshiba printer that
prints the labels with the specifc pallet
requirements. The labels are attached to
each pallet and then the labels on both
the product and the pallet are scanned
before they are loaded onto lorries. This
process continues with the Opticon device,
displaying exactly what remains on the
order, until the order has been completed.
At the end of the order process a delivery
note and load plan can be printed. The
order information is uploaded and an ASN
is created; this can then be located and
confrmed on the Tesco TIMS website.
This solution provides full pallet
traceability throughout the Tesco supply
chain. The Norprint solution prevents
problems caused by human errors since
verifcation of the quantity and reference
number of the product and the date occurs
automatically. The system is also able
to deal with delivery to multiple depots,
using the same simplistic approach.
All Walsh Mushrooms staff are able to
use the system, regardless of whether
or not English is their frst language. The
quick start-up information that Norprint
provides enables the easiest of transitions
from a manual to automated process.
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RESULTS
Walsh Mushrooms has now been using the
system for over 6 months and has seen
immediate internal improvements, aside
from the overall beneft of compliance to
Tesco SSCC.
Ian Wilson, Production Supervisor,
commented on using Tesco’s preferred
solution, “We were really impressed with
the Norprint solution demonstrated to us,
and for the small investment, we could
see that it was exactly what we needed
to meet the requirements of Tesco SSCC.”
Ian continued, “Our initial aim was just
to meet the SSCC conditions, but the
new automated solution has completely
improved our whole picking, packing and
dispatch process, dramatically increasing
our turnaround time at the depot.’’
The robust and reliable hardware from
Toshiba and Opticon is perfectly suited
to the demands of a busy warehouse
environment. Malcolm Jones, General
Manager, commented on the overall
solution, “For a small investment we
are not only compliant with Tesco SSCC
labeling requirements”[…]“but we have
also improved our whole warehouse
operation and streamlined an intensively
manual process.”
Featured Product: PHL7112
Key PHL7112 features for this solution:
• Rugged housing, ideal for warehouse operation
• Integrated barcode scanner for pallet
identifcation
• Wireless connection for immediate data
transaction
• Traceability throughout supply chain
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