Mobile Computers and Their Role in the New Warehouse Landscape
The digital age has made its presence known with material handling equipment, but is warehouse intelligence as effective as it could be? Hardware and software experts are working to use mobile computers for a more integrated communications system.
Mobile Computers: Expanding the Horizons
Mobile touchscreen computers are making it easier for lift truck operators to handle the work flow. According to Mike Maris, senior director of transportation and logistics at Zebra Technologies, they could be even more efficient if the technology was integrated into one central communications point.
Directing a lift truck from point A to point B is only part of the equation. Each lift truck is part of an entire fleet of vehicles that needs to be managed, and maintenance also needs information to keep the trucks in good working order.
Instead of simply communicating work orders, mobile computers have the potential to handle a number of data streams. Different screens can be dedicated to different functions, such as one that provides task instructions and another that relays maintenance information or real-time maps.
Better Technology = Improved Productivity
Maris explains that the mobile computer on a lift truck can serve as a point of communication to broader systems rather than just a portal restricted to one vehicle. Streamlining the process can pay off with a 10 to 15 percent improvement in productivity.
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