NORDIC ID’S CUSTOMER NEWSLETTER 2010

CASE STUDIES

RETAIL- Kaiser’s Tengelmann- Euronics Friesoythe

LOGISTICS- Assistor- Tuko Logistics

OTHERS- London Underground - Martela- Premio Reifen + Autoservice

We in Nordic ID have a strong faith in

the future of RFID technology. Although

RFID is still crawling up from the Trough

of Disillusionment of Gartner’s hype cycle,

RFID’s share of our revenue has increased

rapidly, even during the economic down-

turn. Th at is why we are and want to remain

the pacesetter in mobile RFID technology.

By introducing a new version of Morphic RFID, Nordic ID has taken a big step ahead. We have developed technology which makes it possible to utilize RFID extensively inside and outside storage areas. WLAN communications combined with GPS and identifi cation makes the way for completely new powerful applications in supply chain control.

Our customers have a great number of suc-

cessful RFID implementations. And more,

they are serious with their future plans with

RFID. Also in this paper we explain how,

for example, Assistor Car Logistics and the

London Underground have utilized RFID

technology in their own logistics and main-

tenance activities. Nordic ID provides mo-

bile devices for professional use enabling

customers to improve their inventory man-

agement, customer service, communication

and supply chain control.

To be successful, RFID must be made easy,

understandable, and aff ordable. Made easy

means ergonomics and ease of integration

and ease of use. Th e fi rst mobile phones re-

in mobile RFID

RFID must be made easy, understandable, and aff ordable.

sembled house bricks and could be used only

in a limited area – pretty much like mobile

RFID readers today. Look where the devel-

opment has taken the phones.

When engineers try to push mysterious technology to the market, they will meet resistance. In the worst case, the new tech-nology is seen as a threat, because new and unknown always contains the risk of failure. In addition, in many countries the govern-ment sees RFID as violating people’s privacy rather than increasing productivity. All this, because the benefi ts of RFID, among them speed and cost effi ciency, are not yet known to any great extent.

For the time being, the small and under-developed RFID market keeps prices high. However, compared to barcode readers RFID readers have, generally speaking, lower manufacturing costs. Aff ordable but high performance readers will soon penetrate the market.

Today car immobilizers represent almost

half of the whole RFID business. Th e next

big bang in two years will be NFC. People

carry their mobile phones everywhere so

it’s natural that it will also function as your

wallet and user interface for many services.

A payment with a debit/credit card takes

seconds while touching NFC partner device

takes only a fraction of that. Convenience is

the word for today’s consumers!

Jorma Lalla, CEO, Nordic ID

A European

LEADER

2 • Nordic IDea

EDITORIAL

NORDIC IDEA 2010Contents

2 EDITORIAL

4 RFID OVERTAKES THE BARCODE

6 Nordic ID Morphic

RFID CASE STUDIES

10 Furniture Inventory in Few Seconds Martela & Vilant

12 Assistor Car Logistics

14 London Underground’s Escalators Get an RFID Facelift

NEWS16 Product and Partner News

20 Container Centralen is Optimizing Horticultural Logistics

PRODUCT INTRODUCTION22 Nordic ID Monitor: Automated Self Monitoring for Food Retail

NORDIC ID SUPPORT

24 Nordic ID RFID Demos

CASE STUDIES

25 Handheld Solution Improves Effi ciency at Tuko Warehouses

28 Looking Forward to a Peak Season Without Stress

30 Into the Future in Real-Time Kaiser’s Tengelmann Opts for Nordic ID Mobile Computers in all its Branches

32 A Sleek, Versatile Handset. Electronics giant Euronics’ Friesoythe

FINNISH WAYS34 Art from Snow and Ice

36 LET THE COMPETITION BEGIN

Nordic IDea • 3

Nordic IDea 2010

Editor-in-chief: Jorma Lalla, CEO

Editor: Katja Kettunen

Layout: Katja Kettunen

Nordic ID Headquarters

Myllyojankatu 2 A

24100 SALO

FINLAND

tel. +358 2 727 7700

fax + 358 2 727 7720

marketing@nordicid.com

Printed at Finepress Oy, Finland

Cover image: Kimmo Metsäranta. Th e views, opinions or positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily refl ect the views, opinions or positions of Nordic ID or any employee thereof. Nordic ID does not assume any liability or warranty for the provided information being up-to-date, accurate, complete or appropriate. All off ers are without engagement. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries. Nordic ID and Nordic ID Morphic are registered trademarks of Nordic ID Oy.

NORDIC ECOLABEL

441 678

Printed Matter

“You will soon be able to read prod-

uct information, service records and more by touching

a tag with your smart phone.”

RFID OVERTAKES the Barcode4

NORDIC ID MORPHICTwo-in-one: a true un-

ion of data collection and

voice communication

NORDIC ID MONITORAutomated self monitoring for food retail

goods within a few years. As we all know,” he

continues, “this didn’t happen. Th at’s because

retailers had invested huge amounts of dol-

lars in barcode technology. No one’s going to

reinvest just because there’s a new technol-

ogy available.”

BENEFITS AND STANDARDS: THE DRIVING FORCES OF ADOPTION

Like any technology, the more RFID is used,

the more valuable it becomes. In an open

supply chain environment, RFID can play a

major role in tightening inventory and ship-

ping logistics along the entire

chain. Because

tags can store

item-level

information

– from site

and date of

manu-

facture

to stock

keeping

unit (SKU) to transportation and logistics

information – every item carries a complete,

individual history of its journey from manu-

facture (or harvest) to sale. Taking it a step

further, tags can have sensors built in to log

moisture, temperature and other parameters

over the course of their journey. And because

of the robustness of RFID tags and the ac-

curacy and ease of reading them, items can

be scanned in bulk, while goods are still in

boxes, greatly improving inventory awareness

and timing. Security is also a plus, says Lalla.

“Th e FDA is having problems with coun-

terfeit pharmaceuticals. RFID tags can have

encryption built in – an easy way to fi nd the

fakes. And if you’re looking for a needle in

a haystack, try high frequency RFID. Th ink

libraries and music stores.”

A sticking point for any technology is the

development of universal standards. We now

have standards for many facets of RFID, in-

cluding near fi eld communication for pay-

ment cards and many industrial applications.

Although RFID is currently used to track

goods in open supply chains, however, there

are still various standards at play. Th e RFID

ecosystem has not yet undergone a VHS/

Betamax-style battle royale, but the Interna-

tional Standards Organization (ISO) is tak-

ing a leading role in developing conclusive,

comprehensive RFID standards across the

board.

BEYOND INVENTORY

Heikki Seppä, known in European cir-

cles as ‘Mr. RFID’, believes that we have

reached a point of suffi ciency in terms

of standards. A professor with the VTT

Technical Research Centre of Finland,

Seppä envisioned RFID technology 20

years ago and helped to bring it into

existence. He thinks that

In some industries, RFID is a must-have

technology. In retail, for example, it has taken

the clothing industry by storm because the

return on investment for that vertical is just

so good: reducing stock-outs from double

digits to less than one percent and tak-

ing store inventory counts from 90 hours

to three, as examples. Wal-Mart and other

mega-retailers are also driving RFID adop-

tion, but for the great majority of retailers

RFID hovers somewhere off in the future.

So the short answer, according to two opinion

leaders in Finland, is yes, RFID will eventu-

ally replace the barcode, but not quickly.

Jorma Lalla, CEO of Nordic ID, a manu-

facturer of mobile data collection handsets,

explains that the slow pace of adoption is

not due the cost of tags: “Early in the mil-

lennium, research institutes and universities

forecasted a revolution in identifi cation of

Text: Carl Michener / ID BBNPhotos: Katja Kettunen

Every year, RFID

adoption picks

up the pace,

moving into dif-

ferent verticals

and fi nding new

applications.

The burning

question is: will

RFID replace the

barcode, and if

so when?

“Where you see a barcode today, in the near future you will see an RFID tag.”

Jorma Lalla is the CEO

of Nordic ID. And the

oranges? See the video!

existing data content and air interface proto-

col standards for tag-reader communication

are robust and ready for the open market,

and he’s taking bets on RFID becoming a

fi xture of the consumer world within 5 years.

“RFID is the Internet of things,” he says. You

will soon be able to read product informa-

tion, service records and more by touching

a tag with your smart

phone. So much infor-

mation can be stored

on these tags that ap-

plications are virtually

endless. Take, for example, car maintenance.

Th e vehicle’s tag shows the details of all pre-

vious service, as well as information from the

car’s own diagnostic system showing what’s

wrong.” Th is scenario may not yet have made

it to the consumer world, but it currently

plays out daily in the airline industry, where

high-memory tags allow maintenance crews

to work eff ectively even if no WiFi connec-

tivity is available.

CONSUMERS WILL DRIVE ADOPTION

Retailer demand is currently leading adop-

tion of RFID throughout the supply chain,

but Lalla thinks that consumer demand will

soon drive signifi cant adoption. “People are

curious, they demand to be informed. Th ere’s

already signifi cant interest in knowing the

Heikki Seppä is a senior research

professor with VTT Technical Re-

search Centre of Finland, a non-

profi t organization and the larg-

est multi-technological applied

research organization in Northern

Europe. The fi sh is a pike.

Nordic IDea • 5

“RFID is going to become a big part of the consumer shopping experience.”

life cycle of goods. In the grocery store, con-

sumers will be able to scan RFID electronic

product codes with their mobile phones and

fi nd out about allergens, where and when the

product was produced or grown, and more.

RFID is going to become a big part of the

consumer shopping experience.” Staying in-

formed is one driver, but convenience could

be an-

other.

Shop-

p e r s

might

simply walk past a scanner at the exit; the

scanner would read all items in the cart at

once and charge the customer’s account

while adjusting the store’s inventory.

And the homely barcode? Lalla believes

it will die a slow death as barcode reading

equipment reaches end of life and the cost

of RFID tags continues to fall. “Let’s say

I’m the retailer, my barcode reader is old and

RFID is part of the items. Effi ciencies are

such that I will not reinvest in barcode.” Sep-

pä agrees, but thinks that the barcode may

be around for some time. “Industries will

self-select. Some won’t fi nd good reasons

to replace the bar code for years and years.

RFID tags can carry a barcode, and many

stores will adopt combined readers – in fact they already exist.”

PRICE GAP NARROWS

But many more industries may soon be self-

selecting out of barcodes and into RFID as

chips increase in functionality while they

shrink in price and size. “When I worked

at Nokia in the 80s, we were making mo-

bile phones that weighed up to ten pounds,”

remembers Lalla. “We thought we were at

the peak of development, but our visionary

director said that one day they would be

very small, quite cheap and everyone would

have one. We thought he’d gone mad, but

of course it happened, and the same thing

has happened with RFID chip technology

in the past 10 years. Where you see a bar-

code today, in the near future you will see an

RFID tag.”

Many RFID readers are less expensive than

barcode readers, and new manufacturing

processes have driven costs down to pennies

per tag. But inexpensive as the technology

might become, it’s more the growing busi-

ness case that will justify adoption. Five

years ago the majority of manufacturers, lo-

gistics suppliers and retailers adopted a ‘wait

and see’ attitude. Th e question, now that the

technology has proven it’s here to stay, is:

have they waited long enough?

www.nordicid.com

SEE THE FULL INTERVIEW AT

The popular Nordic ID Mor-

phic will appeal to a wider

audience as new features,

such as RFID and voice com-

munication have been added

to the device. The unit offers

a price effective data collec-

tion solution for even the

smallest retail outlets and

kiosks. Even more excitingly,

it opens up competitive up-

date path from barcoding

to RFID for all retailers. The

voice communication feature

makes any Nordic ID Morphic

a phone and data collection

device at the same time.

NORDIC ID MORPHICTwo-in-one: a true union of data collection and voice communication

Nordic ID has completed an updated ver-sion of its popular Nordic ID Morphic. Th e fi rst Morphic version was released two years ago at a time when the recession hit hard. Even so, Nordic ID’s faith in the future was strong, and the development work on Mor-phic’s next version was launched. Nordic ID is Europe’s leading RFID equipment manu-facturer and leadership has its obligations.

Th e project group of Nordic ID rolled up their sleeves and got on with the job. Th e team included, among others, Jessica Säilä, who brought the customer and market per-spective to the team; Viktor Candolin, who represented software expertise; and Toni Heijari, one of the group’s hardware ex-perts.

ON THE LEADING EDGE OF TECHNOLOGY

Th e Nordic ID Morphic and its latest new features have been developed to support the most recent technologies, thereby ensuring its users a safe investment. Nordic ID Mor-phic eliminates the need for two separate devices: it is a mobile computer for data col-lection and voice communication purposes which off ers a full range of wireless commu-nication options, such as CCX4-approved WLAN/WWAN, Bluetooth and GPRS/Edge.

“If the device is operated within the phone network, its use is naturally subject to charg-es, but, on the other hand, building a WLAN costs far more. For example, store chains are not especially willing to build expensive in-ternal networks in their stores, because there are quite aff ordable service providers to be found on the highly competitive telephone network market,” notes Viktor Candolin.

As an alternative to the laser scanner or RFID reader, the new version of Nordic ID Morphic can also be equipped with a 2D imager capable of reading two-dimensional barcodes. Th is allows for using the hand-held device in bookstores, pharmacies and in the health care and automotive industry. “Th e reader can be chosen according to its intended use,” says Candolin.

Moreover, the new device off ers a Micro-SDHC slot in addition to the SIM card slot, providing users with additional memory space to cope with large amounts of added data or even multimedia requirements.

EASY TO USE, EASY TO UPDATE

”Nordic ID Morphic is fi rst and foremost a working tool. Th at’s why we‘ve designed it to be small enough to fi t comfortably in the hand. Shaped like a mobile phone, the unit

Text: Kaisa Riikilä / OSGPhotos: Katja Kettunen

“For the first time, an EPC G2 compatible RFID reader is more economical to obtain than a mere barcoding device,” Jessica Säilä says.

Nordic IDea • 7

“Because we developed and optimized this unit for our own requirements, we managed to leave all the unnecessary components out from the design. And because of that, the power ef-

fi ciency is good,” Heijari emphasizes.

drops to the user’s palm and off ers straight-forward operating logic. It will win favor with users across a range of industries and will prove rugged enough to withstand the working conditions no matter what the ap-plication environment”, Jessica Säilä points out.

Candolin mentions that the strengths of Morphic also include the ease of software updating for the device. With the optional software emulator, applications that have al-ready been developed for the Nordic ID RF series can also be used for the new Morphic without changes. Th e remote management system of Nordic ID Morphic enables cen-trally launched software upgrades for devices already in use. Updating is swift and no user intervention is required.

COMPACT AND COST EFFECTIVE

“For the fi rst time, an EPC G2 compatible RFID reader is more economical to obtain than a mere barcoding device. Customers

requiring both devices have an easy transi-tion path from barcodes to RFID, as both readers can be embedded in the same unit.”

Jessica Säilä says.

Jessica Säilä points out that an item-level RFID revolution has occurred with the

launching of the new Nordic ID Morphic.

“Previous RFID readers were impractical due to their size. Th e central goal of the de-velopment work was to actually bring about a device, which is small and easy to both use and carry. Th e new Morphic is really the smallest RFID reader available on the mar-ket where you can fi nd all these features,” she

declares.

Working with the new unit is eff ective. Th e RFID UHF reader off ers an output power of 100 mW, which allows it to read tags from a distance of up to 70 cm. Th e new Nordic ID Morphic versions have a larger mass memory, thus eliminating the need to empty data in the middle of the workday to make space for new data.

8 • Nordic IDea

UHF READER SHAPED TO FIT

“Th e Morphic is only slightly larger in size than your regular cell phone. For this unit size class, there wasn’t any UHF RFID reader module available that was even close to being small enough, so the task fell to us. Heijari estimates that the new reader devel-oped by Nordic ID is only about one-fourth the size of corresponding units found earlier on the market. “Because we developed and optimized this unit for our own requirements, we managed to leave all the unnecessary components out from the design. And because of that the power effi ciency is good,” Heijari empha-sizes.

Th is small size otherwise put real challenges to the product development team, however. For example, the placement of the antenna required an inventive approach.

“Th e unit has a total of fi ve separate antennas for instance, Bluetooth, GPRS and WLAN.

Jessica Säilä, Head of Product Manage-ment and Viktor Candolin, Software De-signer at Nordic ID, are more than satisfi ed with the new fl agship product of Nordic ID. All the hard work lead to a device that will win favour among its users across dif-ferent industries.

Nordic IDea • 9

Installing them so that all worked well and almost simultaneously was a big job from the perspective of radio technology,” Hei-jari relates.

RFID uses virtually the same frequency as GSM. Th ese two frequencies operate very close to each other and therefore eas-ily cause mutual disturbance. As a result, transmissions can easily cross over into the other frequency as outputs increase. A so-lution has been sought to the problem by, for instance, RFID radio fi ltering. In other words, an interfering signal is fi ltered out so that the RFID signal passes through. Isolation of the antennas has also been in-creased, which slightly reduces the reading distance.

Due to the antenna solutions, the Mor-phic RFID is excellently suited for read-ing individual tags and writing in places where WLAN or GPRS, for example, can be utilised.

TAILOR-MADE SOLU-TIONS FROM THE WIN-DOWS® CE OPERATING SYSTEM

“We chose Windows® CE 6.0 for the operating system because it’s totally cus-tomisable. It can be adapted for use with all possible devices and doesn’t force you to use a standard interface. Windows® CE 6.0 represents a major step up. It’s now much closer to desktop Windows com-puters: It can multitask more programs, it’s technologically revolutionary and it can be used for even the heaviest applications,” Candolin explains.

“Th e primary benefi t of Windows® CE 6.0 is its enduring technology. It won’t be obsolete in about fi ve years and will be able to run applications introduced at that time. Th e lifecycle for its competitor, Windows® Mobile, won’t be as long,” says Candolin.

According to him, the other reason why Nordic ID did not use Windows® Mobile as the operating system for the new Mor-phic is that the new version is no longer compatible with the old Mobiles. It is entirely new, with a fully redesigned user interface.

“In other words, the update path doesn’t exist anymore. Th e new Mobile is intended for consumer use – Facebook messaging and those kinds of features aren’t really suited for professional use,” Candolin em-phasizes.

Windows• ® CE operating system and a standard browser2 year warranty• multiple communication options• ergonomic design• one hand operation •

Charging time 1,5 hours from 0 to 90%3 hours from 0 to 100% on average

Processor ARM11 532 MHz

Operating platform Microsoft® Windows® Embedded CE 6.0

Memory 128 MB DDR RAM / 288 MB Flash Micro SD card slot (SDHC)

Display 2,2”, 320 x 240 pixels (QVGA) touch screenadjustable backlight, energy saving function

Keyboard 21 keys, adjustable key backlight

Battery LiPo >1100 mAh

Colour black or grey

Dimensions 147 x 54 x 24 mm or 147 x 54 x 28 mm

Weight 170 g - 190 g (incl. battery)

Protection IP54

Drop resistance 1,5 m onto concrete

All information is subject to change without notice.

Audio integrated receiver, microphone, speaker

Notifi cation vibration alert, battery status indicator (LED)

COMMUNICATION

Bluetooth Class 2 + EDR

WLAN 802.11 b/g/i/e, WPA2 (optional)

GSM / GPRS EDGE 900/1800 (optional)

IDENTIFICATION

RFID UHF RFID (optional)Frequency 868 MHzOutput power up to 100 mW Reading range 0-100 cmTypical inventory distance 15 cmTypical inventory speed 800-1200 tags/minuteSupported standard ISO 18000-6C (EPC Class 1 Gen 2)

Barcode Laser, GS1 DataBar (optional)104 scans/second

USB via charger

Ethernet via charger

Imager 2D Imager (optional)

back up battery and real time clock

compact size • very light • robust • sharp and bright colour display• future proof technologies • available in custom colours•

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

NORDIC ID MORPHIC

FURNITURE INVENTORY Interior solutions provider Martela uses RFID technology to improve its new-

est service product. Thanks to the new technology, customers can outsource

the management of their fi xed facility assets to Martela. Practical inventory

work is done using Nordic ID mobile handheld computers.

Martela is using RFID technology in the develop-

ment of its service. To control fi xed facility assets

each and every piece of furniture is marked with

RFID tag. On new furniture the tag is affi xed dur-

ing the production phase and on old furniture tags

can be added during the fi rst inventory. Martela

employees visit their customers’ locations to take

inventory using Nordic ID mobile handheld ter-

minals.

Th e new technology signifi cantly facilitates and

speeds up the inventory management of Martela´s

customers. It is exceptionally helpful in planning,

for example, workspace alterations or moves. It also

makes it easy to keep accounting up-to-date.

RFID CASE STUDY

10 • Nordic IDea

Text: Kaisa Riikilä / OSG ViestintäPhotos: Martela & Vilant

“Because the eff ective reading distance for a

handheld reader is approximately 2.5 me-

tres, all the inventory taker has to do is walk

quickly through the room and point it in dif-

ferent directions.“

in few seconds

FROM TEN MINUTES TO TEN SECONDS

“Taking inventory used to be diffi cult, be-

cause there were often many of the same

types of furniture at a location and the per-

son taking the inventory had to constantly

keep track of all the diff erent colour and

model codes in order to itemise them. Now,

the code data is attached to the furniture it-

self,” explains Ville Lukkari, Business De-

velopment Manager of Vilant Systems Oy,

which provided the inventory management

software for Martela.

“Because the eff ective reading distance for

a handheld reader is approximately 2.5 me-

tres, all the inventory taker has to do is walk

quickly through the room and point it in dif-

ferent directions. Th e item data for furniture

in a given space is immediately stored in the

reader.”

According to Lukkari, this also results in

considerable time savings. “Th e work that

takes around ten seconds using RFID tech-

nology takes 10 minutes with the conven-

tional method,” says Lukkari, assessing the

improvement in effi ciency.

Th e system not only accelerates the work

process, it also reduces human error in taking

inventory. RFID numbers make it easy to lo-

cate pieces of furniture, even when personnel

may have moved them from time to time.

Designing new workspaces is also made

easy, when there is up-to-date information

on existing furniture. Th e owner of the fur-

niture can also easily ascertain the functional

value of its furniture holdings using inven-

tory lists.

“Th anks to our new service, customers can outsource the management of all its fi xed facility assets to Martela, thus allowing them to focus their resources on their core areas or operation,” explains Erkki Forsström, Service and New Business Manager at Martela.

Vilant offers its custom-ers turn-key RFID

solutions which result in faster stock turnover, a lower inventory level and a more effi cient supply chain proc-ess. The Vilant RFID solution includes Vilant’s own software and hardware or hardware supplied through a trusted partner network and services such as installation, consultation and support. Vilant uses Nordic ID handheld readers as part of its standard hardware range. Vilant has seven years of solid expe-rience in providing handheld-based RFID systems to its customers. “The partnership between Nordic ID and Vilant has been fruitful and Vilant is especially pleased with Nordic ID’s ability to serve market needs in terms of product development much more quickly than many larger handheld reader manufacturers. Examples of product development include intro-

CUSTOMERS SURPRISED

According to Forsström, the system will rev-

olutionise the entire furniture service sector.

“Our customers won´t believe their eyes

when they see the speed of the inventory

process.”

Th e Vilant RFID software transfers inven-

tory data to Martela’s information systems.

Martela’s system is based on Vilant Server 5

RFID software products.

“We chose Nordic ID handhelds together

with the people over at Martela. We com-

pared devices and wound up going with

Nordic ID due to the user-friendliness of

their handhelds. We’re using the Nordic

ID PL3000 UHF RFID and Nordic ID

PL3000 Cross Dipole terminals. Th ey’re so

easy to use and you can even operate them

using just one hand,” says Lukkari.

Nordic IDea • 11

Product: Nordic ID PL3000 Cross Dipole

ducing UHF RFID to handheld readers and modular antenna variants to the PL3000 and demanding GPRS, 3G or WLAN connectivity options. Nordic ID has been ahead of the market trends time and again”, says Antti Virkkunen, Managing Director at Vilant. “Also, the geographical presence of Nordic ID has been benefi cial in many global implementation projects sup-plied by Vilant. Support is always read-ily available for problem solving situa-tions”, continues Virkkunen.

Vilant Systems is one of Europe’s lead-ing suppliers of supply chain and asset tracking RFID systems. Most of Vilant’s customers come from the electronics, automotive or machinery manufactur-ing industry or operate in logistics. Since its founding in 2002, Vilant has received numerous growth and inno-vation awards and has delivered instal-lations to 20 countries on four different continents.

www.martela.com • www.vilant.com

GROWING PAINS

Assistor is a provider of complete logistics for vehicles and spare parts to the Baltic region via

its ports and service centres in Hanko, Paldiski, Helsinki, Espoo, and Vantaa. Around 350 000

vehicles move through their facilities yearly including the brands of BMW, Mercedes, Chrys-

ler, Citroen, Honda, Jaguar, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Porsche and Toyota. Assistor offers services

such as sea transportation, forwarding, storage inspection, PDI, installation of extras, cus-

toms clearance, taxation, pre-registration, vehicle invoicing, on-line vehicle information, and

ground transportation to Finland, Russia and the Baltic Rim.

RFID CASE STUDY

CAR LOGISTICS

12 • Nordic IDea

Text: Darby Thomas / VerdaPhoto: Shutterstock

Improved accuracy and effi ciency of opera-

tions were needed to match their growing

volume of operations and service off erings.

Updating their IT systems and processing

methods was the logical place to begin. In

consultation with Digia, the Helsinki based

provider of ICT systems, Assistor chose

a mobile RFID platform to allow effi cient

real-time tracking of operations. Now two

years since its launch, Assistor’s experience

can be seen as a textbook example of a suc-

cessful RFID implementation.

LEGACY SYSTEM

Prior to Assistor’s use of RFID they relied

on a legacy bar-code and paper-based track-

ing system that functioned by the employees

manually scanning the bar-coded label at-

tached to the vehicle upon receipt to identify

the 17-digit vehicle identifi cation number

(VIN). Additionally, the process was made

more diffi cult by some manufacturers not

providing bar codes that would require

manual entry of the VIN number into the

system. Combine that with the tough win-

ter conditions found in Finland where ve-

hicles can sometimes be completely covered

with snow and ice and multiply the process

by over 350,000 vehicles. Th e result was an

ideal area for RFID application.

RFID ADVANTAGES

Assistor recognized the VIN receipt and

processing area as a possible competitive

advantage and consulted with Digia to de-

velop an appropriate ICT system to match

the demands. Digia responded with a mobile

RFID solution that includes ERP, forward-

ing, vehicle taxation, web portal for car resel-

lers, 170 Nordic ID PL3000 UHF handheld

terminals and integrations between all sys-

tems and networks. Implementation began

in the summer of 2007 and the system is

now operating smoothly.

IN PRACTICE

Beginning when vehicles are offl oaded from

the ferry, passive UHF RFID Gen2 tags

manufactured by UPM Rafl atac, are hung

from the vehicles rear view mirror. Each

tag contains a 6-digit number in RFID and

print format, which is associated to the VIN

number in the ERP system.

When each vehicle is transferred to the

warehouse area, the event information

(warehouse and lot number) is recorded by

PL3000 via RFID. Th e read range of PL3000

RFID handheld is 1,6 meters, which allows

users to quickly pass by a vehicle and read

its’ information no matter the condition. If

the RFID tag is unreadable for some reason,

the bar code is then utilized to update the

information quickly.

Later in the process when the vehicle is

needed to move from the warehouse to the

inspection area, it is easy to locate with infor-

mation available on the PL3000. During the

transfer, the information is updated to the

ERP system with a quick scan of the RFID

tag. Any additional operations like adding

accessories for the fi nal customer such as

upgraded stereo, are easily updated in real

time with the handheld by workers as they

go about their duties. Th e PL3000 links to

the back-end system via WLAN, GPRS, or

GSM to allow real time functionality.

Th e RFID

tag is re-

moved when

the vehicle

is processed

for depar-

ture to the

next opera-

tor. Th e tag

is then cleared of the previous car’s VIN as-

sociation and made reusable for the future

vehicles in the Assistor logistics service.

THE LEARNING CURVE

No implementation of such a wide-scope

system goes without small hiccups and the

Assistor RFID system was no exception.

However, the problems encountered were

easily fi xed and generally due to the user’s

unfamiliarity with such technology. Many

workers were nervous about using a new sys-

tem that could be too technical or with the

use of handheld devices that would be easily

lost. After only brief training the problems

never materialized as the users found it was

virtually impossible to forget the handhelds

as they would not know which car to go to

next.

Tom Suvanto, deputy managing director of

Assistor explains one of problem situations

they did encounter: “When the vehicles ar-

rived we added the recyclable RFID tags. In

the beginning we did not understand how

sensitive the tags were, so we put the wrong

RFID tag in the wrong vehicle. Now we have

only one RFID tag in our hand when we

combine it to the vehicle’s chassis number.” Suvanto also off ers this advice to companies

interested in applying RFID technology to

their operations: “If you plan to use RFID technology, put aside your current way to operate and start from scratch.”

RESULTS

Assistor’s system now accurately identifi es

and tracks their vehicles throughout process-

ing. All information is available in real-time at the hands of workers via the Nordic

ID PL3000 and Digia’s Enterprise ERP sys-

tem. Processing time has been reduced and

most importantly errors have been virtually

eliminated. Assistor is now able to handle

more cars with the same amount of person-

nel and a reduced margin of error. Utilizing

the handhelds, users move about their daily

routines faster and more effi ciently to proc-

ess vehicles utilizing the

handhelds. Tom Suvanto

explains: “While it is dif-

fi cult to assign a number,

effi ciency has increased a

lot. With our old system

we could not handle the

amount of cars we do to-

day.”

Th e RFID system implemented in Assistor

car logistics was intended to simplify opera-

tions and allow for greater capacity. Th at goal

was readily met and others were realized in

addition. One such side benefi t came about

because of the adverse economic conditions

felt especially by the auto industry. Th e use

of RFID by Assistor has given the company

the ability to recover more quickly from the

poor economy encountered since the origi-

nal implementation. Suvanto explains “We

are now more fl exible and agile compared to

our old system, giving us the tool needed to

quickly respond to economic situations.”

While the benefi ts of this RFID imple-

mentation are readily visible, the future of

expanding the RFID system to include the

entire car supply chain from manufacturer

to sales fl oor represents an exciting prospect.

Suvanto explains, “We are waiting that car

manufactures will add RFID to each vehicle

and in this way simplify the follow up from

plant to dealer.”

Product: Nordic ID PL3000 UHF RFID

Nordic IDea • 13

www.assistor.com • www.digia.com

The escalators of London’s underground

railway system carry 3 million passengers

from the street to the platforms and back

every day. To ensure that the escalators

on the London Underground system

continue to operate safely and reliably,

London Underground operates a care-

fully managed maintenance routine.

With over 30,000 individual escalator steps

across the network, the challenge of ensuring

that each step is tested, repaired when faulty,

and then monitored when it is returned to

use is a formidable one.

Millions of passengers use the escalators on

the London Underground every day. Th e

steps that make up these escalators are sub-

ject to constant wear from the feet of pas-

sengers and from the mechanical movement

on the escalator track. A failure could cause

serious injury. If an escalator step were to

fail during the rush hour, lives could be put

at risk and serious disruption to travellers

would result.

To prevent such an event, London Under-

ground has an inspection and maintenance

regime that ensures the structural integrity

of every step is checked at least once dur-

ing the course of every year but, with over

30,000 separate escalator steps needing to be

checked, this maintenance approach requires

signifi cant eff ort by their engineering staff .

Th e problem is complicated by the time

needed to carry out tests. Because of the ef-

fort involved, only a small number of steps

can be removed from the escalator to be

tested during an overnight maintenance

shift. Th ese steps are exchanged for already

tested ones. Any one escalator consists of an

ever changing set of steps. Knowing when

each step was tested and replaced is a ma-

jor challenge. On some occasions steps were

removed from escalators simply in order to

identify them.

THE SOLUTION

London Underground needed a system that

would collect data automatically from indi-

vidual steps, that could cope with the prob-

lems of dirt and grease and that would be

robust enough to stand up to the constraints

LONDON UNDERGROUND’S ESCALATORS GET

AN RFID FACELIFT

RFID CASE STUDY

of one of the world’s most heavily used

mass-transit systems. Th ey turned to RFID

as a technology to help them and after care-

ful consideration they selected a system de-

livered by CoreRFID utilising a Nordic ID

PL3000 mobile handheld RFID computer

and Confi dex tags.

PROCESS

After having tried a number of alternative

approaches, London Underground was de-

termined to prove the suitability of RFID

with a trial application. Th e assessment was

designed to show that tags could be attached

reliably to steps so that they would not be-

come dislodged while in use and that tag

data could be read from the steps while the

escalator was running at its normal opera-

tional speed.

CoreRFID provided a solution based on the

use of Confi dex Ironside® UHF RFID tags,

Nordic ID PL3000 readers and application

software developed by CoreRFID. Th e Iron-

side tags have a read range of up to 8 metres,

are designed for use in demanding environ-

ments and for successful use when attached

to metal. Th e Nordic ID PL3000 readers

are compact, rugged, hand-held computing

devices running the Windows CE operating

system. Th e backlit keyboard is also perfectly

suited to the dark conditions found under

BENEFITS

Th e successful implementation of the RFID system into the London Underground’s escalators has given not only the maintenance staff a massive boast in their effi ciency but the users of the Underground gain better service through less disruptions from escalator down time. Additionally, the safety of the escalator system is improved by accurate track-ing of maintenance activities.

Massive boost in effi ciency of escalator maintenance• Signifi cant reduction in escalator downtime – better user experience• Improved safety through accurate tracking of maintenance•

the escalators. Th e data collected from the

PL3000 is then transferred to the backend

system while docked using CSV format for

easy integration.

CoreRFID worked with London Under-

ground to determine the best method of

fi xing tags to steps for the trial and to deter-

mine the best location for fi xing the tags on

each steps as well as the best way to mount

the Nordic ID PL3000 reader. CoreRFID

also helped to develop a method of packing

data into the 64 bits available on the tag as a

way of ensuring that maximum read speeds

could be achieved.

Tags were installed on each of the 92 steps

of the St Paul’s Number One escalator. Data,

including the step number, its year of manu-

facture and elements of its service history,

was then written to each tag. Encoding the

data on step tags proved that the work could

be done well within the time available dur-

ing a normal out-hours service shift.

RESULTS

Following the installation of the tags, the

escalator was run at normal speed to test

how successfully data could be read from

the steps of a moving escalator. In the trials,

data was successfully read with the Nordic

ID PL3000 from 100% of the steps with one

14 • Nordic IDea

Text: Darby Thomas / Verda & CoreRFIDPhoto: Shutterstock

CoreRFID is a solution integrator special-

ising in mobile applications using RFID.

Th ey have implemented systems for health

and safety management, asset manage-

ment, and tool tracking as well as for work-

in progress checking in manufacturing.

SOLUTION

Nordic ID PL3000 RFID handheld •

interrogator

Confi dex Ironside® UHF RFID tags•

CoreRFID software•

User’s experience•

Rapid on-site access to individual •

escalator step’s records

Easily locate required step •

Nordic IDea • 15

www.corerfi d.com

www.confi dex.com

or at the most two complete rotations of the

escalator a very substantial improvement on

previous systems which required the escala-

tor to be inched forward a few steps at a time

and involved the escalator being out of serv-

ice for 45 minutes or more. Th e diffi cult tag

reading conditions found in the escalators

such as dirt, grease, various angles and the

moving speed of the tags, were all handled

well by the Nordic ID PL3000 devices.

Following the success of the trial, Lon-

don Underground are now in the process

of implementing the solution across their

network, working with their escalator sup-

pliers to have new steps tagged at the point

of manufacture and with CoreRFID to help

develop and implement the operational sys-

tem and to train London Underground en-

gineering staff in its use.

Th e London Underground experience shows

how a complex RFID project can be given a

greater chance of success with careful plan-

ning, a well-executed pilot and the right

equipment.

Th e Nordic ID PL3000 Cross Dipole UHF RFID was tested for

the following criteria: transmission power, receiver sensitivity, antenna

radiation pattern and suitability for daily use. Th e test results were

very good in all categories. Nordic ID PL3000 Cross Dipole achieved

the best value ever measured in an EECC test procedure for “receiver

sensitivity”. It got excellent values in practical tests of reading per-

formance and speed.

Due to the cross-polarizing antenna developed by Nordic

ID, the device is capable of reading the tags horizontally and verti-

cally. Th e direction of the tags therefore does not have to be checked

separately, so working succeeds quite smoothly. Th e reader is well

suited for item level tagging with barcode reading when needed. Th is

functionality is particularly useful in the processing of garments or

pallet logistics. Nordic ID PL3000 Cross Dipole achieved full ten

points in run-time test proving the unit’s eff ective operating time that

allows for continuous work without needing to charge or change the

battery.

“Feedback from the clients has been highly encouraging.

Th is device has been rigorously tested and developed to the point

where we can be confi dent of its ability to perform under even the

most demanding conditions,” Hannu Heino, Technical Director at

Nordic ID, explained.

In addition to superior RFID performance, the Nordic ID

PL3000 Cross Dipole UHF RFID is also fully ready for commercial

applications. Th e device’s latest Windows Embedded CE 6.0© op-

erating system allows for integration with all back-end systems and

provides tremendous speed. State-of-the-art remote management

and a number of easy-to-use functionalities are available or included

with the device.

As with all other Nordic ID devices, the PL3000 Cross

Dipole can be equipped with several communication options and oth-

er functionalities. Technologies such as GPRS, WLAN, Bluetooth,

USB and a barcode reader all combine to ensure seamless connectivity

with back-offi ce systems.

“Th e Nordic ID PL3000 Cross Dipole UHF

RFID truly represents a major step forward in pro-

fessional RFID handheld technology. We believe the

device will be well-received by our customers in their

daily operations and set the bar for our competitors,” Mr

Heino concluded.

GS1 Germany, Deutsche Post World Net,

Karstadt and METRO GROUP jointly founded the

EECC with the aim to confi rm RFID technology and

the Electronic Product Code (EPC) as an international,

cross-sector standard in Europe. To render the con-

stantly growing RFID market more transparent, various

RFID hardware solutions are tested and certifi ed by the

EECC. A particular focus is on practical use.

NEWS

Nordic ID PL3000 Cross Dipole

CERTIFIED BY THE EECCThe European EPC Competence Center (EECC) has tested and cer-

tifi ed the Nordic ID PL3000 Cross Dipole UHF RFID interrogator.

www.eecc.info • www.nordicid.com

16 • Nordic IDea

MARKET-LEADING WI-FI ON NORDIC ID HANDHELDSA strategic alliance with Summit Data Communications,

the leading provider of embedded Wi-Fi® solutions for

business-critical mobile devices, provides the next level of

better performance for Nordic ID PL3000 and Morphic

computers with Summit solutions inside.

“Our strategic alliance with Summit ensures that Nordic

ID will be at the forefront of Summit technological in-

novations and Summit service. Summit WLAN ensures

secure and reliable connection in all conditions, ” said

Hannu Heino, Technical Director of Nordic ID.

Summit Wi-Fi solutions are certifi ed for Version 4 of

Cisco Compatible Extensions, or CCX, and support all

key Wi-Fi industry standards, including the top security

standard, known as the Enterprise version of Wi-Fi Pro-

tected Access™ 2, or WPA2-Enterprise. With Summit

Wi-Fi inside, the security on Nordic ID computers is also

suffi cient for the retail industry security standard known

as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard

(PCI DSS).

www.summitdatacom.com

Gerry Weber International AG, a fashion

and lifestyle company, recently chose Nordic

ID as their handheld RFID supplier. Th e in-

ternational, chain-wide RFID project stipu-

lated high mobility requirements, which

Nordic ID’s PL3000 Cross Dipole UHF

RFID computers fulfi ll.

Th e RFID handhelds will be most heavily

used in goods receiving and inventory man-

agement at about 150 stores.

“Nowadays it takes us about two days to

complete the inventory on a 200-square-

foot retail space,” says Christian von Grone,

CIO at Gerry Weber. “After the rollout, this

process will take only about ten minutes“.

Nordic ID handsets were chosen after a

meticulous selection process, including ex-

tensive testing of diff erent devices. Th e fact

that the PL3000 Cross Dipole is able to read

tags from up to four feet away, even through

closed boxes, was the deciding factor in its

choice. For Gerry Weber, this is especially

important when tagged goods, in individ-

GERRY WEBER CHOOSES NORDIC ID as Their Handheld RFID Supplier

ual boxes, are

transported in

bulk on pallets.

Because of

the innovative

cross-polariz-

ing antenna

the device is

capable of

reading tags

both horizon-

tally and verti-

cally. For the

Gerry Weber

project this

was one of the factors to choose Nordic ID

PL3000 Cross Dipoles, since in the reading

process in rapid succession, the orientation

of the RFID tags are negligible and this

speeds up their processes signifi cantly.

Gerry Weber, an international fashion and

lifestyle company, is listed on the Frankfurt

exchange. With internationally recognized

brands, Gerry Weber’s outlets can be found

RFID technology is a perfect match for

the fashion industry. Th is is one reason why

this industry is taking over a leading role

in implementing RFID projects. Leading

companies in the fashion retail industry al-

ready keep track of the complete value chain

starting at the production line in South-

East-Asia. Improving the fl ow of goods

and increasing sales in the shop and within

staff productivity and customer service is the

unique goal.

Unlike barcodes, RFID handhelds can iden-

tify cargo packages without the necessity to

open boxes. In the shops they can conduct

detailed inventories without removing a sin-

gle item from its shelf. With the sweep of a

single handheld reader, a whole shelf can be

listed and identifi ed. Th is not only allows in-

ventory updates but also identifi es items that

are not in their proper place or which will

run out of stock soon. Nordic ID off ers solu-

tions that combine readers for both RFID

and barcodes.

BENEFITS

Improved customer service •

Enables staff to access additional •

product information to assist in cus-

tomer enquiries

Enables orders for out-of-stock items •

from other stores and solves customer

congestion during rush hour sales

Better shop fl oor management•

Provides info about campaigns direct •

to shopfl oor staff thus enabling more

effi cient merchandising

Smoother inventory management •

Ensures accurate stock takes and •

coordination of stock levels

Facilitates order-making and speeds •

up the processing of goods-in

RFID in fashion?

www.gerryweber-ag.com

Nordic IDea • 17

NEWS

Image: Jörn von Soldenhoff

all over the world. Gerry Weber Interna-

tional AG is a clothing manufacturer that

introduced RFID technology in order to

optimize its logistics and retail processes.

RFID will also improve cost savings through

loss prevention, effi ciency and process trans-

parency.

PARTNER NEWS

BLUESTAR EUROPE is Nordic ID’s New Distribution Partner In Europe

Nordic ID is

A UPM PRO RFID ALLIANCE MEMBER

UPM Pro RFID Alliance is a new global partner network of principal RFID

professionals and companies. As the leading manufacturer of passive HF and

UHF tags UPM Rafl atac has gathered the best and most dynamic group

together with the goal to take the RFID industry further. Partner companies

cover the whole RFID value chain and can off er the end-users RFID solu-

tions to meet and even exceed the most challenging requests and inquiries.

www.upmrfi d.com

Distributor for Auto-ID and POS, Blue-

Star Europe has teamed up with Nordic

ID. Companies have signed a distribution

agreement. BlueStar sells the mobile com-

puter Nordic ID Morphic and RFID hand-

helds by Nordic ID.

Nordic ID Oy with branches in the Ben-

elux countries, Great Britain, Germany and

France aims at increasing its presence in Eu-

rope in the years to come. Plans also include

an ongoing improvement of the support

off ered to resellers. Atte Kaskihalme, Sales

Director at Nordic ID Oy regards the part-

nership with BlueStar as a key component

in strategic focusing: “We were looking for

a reliable partner with know-how in the sec-

tor and the ability to complement our sales

activities in a way that makes sense. Th rough

additional telesales activities and because

BlueStar off ers a broad spectrum of Auto-

ID products all from one source, we can win

more resellers for our equipment in future

- in a very effi cient way. Both concept and

know-how make BlueStar the ideal partner

for us.”

Alexander Stahl, Managing Director at

BlueStar Europe GmbH looks forward

to the cooperation, too: “BlueStar off ers

the complete product range of renowned

manufacturers in the Auto-ID sector. With

Nordic ID’s portfolio, we increase our off er

further. Th eir mobile computers rely on a us-

er-friendly design, low weight, long battery

life and a standard operating system with

Windows CE 6.0– all these are elements

that render Nordic ID very attractive to our

resellers as a manufacturer and partner.”

BlueStar Europe GmbH is the European

headquarters of BlueStar, Inc., the leading

American solutions-based distributor for

Point-of-Sale, Auto-ID and RFID prod-

ucts. Working together with the leading

manufacturers, BlueStar Europe keeps a

substantial range of products and solutions

for Europe-wide shipment in its warehouse

located in the Hessian town of Usingen.

www.bluestarinc.com.

INTERESTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NORDIC ID? Please contact Nordic ID Partner Manager Mrs. Miia Kivelä: miia.kivela@nordicid.com, tel. +358 2 727 7700

Nordic ID joined

RFID LAB FINLANDNordic ID is a member of RFID Lab Finland.

RFID Lab Finland is a publicly registered, non-

profi t association with about 40 member companies

and organizations including all the major players

in the RFID industry in Finland. Th e objective of

RFID Lab Finland is to enhance the business de-

velopment based on Finnish knowhow in the area

of automatic identifi cation and especially in RFID

technology. RFID Lab’s development initiatives fo-

cus currently on RFID/EPC in technical trade, in

health care, and in recycling.

www.rfi dlab.fi

TOSHIBA TEC Europe and Nordic ID have

entered into a European strategic alliance,

providing signifi cant wireless and mobile

telecommunications solutions for retail,

manufacturing, healthcare, and warehous-

ing and security industries. RFID-ready bar-

code printers from TOSHIBA TEC’s Auto

ID & Printer Division are now being jointly

offered with Nordic ID’s barcode and UHF

RFID mobile devices, to optimize the use

of emerging technologies with standard

communication systems.

“We expect this partnership to drive sales

for both companies and produce signifi cant

savings for our joint customers’ business net-

works in retail, industry, healthcare, ware-

housing and security,” said Angel de Juan,

Retail Sales Director, TOSHIBA TEC Eu-

rope Auto ID & Printer Division. “Nordic

NORDIC ID & CISPER ELECTRONICS Signed European Distribution Agreement

Nordic ID and CISPER Electronics BV, a

RFID distribution specialist signed a dis-

tribution agreement for the European

Community. The agreement authorizes

CISPER Electronics BV to offer Nordic ID’s

mobile devices to RFID solution providers

throughout Europe.

“Finding technology partners who are lead-

ers in today’s RFID market is key to our

future success,” says Leon de Ridder, CEO

at CISPER Electronics BV. ”With Nordic

ID we have added high performance RFID

Products to our RFID portfolio, enabling

us to off er customers a one-stop-shop for

RFID products and sub-systems. Combin-

ing Nordic-ID products with Cisper’s ex-

tensive experience in RFID will prove to be

a driver for success.”

Nordic ID aims at increasing its presence in

Europe in the years to come. Developing the

RFID solutions and building good partner-

ships with experienced companies’ essential

in achieving a leading role in mobile RFID.

In regards to the partnership with Cisper a

key component is strategic focusing: Cisper

is a reliable partner with know-how and ex-

perience in the RFID auto-ID products.

Cisper Technologies is the Authorized

Value Added Distributor for Top Players

in the Global RFID market. Cisper is spe-

cialized in providing high-quality/perform-

ance UHF RFID hardware and tags to the

European RFID market. Besides hardware,

company provides professional consulting

services to businesses in the RFID industry.

NORDIC ID AND TOSHIBA TEC Announce Partnership for Mobile Solutions

ID will be getting the expertise of TOSHIBA

TEC as one of the world leaders in RFID and

barcode printing technologies, along with the as-

surance of achieving maximum effi ciency regard-

less of setup.”

“Nordic ID has a long history in the creation of

handheld devices with ergonomic single-handed

operational design and user friendliness. Building

on this experience, and feedback gathered from

retailers, Nordic ID deliver a compact and user

friendly design coupled with a robust and fl ex-

ible platform that can adapt to future technolo-

gies.” Atte Kaskihalme, Sales Director, Nordic

ID said.

With its knowledge of retail, supply chain and

healthcare markets TOSHIBA TEC Europe will

be able to support Nordic ID with customer au-

dits, resulting in further optimization of installa-

tions and operations.

www.toshibatec-eu.com

Nordic IDea • 19

Q–VALUE

Defi nes the number of slots in which the tag randomly places the answer. The bigger the Q value is the less is the prob-ability that more than one tag randomly selects the same slot thus causing a data collision.

DRM/ DENSE READER MODE

The reader can be forced to use only certain channel or channels of the frequency spectrum. DRM is especially suitable if there are multiple RFID interrogators operating in the same area.

SESSION SETTING

There are four different values for session setting (0-3). The session setting defi nes how frequently tags send out their EPC. With session setting 0 tags send the EPC constantly meaning higher probability of data collisions. With session setting 1, 2 and 3 the tags re-main silent for a fi xed amount of time before sending the EPC again. Data collisions are less likely to occur.

What does it mean ...

Operation Chip It

20 • Nordic IDea

Container Centralen is

OPTIMIZING HORTICULTURAL

LOGISTICS

Nordic ID and Container Centralen have

signed a cooperation agreement author-

ising Nordic ID to market and sell Nordic

ID handheld readers and software to the

European horticultural industry. With the

certifi ed readers from Nordic ID, the in-

dustry will be able to take advantage of

the benefi ts that are made possible with

the implementation of RFID, which is

part of Container Centralen’s “Operation

Chip It”. Operation Chip It is the tagging

operation where all 3.5 million CC Con-

tainers in Europe will be RFID tagged be-

fore the cutoff date: November 1, 2010.

Retailers and other parties in the horticultural industry are increas-ingly demanding optimised logistics in general, and RFID is an important step towards servicing them and all others in the future.

Text: CC and Nordic IDImage: Ronald Tilleman & Container Centralen

Nordic IDea • 21

In co-operation with Landgard, FloraHol-

land, VGB and GASA Group, Container

Centralen introduces RFID technology to

the horticultural industry to ensure that all

CC Container users are able to respond to an

increasing demand for optimized transport

and logistics, while at the same time pro-

tecting the CC Container pool. Th e RFID

technology can benefi t all organizations in

the horticultural industry as it makes iden-

tifi cation of the CC Container simple and

quick, while providing a platform for future

integration with IT Management systems.

RFID TAGS – PROVEN EFFICIENCY

In order to introduce a fl awless RFID

identifi cation system, the group behind the

project has already tested RFID tags and

readers (“scanners”) in Denmark, Holland

and Germany. Th e testing was done fi rst as

“lab tests”, and then in closed loops in real

horticultural sector working environments.

RFID tags have already been implemented

in other CC load carriers, such as the CC

Euro Dolly (rolling ¼ pallets) with great

success.

Implementation of RFID in the horticultural

industry is done in co-operation with IBM

as the main technology partner.

RFID READERS FOR THE EUROPEAN HORTICUL-TURAL INDUSTRY

“Th e cooperation with Container Centralen

gives us a head start in delivering RFID scan-

ners to the horticultural industry throughout

all of Europe”, says Atte Kaskihalme, Sales

Director at Nordic ID.

Container Centralen has certifi ed the Nor-

dic ID PL3000 handheld reader with the

horticultural industry software to be mar-

keted and sold to CC Container users so

they can achieve the benefi ts made possible

with RFID.

MOBILERFIDSHOP.COM

Nordic ID recently launched a web shop,

where RFID scanners can be purchased.

Nordic ID also sells RFID products through

a comprehensive partner and reseller net-

work in Europe. If your company is inter-

ested in working locally together with Nor-

dic ID in the horticultural industry, please

contact sales@nordicid.com.

We will be happy to tell you more about how

you can utilize mobile RFID in your busi-

ness.

BENEFITS WITH RFID

Tagging the CC Containers with RFID

chips opens up a range of opportunities and

benefi ts for all users of CC Containers.

SIMPLE AND PROMPT COUNTING

CC Containers can now be counted and

verifi ed automatically with handheld

scanners, or when passing through the

gates at large depots.

ENABLES DEVELOPMENT OF TRACK & TRACE SYSTEMS

With the RFID technology already

built into the CC Container tag and

implemented into the CC Pool System,

the foundation for future integrated

ICT system developments has been laid.

Th e ability to identify CC Containers

can be utilized for future more complex

systems integrating information fl ows

within your organization. Furthermore,

at a later stage software and hardware

systems can be acquired and developed

to enable the full utilization of the

advantages RFID technology off ers.

EASY TO AUTHENTICATE THE CC CONTAINERS

With a built-in RFID chip, which has

a unique identifi cation code, you can

always check (with a handheld reader

or through an RFID gate) if you receive

genuine high-quality CC Containers.

Only genuine CC Containers will be

accepted at the CC depots and many

other places.

IMPROVES GENERAL QUALITY OF THE CC POOL SYSTEM

Using RFID ensures that only the

original, high-quality CC Containers

circulate in the CC Pool System, which

means fewer damaged and unusable

containers stopping your work fl ow.

CONTAINER CENTRALEN

Container Centralen A/S (CC) has a leading position in transportation equipment pooling

systems within the European fl ower and plant industry. Th e system has been extended to other

continents, making it as simple to export or import goods to and from any country in the

world, as it is within Europe. At the same time, CC serves many customers in the retail food

industry, including a number of the biggest supermarket chains in Europe.

CC uses a concept based on two principles: CC’s well-acknowledged CC Pool System with

1:1 exchange as well as products of standard dimensions: Full trolleys or crates are simply

exchanged for empty ones and vice versa. CC takes care of repair and maintenance. For more

information about Container Centralen, please see www.container-centralen.com

www.mobilerfi dshop.com • www.cc-rfi d.com • www.operation-chip-it.com

CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS

A client of a restaurant claimed too warm sandwiches to be a source of a food poisoning. With data collected by the Nordic ID Monitor the restau-rant was able to show that sandwiches as well as all the raw materials were stored continuously in correct tem-peratures. Nordic ID Monitor made handling customer complaint easy.

Food retailers and restaurants are

now required to comply with strin-

gent food safety requirements

that stipulate careful logging and

reporting of storage conditions. A

fl exible tool is needed to record

and coordinated activities involv-

ing the storage of food products

in addition to regular daily tasks

such as inventory management

and customer service.

Th e Nordic ID Monitor system off ers food

retailers and restaurants an easy solution

for fulfi lling the legislative requirements of

food quality control. Th e system includes

a wireless sensor network for temperature

monitoring complete with a handheld com-

puter for managing quality control tasks and

reporting. Th e functionality is ideally suited

for retail and food service environments

where operations must remain simple and

high quality must be maintained. Th e Nor-

dic ID Monitor also improves effi ciency by

delivering valuable reporting and controlling

capabilities to the workers on the fl oor.

Th e concept and functionality of the Nordic

ID Monitor system was created through a

series of customer interviews and researches

that established priorities of operations.

Nordic ID responded with the system of

wireless sensors that measure temperatures

of cold or warm devices such as freezers,

fridges or fresh food sales counters and sends

the temperature information over wireless

network to the Monitor system’s database.

Nordic ID Monitor removes the need to

manually record and monitor temperatures

and archive them. As long as all temperatures

are within set limits everything is automatic.

AUTOMATED SELF MONITORING FOR FOOD RETAIL WITH NORDIC ID’S WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK

PRODUCTS

Text: Darby Thomas / VerdaImages: Jörn von Soldenhoff & Shutterstock

22 • Nordic IDea

ADVANTAGES

Automates self monitoring bureaucracy•

Moves quality tasks from back offi ce to •

the shop or restaurant fl oor

Easy to modify and update•

Extensive reporting•

Data can be used with PC or with hand-•

held regardless of place and time

TECHNOLOGY

Sensor temperature range from -35C to +80C•

Coordinating access point with USB or with •

Ethernet connection

Routing access points require only power •

connection

Automatic networking of sensors and access •

points

System supports multiple sites•

Temperature alerts to handheld, e-mail or SMS•

Temperature measurements and scheduled •

monitoring tasks

SAVING TIME

In a supermarket there is 15 freezers and fridges, temperature of each was measured with manual thermometer every second day. Once a month a sum-mary was collected and archived. Nor-dic ID Monitor automated tempera-ture monitoring and saved monthly 50 hours of working time to customer service.

LOSS PREVENTION

After a short electric break a compres-sor of a freezer failed to start auto-matically. Th e temperature started to rise slowly. Just before closing time of the retail store the Nordic ID Monitor system alerted about the temperature increase. Th e store personnel were able to restart the compressor before any goods were lost and saved estimated 5000€ worth of frozen goods.

Nordic IDea • 23

And when there is a deviation, the

system alerts the user through hand-

held, e-mail or SMS.

Th e Nordic ID Monitor system in-

cludes also tools for scheduling and

reporting tasks and recording notes of

quality deviations.

NORDIC ID MONITOR AUTO-MATES THE BUREAUCRACY

Th e task of quality monitoring is

achieved effi ciently and cost ef-

fectively. Th e system automates the

‘bureaucracy’ of self monitoring, saving

working and management time. Recording

temperatures and reporting tasks is often

seen as something extra to ones work. A

store associate is an expert of customer

service and chef is an expert in food

preparation; fi lling in forms and ar-

chiving papers always takes time

away from their main work.

Th e system also provides a holistic tool

for self monitoring. Th e functionality is

not limited to temperature monitoring

but also includes scheduling and reporting

of quality tasks. When there is something to

be checked the system notifi es the user. Th e

user can then report the task on the spot with

handheld, additional paperwork is avoided.

Everyone can focus on their main tasks.

IMMEDIATE PAYBACK

Th e overall payback on the system is im-

mense when considering benefi ts such as

massive reductions in manual tempera-

ture data logging time and costs, decreased

equipment failure costs thanks to quick

response to problem situations and better

energy effi ciency of machines due to the

precise monitoring of temperatures. Users

are given a valuable tool to coordinate not

only the monitoring of food storage but also

many of their other daily tasks to allow them

to focus on their key duties.

The system consists of a wireless sensor network and server applications. Wireless sensor network consists of a coordinator, routers and the wireless temperature sensors.

RFID CONVERSION

RFID Conversion is a simple application for writing the content of the barcode into the

EPC Class 1 Gen 2 tag’s EPC bank. If preferred, the user may also edit the content of the

barcode or write a new one from scratch.

First the user scans the barcode by pressing the yellow scan button

on the keyboard or the corresponding button on the display. Th e bar-

code content will now appear in the content box. Th e user then needs

to read an RFID tag to which the barcode content will be written.

Th is is done with the circular button. Note: No more than one tag is

allowed to be in the reading zone during this process. After the suc-

cessful reading of the tag, the barcode content can be written to the

EPC bank of the tag’s chip by pressing the rectangular key.

NORDIC ID SUPPORT https://support.nordicid.com/extranet/

NORDIC ID RFID DEMOSThe Nordic ID PL3000 comes with three pre-installed RFID demo applications.

The applications give the user an excellent picture of the RFID performance of

the handheld and a small glimpse of the various settings, which can affect the

performance. All applications were developed with Nordic ID’s MHL abstraction

layer, which means all the features of these applications are also easily available

for anyone who is developing RFID applications for Nordic ID PL3000.

Text: Janne Mäkeläinen

RFID INVENTORY

As the name suggests, RFID Inventory is

meant for taking inventory of multiple Gen

2 RFID tags. Th e application can read up to

2500 individual tags. Th e RFID Inventory

application is simple to use. After the ap-

plication has been launched, press the scan

button to start scanning tags in the range.

Th e scanning can be stopped by pressing the

scan button again.

If the “Show items as they appear” box is

checked when the

scan begins, the

EPC codes of the

scanned tags are

shown in the list. If

the box is left un-

checked, only the

number of scanned

tags are shown.

TAGRW

TagRW is a program intended for testing

maximum reading distances with the hand-

held. With the application the user is able to

adjust the output power of the RFID mod-

ule to see how it aff ects the maximum read-

ing distance. Th e user is also able to change

the session settings which play an important

role, especially when large tag populations

need to be identifi ed as fast as possible. Tag-

RW can also display the current settings of

the module and the fi rmware version, which

is needed on occasion.

Information regarding the current RFID

module settings and driver versions are

shown to the user by pressing the Info but-

ton in the main window.

Depending on the RFID module inside the

PDA, diff erent tag types and bitrates can be

set. If the device is equipped with a Th ing-

Magic RFID module, the RF power can be

toggled between 60mW and 200mW. Th e

RF power cannot be changed during

scanning.

Th e user can access the session settings

in the main window by pressing the 0

button. Session settings defi ne how

frequently tags are sending their EPC

codes to the reader. Th e best session set-

ting depends on the situation, for exam-

ple, session 2 or 3 is best for inventory

purposes where a large number of tags

are simultaneously in the reading range.

In the main window, a scan is initiated

with the circular or

rectangular button

of the keyboard.

Th e circular but-

ton commences a

continuous scan

while the rectan-

gular button be-

gins a single scan.

24 • Nordic IDea

Handheld solution improves eff iciency at

TUKO WARE-

HOUSES

Text: Pirkko SoininenPhotos: Markku Ojala

CASE STUDY

Driver Ville Noroaho picks up a Nordic ID Morphic handheld computer from

the dispatch department at Tuko Logistics’ Kerava terminal and begins loading

goods onto his truck. The new handheld computers have brought more struc-

ture and effi ciency to logistics management.

Tuko Logistics Oy renewed its

entire distribution management

system at the end of last year.

Solteq Oyj delivered a new MerxD

distribution management system

that includes Nordic ID’s Morphic

handheld computers.

“Paperless dispatch department

work and customer-specifi c moni-

toring of identifi ed transport units

is an important competitive edge

for us,” says Kaarlo Svensson, Di-

rector of Distribution and Termi-

nal Services at Tuko Logistics

Nordic IDea • 25

“Th e new system has allowed us to move from

kilogram-based to unit-based charging. Th is

signifi cantly improves cost correlation and

makes invoicing easier as the drivers produce

the invoicing material themselves on their

PDA’s. We also wanted to switch to tracabil-

ity based on barcode scanning. Th e target was

to improve transparency, traceability and cost

correlation throughout the delivery chain,” says

Svensson as he summarises the reasons behind

the new system.

Th e company didn’t want to renew the old sys-

tem because it wanted something completely

new that could be built specifi cally to meet

Tuko’s needs. Solteq’s Merx system provided

the foundation, and a new additional module

was added to meet Tuko’s needs.

”We off er our customers the best possible

handheld solution. Th e MerxMorphic solution

that we developed with Nordic ID is reliable

and good, and it’s continuously being devel-

oped according to customer requests,” says Jan

Salminen, who is responsible for the solution

at Solteq.

“Th e cooperation between us and Nordic ID

has been excellent and functional. We appreci-

ate the good availability, maintenance, service

reliability and development capacity of Nordic

ID devices,” continues Salminen.

EASY TO USE AND RELIABLE

“Th e idea behind renewing the distribution

management system was a vision of how we

wanted the handheld computers to work.

Th e starting point was a new handheld de-

vice that would be easy to use and reliable,”

explains Tuija Landen, Terminal Manager

at Tuko Kerava.

She’s responsible for the dispatch depart-

ment at the Kerava warehouse and ensuring

that goods get to the right place at the right

time.

“User experiences have been positive. Many

of our drivers are using a handheld device

for the fi rst time and they have learned the

operating logic well. Th e handheld computer

is easy to hold, the buttons are set at a good

distance from each other and you can also

use it with gloves on, which is really impor-

tant if the temperature in the department is

only fi ve degrees,” explains Juha Salo, who is

the main user for the new system.

When drivers arrive at the Tuko Logistics

terminal, they pick up a handheld from the

dispatch department. Th en they log in to the

system with the user ID for their transport

company, which are listed on the wall of the

“User experiences have been posi-

tive. Many of our drivers are using

a handheld device for the fi rst time

and they have learned the oper-ating logic well.”

CASE STUDY

Ville Noroaho reads the

preliminary information for

the goods from the Nordic ID

Morphic. After he has loaded

the products onto the truck,

he returns the handheld to

the dispatch department and

receives his delivery lists.

26 • Nordic IDea

MerxMorphic solution

Improves the effi ciency of ware-•

house functions

Th e MerxMorphic device com-•

municates with Solteq Merx

over the company’s WLAN

network or the operator’s GPRS

network using an emulator pro-

gram, which has been confi gured

from the perspective of Solteq

Merx and IBM iSeries.

All the buttons and functions •

necessary for Merx use are avail-

able in the handheld device.

Nordic ID Morphic: Windows® •

CE 6.0, 128MB of memory,

weighs 185 g including the bat-

tery, WLAN or GPRS

TUKO LOGISTICS

Tuko Logistics is a procurement and

logistics company operating in the gro-

cery business. Th e company’s owners

and customers are Wihuri Oy, Suomen

Lähikauppa Oy, Stockmann Oyj Abp and

Heinon Tukku Oy.

Turnover (2008): EUR 835.5 million

Personnel: appr. 800

Items: 25,000

Warehouse items: 16,000

CUSTOMER BASE

Grocery stores: 1,000

Catering customers: 4,500

Express wholesalers: 40

Suppliers: nearly 1,000

Warehouse space: 72,000 m²

Storage locations: 60,000

Collection locations: 19,000

Forklifts: 290

department in barcode format. After that,

the drivers use the handheld terminal to scan

every trolley or pallet loaded onto their vehi-

cle, which ensures that information about all

goods remains in the system.

“Th e traceability of goods has improved sig-

nifi cantly. Th is is also important for custom-

er service if customers call and fi le a claim.

When customer service employees have ac-

cess to the same system, they can easily fi nd

out where a product has gone,” says Kaarlo

Svensson.

Kerava forwards goods to other distribution

terminals elsewhere in Finland and directly

to sales outlets and small wholesalers. Ap-

proximately 500 vehicles load or unload

their goods every day.

“Our goal in the future is to extend the chain

even further. Hopefully, drivers at other dis-

tribution terminals will also have handheld

terminals that will allow the goods to be en-

tered. We want to make the entire delivery

chain transparent,” states Svensson.

CAREFUL CONSIDERA-TION OF EQUIPMENT SETTINGS

Kerava currently has nearly 50 Nordic ID

Morphics and a few dozen more at terminals

run by its partners. All of the computers are

programmed with Naurtech’s CETerm.

“Th e new handheld computers have better

scanning speed, because they utilize diff er-

ent technology than the older versions. Th ey

use the same network as other devices, and

this makes it easier to transfer data. Th e bat-

teries last longer than in the old device and

the devices are also more durable, even when

they are dropped on the fl oor,” states Juha

Salo.

Th e device itself hasn’t received any negative

feedback. Th e Morphics have been reliable –

if a device needs servicing, a replacement has

been available immediately.

“I certainly believe that the new device has

made our work more effi cient. Th e driv-

ers resisted the change to start with, but

we haven’t heard any complaining since we

actually began to use the devices. Th e load

scanning procedure already seems to be a

simple one for the drivers. Th e device is easy

to use and has good functionality. It’s hard to

make a mistake with this device, because it’s

pretty much foolproof,” states Tuija Landen.

“We worked with Nordic ID to optimize

the equipment settings in relation to Merx.

Putting time and eff ort into equipment

confi guration makes the device easy to use,”

concludes Jan Salminen.

Product: Nordic ID MorphicBarcode, WLAN/GPRS

Nordic IDea • 27

Whether in early spring or late autumn: the

picture of booming tyre garages is always

the same. This is the time when conscien-

tious motorists have their tyres changed.

Besides good business, it means above

all on thing for the dealers: non-stop tyre

changes and lots of stress. Peak season is

particularly stressful for dealers who have a

large number of regular customers consist-

ing of fi nal customers and vehicle fl eet op-

erators and who, besides mere tyre chang-

ing, also offer warehousing services. This is

the case with Premio Reifen + Autoservice

franchise companies. To reduce the chaos

and stress in connection with tyre ware-

housing to a minimum, Munich-based

Robert Jäger GmbH, one of the largest

Premio partners in Germany, has decided

to introduce a complete solution including

Nordic ID mobile computers as well as the

tyre warehousing system RESy by MMC.

Premio Reifen + Autoservice was founded in 1996 as a customer focused chain of specialised dealers by Goodyear Dunlop Handelssysteme GmbH (GDHS) and has proved very successful: Th ere are now more than 230 Premio franchise companies and branches in Germany off ering motorists competent help and advice on tyres and complete car service. Th e main characteris-tics of this tyre and car service chain - also strongly expanding on international level - are among others a standardized appear-ance, 100% customer focus as well as bind-ing quality standards. Robert Jäger GmbH in Munich counts among the ten largest Premio partners. Th e company’s warehouse that is located about twenty kilometres from the garage holds more than 25,000 customer tyres. Given the large number of tyres and numerous transport operations, owner Rob-ert Jäger and his staff faced problems when trying to keep track of storage positions and service processes during peak season.

TIME CONSUMING SEARCHES FOR REQUIRED SETS OF TYRES

“Our old software did not provide us with the necessary functions to correctly track down individual sets of tyres and to check what was done to the tyres when and by whom,” explains Robert Jäger, owner of Premio in Munich. “Com-ing to think of it, it was noth-ing but paper chaos - without barcode labels and mobile computers.“

With an increasing volume of

tyres stored in the warehouse,

the warehouse staff spent

more and more time looking

for the required sets of tyres and sometimes

even had problems delivering these tyres on

time. Moreover, the situation was aggravated

by comparatively high error rates in provid-

ing the tyres. In short: something had to be

done. “We aimed for an error-free workfl ow

with optimized, timesaving processes,” says

Jäger. “After all this also serves to improve

customer satisfaction.” Th e Munich-based

Premio dealer took the decision to introduce

a tyre warehousing software that, in connec-

tion with powerful mobile computers, was

intended to cover and clearly document the

complete tyre warehousing process.

THE UPGRADABILITY AND RUGGEDNESS OF PL3000 MOBILE COMPUTERS PROVED CONVINCING

“We fi rst came into contact with the RESy

software by MMC a couple of years ago

and the good impression it made on us has

stayed,“ thus Robert Jäger explains his deci-

sion in favour of the tyre warehousing system

(RESy) by the Dusseldorf-based Michael

Müller Computing GmbH (MMC). Only

the powerful handheld terminals were still

lacking. Jäger came across the Finnish com-

pany Nordic ID via the GDHS holding

company. “We made contact with Nordic ID

via MMC,“ says Jäger. “MMC inspected the

PL3000 mobile computer by Nordic ID and

deemed it very good.“ Th e PL3000 hand-

helds’ upgradability, ruggedness and good

price/performance ratio also accounted for

the decision in favour of Nordic ID. “When

the device was later put to use, we also came

to appreciate the function-related keyboard

illumination,“ Jäger adds. Th e time span be-

tween ordering RESy from MMC and deliv-

ery was only six weeks. MMC painstakingly

adapted its MDE software to the Munich

Premio partner’s requirements and success-

fully integrated the PL3000 device. “We had

no diffi culties whatsoever with the develop-

ment for PL3000,“ says Dirk Jansen, Head

of Software Development at MMC. Th is is

partly due to the fact that PL3000 is conse-

quently based on standards – among others

the operating system Windows CE 6.0.

Looking forward to

A PEAK SEASON WITHOUT STRESS

CASE STUDY Text: Jutta Freisen / Möller Horcher GmbH Images: Bernd Brinkmann

28 • Nordic IDea

THE COMPLETE TYRE WARE-HOUSING PROCESS IS MAPPED

Th e RESy software that is installed on both the host system and the handhelds at Robert Jäger GmbH currently covers the complete tyre warehousing process, enabling clear traceability of the individual tyres from the moment they are taken off to their delivery, via the corresponding transport, storage and service processes. Five employees perma-nently use the PL3000 handhelds by Nordic ID: mainly in the warehouse, but also at in-spection stations and even the drivers of the transport trucks work with them.

When a customer enters the garage today and asks for a tyre change including ware-housing services, a warehousing order is entered in RESy by a service staff member who records the services requested by the customer in the system and starts the bar-code label printing. Having been taken off , the tyres are provided with the labels, loaded in the truck and transported to the distant warehouse, and all the while the individual processes can be precisely recorded with the Nordic ID mobile computers. By means of scanning processes, the tyres are fi rmly as-signed to a defi ned storage location. “Th is way, we can also store tyres belonging to one set in separate locations which enables us to use the warehouse space more effi ciently”, explains Robert Jäger.

JUST-IN-TIME DELIVERY OF THE TYRES

All services processes commissioned by the customer, e.g. washing, compressed air fi ll-ing, tread depth measurement or balancing, are meticulously recorded in RESy via the

PL3000 handheld devices. “Th is history exactly tells us at any time what was done to the tyres when and by whom, along with the services that still have to be per-formed,“ reports Robert Jäger.

When customers call at the change of the season to arrange for a renewed change of their tyres, service staff members can directly view the status of the tyres in the planner connected to RESy via an interface and pro-pose a date and time. Th e warehouse staff is given the information which tyres have to be brought to the garage the other day on

their PL3000 handhelds and can print out a packing list of the orders. Th is allows for optimised routes to prepare the orders.

“Today we deliver all tyres just-in-time, for we know where they are,“ says Jäger. By scanning the barcodes, RESy automatically checks whether the staff really has packed all requested tyres. Th e transport process as well as the arrival of the tyres at the garage is then recorded in the same way as the delivery.

In case of major customers and vehicle pool operators, Robert Jäger GmbH also chang-es the tyres directly at the customer’s site. “Th e next expansion stage will also include providing the drivers of this mobile service with handhelds and putting an end to all the paper chaos,” announces Jäger. “Th e orders will be indicated on the mobile computer displays and can be completed by the driv-ers directly on site by the simple touch of a button.” MMC has specifi cally implemented a software web interface for Jäger’s vehicle pool customers. Using an online access, company car drivers can e.g. use the system

to arrange for a tyre change or vehicle pool managers can retrieve up-to-date informa-tion on the tyre inventory status.

As the Munich Premio partner works with a large number of temporary staff in peak season, ease of use of both the handhelds and the software has been a prerequisite. “We have designed the complete solution as simple and plain as possible,” explains Dirk Jansen from MMC and Robert Jäger adds: “MMC has even enhanced the clarity of the system. Every staff member is only provided with the functions relevant to him or her.“

TIME OPTIMIZATION IN THE RANGE OF 80 PERCENT AND MINIMAL ERROR RATES

“Th e RESy software and PL3000 mobile computers have considerably improved the quality of our processes,“ Jäger resumes. “Th anks to the excellent documentation based on the scanning processes, time-consuming searches for tyres are now fi nally a thing of the past. We have been able to achieve a time optimization in the range of 80 percent and to reduce our error rate to something below two percent. At the same time, we can make much better use of our storing capacities on account of the possi-bility to track down the tyres in the ware-house.”

Th ese results have already convinced other Premio partners, too, who have come to take a look at the combination of Nordic ID mo-bile computers and MMC software. Given the attractive prospect of managing peak season without stress, this is hardly an as-tonishing fact.

www.premiomuenchen.de

www.mmcgmbh.de

The solution comprises three components: Besides the software solution RESy by MMC and the mobile computer Nordic ID PL3000, label printers by TOSHIBA TEC are used. The labels printed by the latter even withstand tyre cleaning. A complete solution from one source - one investment that quickly pays off.

Product: Nordic ID PL3000Barcode

“Today we deliver all tyres just-in-

time, for we know where they are.“

Nordic IDea • 29

Change is upon Kaiser’s Tengelmann

AG. The supermarket chain is just roll-

ing out its new Compex merchandise

management system throughout its

branch network. Thanks to the item-

level real-time inventory management,

Compex will ensure transparent busi-

ness processes. To be able to perform

standard procedures like merchandise

planning and inventories on a paper-

less basis and in real-time – all at item

level – Kaiser’s Tengelmann was in

search of online-capable mobile com-

puters. Kaiser’s Tengelmann found what

it was looking for, Nordic ID. Today the

Nordic ID PL3000 mobile data record-

ing devices are already employed in

hundreds of the company’s stores. As

a multi-functional interface to the mer-

chandise planning and control system,

the mobile computers enable the em-

ployees to spend more time on the

sales fl oor, closer to customers.

SMOOTH TRANSITION

Before introducing its merchandise planning and control system, Kaiser’s Tengel-mann did their research well: All 700 supermarkets were equipped with WLAN for the mobile data recording devices, quick VPN DSL and new POS software. “To familiarise our employees with the new system, we opted for a smooth transition”, states Lutz Endrikat, Head of Organisation at Kaiser’s Tengelmann. “Th erefore the roll-out of our merchandise planning and control system was preceded by a technical roll-out.” Th e employees were also supposed to test the mobile data recording devices and the barcode scanning in the new technical environment. Th e problem was that the existing mobile computers did not meet the following two requirements of Kai-ser’s Tengelmann: “We needed equipment that guaranteed both, high availability with minimum failures and an extremely stable WLAN Roaming performance” explains Endrikat. Kaiser’s Tengelmann decided to introduce new mobile computers to the company. Following an intensive selection and testing process, the Nordic ID PL3000 mobile computers were chosen.

Kaiser’s Tengelmann Opts for Nordic ID Mobile Computers in all its Branches

INTO THE FUTURE IN REAL-TIME

30 • Nordic IDea

CASE STUDY

“The mobile computers ensure that the employees can spend signifi cantly more time on the sales fl oor. That is our objective, because after all our purpose is to sell, not manage goods – trade more goods and adminis-trate less.”

- Lutz Endrikat, Head of Organisation at Kaiser’s Tengelmann

STABLE WLAN ROAMING AND USER FRIENDLINESS

“Besides the outstanding WLAN Roaming behaviour, what really convinced us in the PL3000 were remote maintenance and soft-ware distribution options and the standard Windows CE 6.0 operating system”, says Endrikat explaining their choice. Th e per-sons responsible at Kaiser’s Tengelmann are also pleased with the fast and reliable support that Nordic ID off ers in response to service and confi guration requests. 660 Nordic ID PL3000 mobile computers were introduced at 300 Kaiser’s Tengelmann supermarkets all over Germany, before rolling out 840 more PL3000 devices at the remaining 400 out-lets. “We use the handhelds throughout the company – from sales fl oor to the warehouse and the cold storage”, explains Lutz Endri-kat.

INTEGRATING OLD AND NEW WORLD

Nordic ID mobile data recording devices have a standard web application and through it, the employees communicate by WLAN and VPN with the merchandise planning and control system at the computing centre of Kaiser’s Tengelmann. Since the merchan-dise planning and control system is used for fruit and vegetable products to begin with and then rolled out step by step to the full range of products, the BI capability of the PL3000 was particularly important. “Nordic ID has developed a special software tool for us, the KTAG loader, that recognises upon booting whether or not the range of goods has already been switched to the new sys-tem”, describes Endrikat. “If the range of goods is recognized, the system connects online to Compex. If not, the old processes run.” So Kaiser’s Tengelmann was able to start using the advantages of the PL3000 before the roll-out of the new merchandise planning and control system was fully com-pleted.

NORDIC ID PL3000 AS A MULTI-FUNCTIONAL IN-TERFACE TO COMPEX

In the branches, the Nordic ID PL3000 de-vices represent the multi-functional interface to the merchandise planning and control system: Th e handheld computers enable the employees to spend more time on the sales fl oor – and that means closer to customers. Using barcode scanning and the web appli-cation on site, the employees can plan mate-rial requirements directly for the shop fl oor

THE INITIAL SITUATIONKaiser’s Tengelmann was rolling-out a new merchandise planning and control system in its branches and the system was supposed to ensure transparent business processes through item-level real-time inventory management. In that context Kaiser’s Tengelmann looked for online-capable mobile computers to be able to perform standard procedures like merchandise planning and inven-tories on a paperless basis and in real-time.

THE SOLUTIONNordic ID PL3000 mobile computers represent the multi-functional interface to the merchandise planning and con-trol system. Using barcode scanning and the Web application the employees can plan material requirements directly for the shelves or the warehouse on site, handle incoming and outgoing goods, carry out continuous inventory or inven-tory transfers.

THE RESULTAll article movements are recorded in real-time. Thanks to the handhelds the employees are informed about the current inventory at any time, concentrate on work on a paperless basis and – to the benefi t of the customers – are much more present on the sales fl oor.

Text: Jutta Freisen / Möller Horcher GmbHImages: Sebastian Lasse

shelves or the warehouse, handle incoming and outgoing goods, carry out continuous inventory or inventory transfers. Every article movement is automatically re-corded by the merchandise plan-ning and control system. Th anks to the handhelds, the employees are informed about the branch’s current inventory at any time – including storage, delivery status as well as sales and write-off s for the last four weeks. Online com-munication makes major part of the tedious documenting obsolete.

“Nowadays we work with hand-helds on a paperless basis, as ear-lier we used to have vouchers for everything”, outlines Endrikat with satisfaction. “Th e mobile computers ensure that the em-ployees can spend signifi cantly more time on the sales fl oor. Th at is our objective, because after all our purpose is to sell, not manage goods – trade more goods and administrate less.”

REMOTE MANAGEMENT AND CUSTOMISING

To ensure that the work with the PL3000 devices run smoothly right from the start, Nordic ID thoroughly trained the manag-ers of the four service locations at Kaiser’s Tengelmann and also other roll-out manag-ers in handling the PL3000 as well as the re-mote management tool and the customizer. Remote management means that Kaiser’s Tengelmann can administrate the software on the mobile computers from a central service location and update the devices cen-trally. Th e customizer tool enables Kaiser’s Tengelmann to implement specifi c required settings on its own. For support purposes Nordic ID provided Kaiser’s Tengelmann with a customer-specifi c user manual for the Nordic ID PL3000. Th e roll-out managers trained by Nordic ID and Kaiser’s Tengel-mann train the branch managers in their areas in using the handhelds and the Web application.

Lutz Endrikat comments the experiences: “So far we have only got positive feedback from the stores – as far as the handling of the Nordic ID machines, their availability and the stability of WLAN Roaming is secured.” Customers benefi t as well. At the Kaiser’s Tengelmann supermarkets customers do not have to look long for skilled employees, they can be found where the customers are - present at the shelves.

Nordic IDea • 31

Product: Nordic ID PL3000Barcode, WLAN

www.kaisers.de

With more than 11,300 stores in

Europe and 2,000 in Germany

alone, Euronics is Europe’s sec-

ond-largest consumer electron-

ics retailer. Each store carries

tens of thousands of products,

making inventory management

a challenge.

Euronics Friesoythe, an owner-

managed location near Bremen,

Germany decided it was high

time to improve inventory man-

agement, cut back on admin-

istration and get staff back in

front of customers.

STOCK KEEPING: A BIG TIME WASTER

Th e major problem that Euronics Friesoythe was trying to solve was cut-

ting down on time wasted on ineffi cient stock keeping. Although the

retailer had been using mobile stock keeping devices since 1999, staff s

weren’t able to load the master data for stock keeping units (SKUs) onto

existing inventory tracking devices. As a result, serial numbers couldn’t

be matched and employees couldn’t tell whether an article was already

entered in the system or not. Th is led to extensive and time-consuming

manual reconciling.

“Our aim was to make the inventory processes simpler, faster and above

all more accurate,” says Markus Block, Managing Director of Euronics

Friesoythe. “In particular our range of small appliances will be subject

to more frequent intermediate inventories.” To fi nd an answer to their

problem, Euronics Friesoythe consulted their ERP system supplier, High

Quality Software GmbH (HQS), who recommended Nordic ID’s Mor-

phic handsets.

ERP PROVIDER CHOOSES NORDIC ID FOR ITS CUSTOMERS

Dieter Wilke, Head of Technology and Partner at HQS explains why he

chose Nordic ID: “We started looking for a mobile computer featuring

the latest technology and ensuring the best possible interaction with our

software in autumn 2008” he says. “We opted for Nordic ID Morphic be-

cause it has Windows CE 6.0 as operating system, it is clearly laid out and

intuitive in use and the excellent cost-performance ratio is convincing.”

In collaboration with Nordic ID, HQS developed mobility and computer

applications in order to automate processes. “Our ERP system and the

mobile data recording device were matched in the best possible way, ena-

bling data transmission and processing to run in the most parts automati-

cally,” says Wilke. After a thorough testing phase in their own environ-

ment, HQS began off ering Nordic ID handsets to their own customers

in 2008.

A SLEEK, VERSATILE HANDSET:

32 • Nordic IDea

CASE STUDY

EXCEPTIONAL USABILITYfast integration,

Electronics giant Euronics Frie-

soythe location puts staff back

in front of customers thanks to

Nordic ID Morphic stock-keep-

ing handsets.

Text: Jutta Freisen / Möller Horcher GmbH and Carl Michener / ID BBNImage: Jörn von Soldenhoff

RETAILER LOVES IT

“All I can say is that this complete package

fi ts like a glove. Everything runs smoothly,”

says Block, Euronics Friesoythe’s Managing

Director. He was particularly impressed with

ergonomics and usability: “All our 23 em-

ployees working with Nordic ID Morphic

immediately understood how to operate the

device.”

For Euronics Friesoythe, implementation

was a snap. By transferring all SKU master

data onto the Morphic handsets, staff were

able to scan stock keeping codes when a

shipment arrived and to automatically enter

the new inventory into their existing system.

Employees only need to enter the relevant

quantity of a product and perform a scan

to enter information. All other details are

automatically provided by the ERP system,

which means no reconciling and a signifi -

cantly reduced margin of error.

Nordic IDea • 33

Product: Nordic ID Morphic

HIGH ACCURACY + TIME SAVINGS = ROI

When an SKU not entered in the system

is scanned, Nordic ID Morphic sends out

an alert. But if a bar code doesn’t turn up

product details, a text search is another al-

ternative. Th ese features eliminated manual

checks based on reference lists. And when

handsets are docked, data updates arrive via

USB, to be sent on to the server via network

connection.

Th anks to immediate result checking, time-

wasting manual inventories were no longer

necessary, resulting in signifi cant econo-

mies. Automatic matching also increased

inventory accuracy. Another advantage of

the new inventory process was overall time

savings, easily seen during storewide inven-

tory counts. “In the past, we were busy with

inventory from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on average.

When we used Nordic ID Morphic for

the fi rst time in March, the whole process

already took considerably less time,” said

Block. “Altogether this mobile computer in

connection with Profi Soft puts us in a posi-

tion to carry out intermediate inventories for

small appliances more frequently”.

TOP FEATURES: NORDIC ID MORPHIC

• Standard Windows® CE operating system• Standard browser• Many communication interfaces• Compact, lightweight & durable• Ergonomic, single-hand operation• Bright, sharp colour display• Future-proof technologies

www.euronics.de

34 • Nordic IDea

FINNISH WAYS

Text: Kaisa Riikilä, OSG ViestintäImage: Kemi SnowCastle

Kemi SnowCastle is rebuilt every winter

and offers arctic experiences for the

whole family. The area includes the Snow-

Hotel, SnowChapel and SnowRestau-

rant, all of which are made entirely of

snow and ice. Light effects enhance the

charm of the snow structures and ice

sculptures.

Construction of the SnowCastle tradi-tionally begins in December, when there is suffi cient snow and cold temperatures. It usually takes about six weeks to build the castle, with the opening ceremony held at the end of January. Th e castle is open until April. “Foreigners in particular are always amazed that we build the Snow-Castle every year in a diff erent way. Th ey always marvel about the fact that it takes six weeks to build and is only open for two months. It’s an incredible amount of work for just two months,” explains Cas-tle Manager Marika Tomminen. Th e construction phase in-volves spraying snow onto moulds, which are removed once the snow has frozen. Th e ice and snow used for con-struction come from the neighbouring Bothnian Bay. Sea water is used to make artifi cial snow, while the restaurant ta-bles and all the Castle’s ice sculptures are made from ice taken from the sea. To begin with, about 10 people are involved in building the castle, but the team grows to about 50 ice sculpting professionals as the castle nears comple-tion.

104,000 VISITORS

“Th e SnowCastle had 104,000 visitors this season, with about 10% of them coming from 40 diff erent countries out-side Finland. Th is is a particularly popu-lar destination with people from Spain, Germany, Holland and Belgium,” says Marika. Th e temperature inside the SnowCastle is always about -5°C, so visi-tors should dress warmly in, for example, quilted outer wear and thick-soled shoes. A hat and gloves are also a must. Th e SnowHotel has 21 rooms of varying sizes – all made completely from snow. Guests spend the night in warm sleeping bags, and the fresh -5°C air guarantees a great sleep. Th e recom-mended night-time attire includes a hat, socks and long underwear. “Th e majority of Snow Hotel guests are foreigners, who always fi nd this a very exotic and unique experience. Around 1,000 people stay at the Snow-Hotel over a two-month period,” explains Tomminen. Th e SnowRestaurant serves lunch and dinner, with a menu that in-cludes traditional Finnish delicacies like cold-smoked salmon soup, reindeer fi let and blueberry pie. Th e SnowChapel provides an excellent spot for quiet contemplation. Th e chapel is ecumenical and available to groups of all denominations. You can ar-range weddings, christenings and other religious events in the chapel. Th e SnowCastle also has plenty for children to do, including a slide and ice carousel. Every weekend there is a programme designed especially for the smallest members of the family.

www.snowcastle.net

ART FROM SNOW

AND ICE

Nordic IDea • 35

The most innovative

RFID CASE

Nordic ID vision includes becoming the

biggest mobile RFID company in Europe.

Th ere is a need for leadership and trendset-

ting in RFID to bring the technology for-

ward. Nordic ID wants to fulfi ll this need

by being able to answer questions concern-

ing RFID and its benefi ts and by providing

mobile devices for professional use enabling

customers to improve their inventory man-

agement, customer service, communication

and supply chain control.

In accordance with the vision Nordic ID is

pleased to announce a competition on the

most innovative RFID case. Th e competition

is open to all partners, cooperation partners

and interest groups that have an RFID case

where Nordic ID mobile computers are part

of the solution.

THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE MOST INNOVATIVE RFID CASE ARE:

New way of implementing mobile 1.

RFID technology to its full advantage.

Clear and visible value adds and 2.

results.

User friendliness of the solution. 3.

Entries will be critiqued by a panel of emi-

nent judges from Nordic ID and RFID Lab

Finland, the leading Finnish application

center for RFID technology. Th is publicly

registered not for profi t association is en-

hancing business development based on

Finnish know-how in the area of automatic

identifi cation and especially in RFID tech-

nology.

Deadline for submitting your RFID case

study is 30th November 2010 and the de-

scriptions of the RFID implementations

should be send to: marketing@nordicid.com

Th e most innovative RFID implementa-

tion will be rewarded with a gift certifi cate

worth of 1,000€ for Kemi SnowHotel!

Th e winning entry will be announced by

the end of year 2010 and the award will be

given to the winner in a Nordic ID RFID

seminar held in the beginning of the year

2011.

FOR MORE INFORMATION,

please contact:

marketing@nordicid.com

tel. +358 2 727 7755

LET THE COMPETITION BEGIN!