Case: Land og Fritid - DLG

The challenge

DLG operates 65 stores under the brand name ‘Land & Fritid’ in Denmark. DLG’s stores house a massive inventory of products from feeds and grains to gardening equipment and pet supplies. Keeping track of so many product lines is a constant challenge. DLG’s old stock tracking system required lots of manual input, and the devices were outdated and expensive to maintain. Plus, their memory size was far too small to cope with the company’s inventory. Aware that scanning technology had progressed considerably since it acquired its last system, DLG decided it was time for an upgrade. The company wanted scanners that were robust and easy to use and could be connected to its back office SAP system.

The solution

After looking at a number of solutions, DLG opted to work with mobile computing specialist NPT. NPT recommended installing Motorola Solutions’ MT2000 hybrid scanner/mobile terminals running a customised version of its MOTO-SCAN software. NPT added automatic distribution to the MOTO-SCAN app so software updates are automatically sent to scanners in all of DLG’s stores. And when the MT2000s are docked in their cradles inventory data is transferred from the shop floor to DLG’s back office SAP system in real time. NPT’s solution also allows DLG to send information, such as product updates, from the back office to the devices.
And, uniquely, the MT2000s’ wireless Bluetooth capability allows them to be used as mobile point of sale devices to process purchases at the till as well as for mobile batch scanning. In all, 150 scanners/mobile terminals are in use across DLG’s stores. 

Business benefits

Time savings have been considerable as managing stock tracking and purchase processing are considerably less labour-intensive.
Batch scanning can now be carried out quickly and easily as product information no longer needs to be input manually. Staff simply scan an item, which is then identified on screen, and enter the quantity in stock using the MT2000’s keypad. Also, supplies can be ordered using the MT2000s so staff no longer have to contact head office if stocks are running low.
Cost savings have also been substantial as the MT2000s’ software can be upgraded remotely. DLG’s IT department no longer need to have scanner units sent in for individual updates, so the cost of fleet maintenance has reduced dramatically.
In addition, the MT2000s’ rugged construction and IP54 sealing mean that they’re hardy enough to survive life on the shop floor, thereby reducing DLG’s spending on hardware maintenance, repairs and replacement.
The system is also highly scalable as the MT2000s can read both 1D and 2D barcodes. So DLG can upgrade to barcode labels that hold more information without having to change its scanners.

“We’ve reached a whole new league of data capture with the MT2000s. It’s great to have a device that can be used both at the till and for batch scanning – it’s made life much easier for staff. Stock tracking is so much faster – we can scan large volumes of products really quickly. And with automated stock ordering staff can use the devices to request items from the shop floor so there’s no need to contact head office. Plus, the scanners’ software can be upgraded remotely, so we’ve reduced our spending on fleet maintenance substantially. Overall the technology is far less labour-intensive than our old system so staff can spend more time helping customers and less time compiling inventories.”
Thomas Dige Pedersen, IT Project manager, DLG