The Hindu Business Line : On the move

With the manufacturing and retail segments stepping up IT adoption, barcode and RFID (radio frequency identification)-based technologies are poised for a bigger role. For, companies are looking for solutions that can capture data in real time, be it movement of vehicles or stock, and feed iit into the system, thus giving them that edge to stay ahead.

Intercode Solutions, a software company that provides Automatic Identification and Data Capturing (AIDC) solutions, works with llarge retail players such as HLL and Castrol. It shares with eWorld insights into the market and emerging trends.

Excerpts from a chat with Royston Rodrigues, Chief Technology Officer, Intercode Solutions.

On evolving trends here...

The Indian market is new in terms of its understanding and acceptance of barcode and RFID-based technologies. Improvements in technology within the manufacturing and supply chain, along with customer service, are the only way to be competitive in this market.

Manufacturing companies have now invested heavily in IT systems that track their receipts, production and despatch. They face the tedious problem of data entry that would then give them the required reports, such as stock of raw materials, finished goods and production.

A faulty and error-prone data entry will only result in incorrect reports. Companies are, therefore, looking at ways of capturing vital data in real time using mobile computing devices and transferring this data to their system efficiently and with the minimum risk of error.

The mobile tracking industry has diverse applications covering retail, logistics, etc. How do you view this market?

A couple of years ago, the prices of scanners, portable terminals and barcoding equipment in general did not permit customers from any segment to opt for their use in the day-to-day cycle.

There were just the elite few who could afford them. Today quality products are available to both the small companies as well as cash-rich entities where customers get the best of equipment at reasonable prices. Now, manufacturing and retail companies have installed ERP (enterprise resource planning) systems and are running their transactions successfully.

Once data is entered and validated, the transactions are completed. But in some cases, this information is delayed. This delay could hamper some other activity waiting to be completed.

For example, there is an urgent despatch that needs to be done, but the ERP will not allow the paper work to be completed for the despatch unless stock is present in the system.

Now it could so happen that stock is already produced but the data entry clerk has not posted this into the ERP and hence the stock cannot be despatched.

Using portable devices and wireless networks, the required information can be fed in and such issues can be minimised, thus ensuring a smooth and total solution flow. These are advantages that we provide to clients who are keen to implement mobile computing.

On portable mobile computing ...

We were early to identify this area and address segments such as retail and manufacturing.

We are providing a solution for a South-based manufacturer wherein, say, the movement of about 200 trucks can be monitored by the company. Apart from supply chain, Intercode is automating warehouses and supply chain network. This process is taking time as the retail sector is still not completely organised and hence this calls for re-modelling some of the existing systems. This is a technical challenge but an operational opportunity. We are working with major retail software players and integrating mobile tracking solutions with their systems so that the end user finds simplicity in support of the software and hardware, which is key to success in the project lifecycle.

vrishi@thehindu.co.in