AIM honors Datalogic for AIDC innovation

AIM, the industry association and worldwide authority on barcode, RFID, RTLS, the Internet of Things, NFC and mobile computing, has selected Datalogic, headquartered in Bologna, Italy, as the winner of the 2015 AIDC Case Study Competition.

This award, given annually by AIM, recognizes those who have developed and delivered compelling solutions that contribute to the growth and advancement of automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) through innovation and technologies which provide benefits that decrease risk, increase the demand and accelerate the adoption of AIDC.

The case study presented by Datalogic centers on innovative AIDC technology applied to a problem for e-commerce retailers. Annually e-commerce statistics show amazing sales growth. Behind sales growth lurks another growing statistic, one that keeps retailers awake at night – the growing number of returns. Returns require a process and must be managed to reduce the impact on revenue. Handling returns affects many aspects of retail including operational efficiency, pricing and profit.

Datalogic designed the Jade X7 automated scanning portal to accelerate the grocery checkout process. The company saw another great potential for the device which identifies items placed in any orientation on a fast moving belt. In a collaborative effort with Vierpool and their client Simon Loos, a warehousing and value added logistics supplier for the largest retailers in the Netherlands, the team installed a complete system using Jade X7 for processing returns from pre-stocked promotional displays.

Simon Loos regularly executes promotions for retailers using pre-stocked displays (i.e., seasonal or special items). When promotional displays are removed from stores, employees scan all the returned products to produce reports on the remaining inventory. The traditional method for handling returns was very labor intensive with as many as seven individuals working at one station. Items unloaded from the returned displays were manually scanned before being repackaged.

Using the Jade X7, a single employee now places items onto a fast moving conveyor where they are quickly identified before being repackaged, allowing resources to be reallocated where needed in the facility. The impact was significant as the company saw a 50% savings from the solution.

The success of the Jade X7 implementation at Simon Loos has caught the attention of global e-commerce companies. The systems are now being tested for processing e-commerce returns. Automation using the Jade™ X7 could have a major impact, changing the future of retail inventory management.

Mary Lou Bosco, chief operating officer of AIM, in announcing Datalogic’s selection as the 2015 AIDC Case Study Winner, said, “This project is a perfect example of how organizations around the world are looking beyond how existing technologies have been used to show how they can be used for greater success. It also exemplifies the collaborative efforts AIM is pleased to promote between companies across many nations. From Italy to the Netherlands to the United States, the AIDC industry is strengthened thanks to the efforts of companies like Datalogic. We are pleased to have this opportunity to showcase the many talents involved.”