Bar Coding

Bar-code technology is rapidly finding its role in manufacturing plants and warehouses - simple and effective inventory control - production data capture - receiving - shipping. Bar-codes dramatically reduce errors, improve data integrity and improve operator efficiency. Many companies have cost-justified bar-code control systems easily - with a pay-back in months, due to the elimination of clerical data recording and the associated error identification and resolution processes. The Vanguard Bar Code System provides for Radio Frequency based inventory control from the receiving dock to the production floor to the shipping dock.

Key benefits of Bar Coding

  • Improved inventory accuracy, including work-in-process (WIP)
  • Fast response time - improved warehouse productivity
  • Reduced stock-outs due to inaccurate computer balances
  • Simple to operate - designed for use by warehouse and plant personnel
  • Lot tracking - meets OEM requirements
  • Improved receiving efficiency

Key Features of Bar Coding

  • Radio-frequency (RF) system - plus hand-held scanners - plus stationary wands - 
    provide the optimum solution in terms of portability & cost
  • Complete wall-to-wall inventory and WIP tracking using container serial numbers 
    (AIAG bar-code labels) - the ‘license plate’ concept
  • Receiving supports scanning vendor labels, print/reprint labels, and matching against PO and ASN (if available) - attach skid label
  • Multiple QA inspection processes available
  • Directed put-away (RF) based on available cubic capacity, storage types and part families
  • Scan skid label and put-away location to complete the transaction or break down 
    skid and locate individual containers
  • Skid breakdown and container breakdown capabilities - create new ‘license plates’ for broken containers or update quantity
  • Prompted picking (RF) with picking rules for system selected lot number & pick location
  • Kanban pull-signals are bar-coded and create picking requests
  • Production reporting is accomplished by scanning pre-printed labels for containers of finished good products, to report production in standard pack quantities
  • Attach Master Labels to skids of finished goods
  • Build shippers for inter-warehouse transfer by scanning Master Labels
  • Receive inter-warehouse transfers by scanning Master Labels
  • Prompted (RF) picking of customer shipments, move to staging area, optional print/reprint of customer AIAG labels
  • Shipping to Customer/Ship-to destinations uses scan of AIAG labels to validate & complete shipper
  • ASN supports Ford CMMS requirement for including serial numbers
  • Bar-code scanning is used in cycle counting - prompted cycle counts with ‘license plate’ scans
  • Interfaces with Vanguard Inventory Management - creates all required inventory and WIP transactions
  • Interfaces with Vanguard Purchasing and Receiving - validates PO and creates receivers
  • Interfaces with Vanguard Order, Shipping and Invoicing for shippers
  • Industrial-strength equipment from leading bar-code manufacturers
  • Optional fault-tolerant capability using a backup AS/400 system - provides 24 hour service level to warehouse