Case Study: Dr Organic Harnesses The Power of Technology
31 October 2018
The Company
Swansea-based Dr Organic is a provider of natural beauty and
body care products. The group was established in 1995 to meet the growing
consumer demand for science-backed natural health products and has since
acquired Optima Consumer Health, one of the UK’s leaders in the natural
healthcare market.
Dr Organic products are currently available from leading
high-street health product chain Holland and Barrett, and the company is also
part of the fulfilment by Amazon programme.
Dr Organic’s award-winning products include unique natural
skincare, body care and haircare products which are functional by design and include
key organic ingredients.
Challenges
In 2015, Dr Organic moved its warehouse from Bradford to
Swansea and dramatically increased capacity from around 3,000 pallet locations
internally and 4,000 externally to an overall 14,000 locations.
After changing warehouse management system (WMS) and
scanning devices, Dr Organic required a truck-mounted option for it’s very
narrow isle trucks (VNAs) to help warehouse staff complete their daily tasks
and send real-time data back to the WMS.
Dr Organic’s warehouse covers 220,000 square foot, so there
were also some issues around Wi-Fi connectivity that impacted the efficiency of
the warehouse operation.
Solutions
Dr Organic tasked TouchStar with introducing a solution that
could be mounted onto the VNAs to help operators become more effective and
efficient.
TouchStar supplied its TS7000 vehicle mount terminals as a
solution and provided support during installation.
Dr Organic required a robust unit that would need to
withstand heavy usage in a warehouse environment on its VNA trucks. The TS7000
units provided a fit for purpose device, integrating rich functionality into an
ergonomic and compact design with rugged features such as polycarbonate plastic
alloy casing and a sealed membrane keyboard.
The device is also IP65 rated for full protection against
dust, water and oil ingress, can survive 1.5m drops on to concrete, operates in
wide temperature extremes (-20°C to +50°C) and has a high impact, stainless-steel
chassis.
Connectivity was a crucial factor in Dr Organic’s decision
to choose the TS7000. The device supports Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1
and the 3G HSPA radio, enabling users to stay connected.
TouchStar also provided a solution to alleviate the Wi-Fi
issues. The provision of an external antennae was recommended as the best
option to boost connectivity around the warehouse and ensure real time
communication between the devices and WMS.
Results and benefits
The truck-mounted devices have been a great success, and Dr
Organic plans to expand the solution as it explores avenues of ecommerce.
TouchStar’s initial support saw the new devices fit
seamlessly into Dr Organic’s upgraded system, improving staff efficiency and
increasing visibility of warehouse operations for managers.
The connectivity improvements also boosted the value of the
recently-implemented WMS, with more devices providing both the visibility and
data to help management further refine processes.
The solution also provides the scalability required for
future growth and allows the opportunity for Dr Organic to expand the use of
the technology into other areas and processes within their operation.
Richard Pearce, Dr Organic Warehouse and Distribution
Manager, commented: “The TouchStar solution wasn’t just a good option, it was a
great option and I’m very pleased with it. The implementation was smooth, and
the support provided was exceptional. We plan to invest in more TouchStar
devices as we expand, TouchStar is a great company to work with.”