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.”      


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