Overview
Today’s healthcare industry is filled with the latest in technological advances. However, there are some remedies developed centuries ago that are still effective and in use today. Mushrooms have long been used in medicine. Research studies have identified elements in mushrooms linked to cancer treatment, immune system treatment, inflammation treatment, and more. Modern research is validating ancient thinking and substantiating the medicinal mushroom industry.
A renowned leader in the medicinal mushroom industry is Aloha Medicinals Incorporated of Carson City, Nevada. Aloha Medicinals is an American Biotechnology company specializing in the production of Medicinal Mushrooms and Mushroom Products. Aloha operates a 33,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Reno, Nevada making it the largest medicinal mushroom manufacturer in the world. Aloha manufactures over 50% of the total medicinal cordyceps sinensis mushrooms consumed worldwide.
Cordyceps is a fungus that grows by feeding on the host body of a caterpillar. This mushroom is shaped like a small straight horn growing from the head of the caterpillar, up through the ground to a length of approximately two to five centimeters. The cordyceps mushrooms grow in a very specific region of Tibet at high altitude and have a short harvest season. During that time local people venture out to collect the mushrooms which are then sold in street markets.
Aloha Medicinals could not rely on a primitive collection and market process to assure them the highest quality mushrooms at the volume they needed. Instead Aloha uses technology to replicate the growing environment, and strict quality control to produce cordyceps mushrooms at their facility. Engineers designed and built custom machinery tailored to their specific needs. Their process and materials were certified by the US Department of Agriculture as organic making them even more attractive and fueling growth.
The Challenge
Aloha has grown significantly since its inception. Manufacturing, scientific, and quality processes continually evolve to match the market need. As with most SMBs (small to mid-sized businesses), Aloha Medicinals started tracking inventory on spreadsheets with manually entered data at various points. Inventory management did not keep pace with the growth of the company and was putting a strain on operations.
The Solution
The accounting department decided to modernize inventory management with a solution that would easily integrate with the QuickBooks Enterprise system they were using. They implemented Datalogic’s Skorpio™ rugged mobile computers and Rapid Inventory from AccuCode Incorporated, a cloud based inventory management solution. This tightly integrated solution eliminated the use of spreadsheets, reduced manual data entry, and seamlessly integrated into their existing QuickBooks accounting software. Now inventory management is done faster, with greater accuracy, and using fewer people.
At the heart of the benefits is the use of bar code technology and wireless communications. Employees can move through the warehouse armed with Datalogic’s Skorpio mobile computer reading bar codes. The wireless connection keeps the data up to date as they execute critical functions including:
The Results
Now Aloha Medicinals has flexibility they didn’t have before. Becky Nadon, controller for Aloha Medicinals states “many of our sales people travel and they can access information from anywhere in the world and know whether we have stock on hand. Bar code technology has helped us to be able to trace our products throughout the complete manufacturing process.”
The Skorpio mobile computer is an industrial device specifically designed for use in warehouse applications. This rugged mobile computer withstands drops to concrete, shocks and rough use that can often happen in an industrial warehouse environment. Another key feature is Datalogic’s ‘Green Spot’ technology providing users with visual confirmation that the bar code has been read by projecting a green spot directly on the bar code. This maximizes accuracy and helps persons not familiar with bar code scanning to quickly adapt.
Together, Datalogic’s Skorpio mobile computer and Rapid Inventory from AccuCode form the ideal solution for small to mid-sized businesses. These businesses get a full featured enterprise solution for managing their warehouse at a very competitive cost. The hardware and software are ideally suited for the application, providing maximum benefits such as increased efficiency and worker productivity with a very short implementation time.
Customer: Aloha Medicinals
Industry/Sub-industry: Healthcare/Manufacturing & Distribution
Application: Inventory management
Country: USA
Datalogic Product: Skorpio mobile computer
Datalogic Partner: Accucode
