Overview
Risi, one of the leading Spanish manufacturers and distributors of appetizers, snacks and chips produces over 8,000 tons of product and 350 million packages in 60 different formats annually. These items are produced and stored in the company’s factories and warehouses, which cover over 40,000 sqm. Risi employs two hundred people and includes a network of over 50 independent distributors that operate throughout the Iberian Peninsula.
The Challenge
In recent years, Risi’s logistics processes for managing product delivery became more and more complex. To maintain an efficient delivery service with guaranteed product quality and excellent traceability, the company needed to upgrade its automatic data capture system. System Integrator, SR Tecnologías Aplicadas S.A, which supplies Risi with all its technology solutions, launched a search to find a system that would suit the needs of its customer. The company was looking for an ergonomic and rugged mobile computer that would work in real time with the central production and warehouse management system, called Navision.
The Solution
After comparing different solutions on the market and performing several tests, SR Tecnologías Aplicadas S.A determined that the Skorpio™ X3 mobile computer from Datalogic was the best option for Risi’s requirements on the production floor and in the warehouse. The Skorpio X3 mobile computer scans and verifies bar codes placed on the raw materials upon their arrival at the facility in order for the production process to begin. These bar codes indicate all the information necessary for traceability: product name, origin, date received, expiration date, etc. The labels are color-coded to inform the operator whether or not the raw materials passed quality control checks.
Each machine in the production process then performs different steps to transform the raw materials into the end product. This includes increasing the temperature of the raw materials to very high levels, mixing them with water, drying the mixture, adding some taste and color components and creating the right product format. Once the product has been manufactured, it is placed in bags and packaged in boxes to be distributed. Operators classify the product by type on the shelves of the warehouse with the Skorpio X3 mobile computer. The picking process then begins with the operators using the Skorpio X3 device to fulfill customer orders.
The Results
The automated process with the Skorpio X3 mobile computer saves Risi time during the production process and allows operators to work in real time with the Navision management system, ensuring up-to-date reliable information that is used for product development, marketing and sales. With this device, operators carry out factory operations that guarantee traceability of each step, from when the raw material enters the manufacturing facility to when the end product is packaged in boxes and ready to be distributed.
The warehouse operators were delighted with the Skorpio X3 mobile computer. Its ergonomics, light weight, and ease to use allowed them to read codes fast and accurately while holding the device comfortably in their hands. Codes on the tops of shelves could be scanned in any position and at any angle and the operators no longer needed to read codes twice. Datalogic patented ‘Green Spot’ technology also contributed to speeding up reading operations because the operators didn’t have to check the screen to verify good reads. The green spot appeared directly on the code.
Customer: Risi
Industry/sub‐industry: Manufacturing/Food & Beverage
Application: Product Tracking and Warehouse Management
Country: Spain
Datalogic Product: Skorpio X3 mobile computer
Datalogic Partner: SR Tecnologías Aplicadas S.A
