Imagine misplacing your car in one of Disney World's 15,000-space parking lots. Now imagine that you finally remembered that your red Kia Rio was parked in the Daffy Duck section, but so are 500 other red Kia Rios.
That's the type of challenge facing employees at Auto Warehousing Co. in Tacoma, Wash., a staging area for Japanese- and Korean-made automobiles entering the U.S. At any given time, 25,000 cars fill the lot. When a dealer places an order for a car to be accessorized, workers find the vehicle and then take it to a warehouse to be processed and shipped via truck or rail.
Intermec Technologies' Intermec 751
To identify the right cars, employees use Intermec 750 Color Series mobile computers/scanners from Intermec Technologies Corp. in Everett, Wash., that support the 802.11b wireless standard. The devices scan the car's vehicle identification number and then link to an Auto Warehousing database that tells the worker where the car should go and what accessories to add.
"The Intermec scanners have definitely made my job a lot easier," says Leroy Stubblefeld, rail operations lead and an Intermec end user. "They are very easy to use, and we haven't had any problems with coverage around the yard. I like the fact that the screens are bright enough to be seen in the direct sunlight, and they hold up well when dropped or used in the rain. The software is very easy to use and has helped us reduce our rail shipping errors to almost zero."
The scanner signal travels to the facility's database via 17 access points -- a mix of powered and nonpowered antennas -- spread over the 144-acre facility. But even that blanket coverage doesn't prevent some signal issues.
"You may have some directional issues when you kneel between two solid metal vehicles and try to maintain your signal strength," explains CIO Dale Frantz. "The ability to have better antenna or receiving capabilities on the scanners ... would be helpful," but Frantz says he is willing to wait for those improvements.
A radio frequency application, for instance, provides a more powerful signal, "but it introduces a bunch of other problems," he says. Because Auto Warehousing is a port facility, national security issues come into play, and it's difficult to obtain the appropriate licenses from the Federal Communications Commission.
"Each generation of [802.11b scanner] equipment seems to improve connectivity," Frantz says. "In a couple of years, Intermec's next generation of equipment will presumably be better than the last."
And as for finding an application to more easily locate that specific car in a sea of red Kia Rios, "We're exploring RFID tags right now," Frantz says. While active radio frequency identification tags have been too expensive for his company, Frantz is working with Intermec on passive tags that would bring the per-unit cost down. "That would be really helpful for us."
See the complete Faces of Mobile IT special report.
The Faces of Mobile IT
Different types of mobile workers, such as road warriors, telecommuters and blue-collar workers, need different forms of IT support.
Stories in this report:
- Editor's Note: The Faces of Mobile IT
Editor's Note: Corporate America is addicted to mobile connectivity. In this special report we hear the stories of different types of mobile workers -- the devices they use, the features they'd like -- as well as the stories of the IT workers who have to support them. - Wireless Worker: White-Collar Road Warrior
These road warriors are savvy wireless users, which in turn creates support issues for IT. - Tethered to Treo
- Lightening the Load With Data Sharing
- Wireless Worker: Globe-Trotter
Different protocols, standards and security issues create unique support issues for workers who skip from country to country. - Wireless Worker: Blue-Collar Worker
In choosing portable devices for use in the fields, IT must find one that has the right technology, is sturdy enough to handle tough working conditions and comes at the right price. - At Home With a Palm
- Wireless Worker: Telecommuter
Stay-at-home workers are powered by laptops sitting atop docking stations, cordless phones outfitted with voice over IP and the often-mandatory instant messaging. - Close Contact With IP Communicator
- Wireless Worker: Campus Nomad
Most workers who spend their days roaming corridors and campuses want high connectivity paired with low-tech mobile devices. - PDAs for Warehouse Support
- Wireless Worker: Call Center Agent
Voice-over-IP and wireless and computer telephony integration options are making it easier to set up call center agents to work at home. - Setting Up Security With a 'Locked-Down' PC
- QuickStudy: ZigBee
ZigBee is a short-range, low-power, wireless personal-area network technology optimized for low-cost sensor and control devices used in homes, office buildings, and medical and industrial settings. - The Real Magic of Wireless Technology
Your end users expect real-time data anywhere they happen to be. It's your job to make that magic happen, says columnist Mark Hall. - Research Insights
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Online Exclusives
- Cool Wireless Stuff.
Sure it may be practical and help improve efficiency. But what good is a wireless gadget if it's not fun? Computerworld staffers share some of their favorites, from a universal charger to a $1,200 digital sound system. - The War Driver Returns:
Computerworld's David Ramel hits the road again to check out the state of wireless security — and comes up with some surprising conclusions. - Executive Briefing:
Read about the threats from mobile and wireless technology in the enterprise, and the strategies developed to deal with them, in this online special report. - Lone Warrior:
What about the one-person shop? Learn how power PDA user Bert Latamore thrives on being completely mobile and self-sufficient — until there's trouble. - The Wireless Security Value Chain
Click here to view this webcast.