 
Wireless printing reengineers common business processes
By Scott Bury, contributing editor -- Manufacturing Business Technology, 12/1/2004 7:00:00 AM
"We had a real need for our employees to be able to print bar-code labels from anywhere in the warehouse," says Kevin Pentecost, network administrator for Four Seasons Auto Parts, Roseville, Texas.
Four Seasons has 20 employees in its 400,000-square-foot warehouse, where they pick and pack parts to fill orders, and place incoming inventory. The job used to require a lot of walking back and forth from printers to get orders and bar-code labels to attach to parts, and often, it meant a wait in line as several employees' orders were printed.
Last year, the company gave several of its warehouse employees Zebra Technologies handheld printers, connected to the network through an 802.11b protocol, commonly known as a wireless fidelity, or Wi-Fi, connection. The printer screen displays orders, and since it's connected to Four Seasons' enterprise backbone, inventory data gets updated in real time. Mobile troubleshooting "carts" also are equipped with PCs, printers, and bar-code scanners—all connected to the network through Wi-Fi.
"We've seen a real time-savings," says Pentecost. The company also has reduced errors because scanning the UPC code can bring up a picture of the part from the inventory catalogue, which is particularly useful for quality assurance when receiving orders. "Sometimes you can't tell whether a part coming in from another manufacturer matches its description," claims Pentecost.
With the wireless printers, training also is much faster. "Wireless bar-code printing empowers your employees by giving them the constant data they need," says Bill Morris of supply chain consultants Manhattan Associates. "With wireless connections, they can update data in real time, enhancing the supply chain."
More than 70 percent of bar-code printers already are connected to a network, according to Zebra. A wireless network that fits into existing infrastructure is now no more difficult to install than a cabled network. A wireless network also is no more expensive, and since there's no need to thread cables over ceilings or under floors, wireless may be cheaper. What's more, there's no need to call a technician if you want to move a wireless printer.
"Wireless communication is an enabling technology," says Morris. Four Seasons Auto Parts first tested Wi-Fi in its front office, enabling managers to take their laptops into meetings while maintaining constant network access. Now they can wander throughout the plant or the warehouse and stay connected. "It allows our IT analysts to move around the warehouse to solve problems using enterprise applications," adds Pentecost.
Installing a wireless network in a manufacturing environment is not simple, however. Machinery creates electrical fields that can interfere with signals. Then there's security: what's to prevent someone from accessing the network from outside?
The short answer is that a combination of measures will protect most networks. A virtual private network, which connects through standard IP protocols, often is enough. Security standards such as LEAN, LEAP, and Kerberos can encrypt data; and often, simple address filtering will suffice.
"Bar-code data isn't sensitive," explains Morris. "You can simply segment it from the sensitive data on the network." However, he points out that while adding encryption increases security, it also slows performance.
Wireless communication is decentralizing data access and management: lower-level employees have greater access to enterprise data, which can mean higher quality and greater productivity. To maximize return, employees must have the decision-making authority to match.
