Logistics giant Pall-Ex Group is collaborating with technology companies The Barcode Warehouse and Honeywell to deliver the next phase of the pallet network’s growth plan.
The Leicester based business will be purchasing more than 500 scanners, mobile and vehicle-mounted computers including the popular CK65 and Thor VM3 from Honeywell via The Barcode Warehouse to support its NexusScan project, as part of the continued rollout of Pall-Ex Group’s Nexus Core Operational System. Pall-Ex will also receive Honeywell’s Edge services, helping assist with device deployment, spare pool of devices, rentals and supporting applications through a 24/7 help desk.
Nexus is a bespoke system, built by the in-house team of developers at Pall-Ex Group and has been successfully rolled out to the entire Pall-Ex UK membership with further rollouts planned for Fortec and international partners.
Pall-Ex Group’s pallet networks in the UK are comprised of over 170 independent member business across both the Pall-Ex and Fortec networks.
The significant investment supports the NexusScan project which will deliver a new hub scanning application to the business.
The Barcode Warehouse, a Honeywell Platinum Performance Partner, is the UK’s leading provider of barcode and RFID technology and software solutions. It has provided consultative support to Pall-Ex Group, leaning on its expertise in data capture technology and its long-standing relationship and knowledge of the business, which has proved vital in sourcing the best hardware.
Honeywell productivity solutions enable Pall-Ex to accurately process freight transiting through the network.
Since the onset of Covid-19, Pall-Ex has seen pallet volumes increase at an unprecedented rate, a trend that has been mirrored across the whole pallet network sector.
The quality equipment supplied by Honeywell means that these volumes will be handled in the most efficient manner possible, further strengthening Pall-Ex Group’s operation.
Pall-Ex Group’s Chief Technology Officer, Dave Dunhill has been the figurehead of the Group’s development of Nexus. In doing so, he has formed strong relationships with the team at The Barcode Warehouse and Honeywell.
Speaking about the recent investment, Dave comments: “In conjunction with The Barcode Warehouse, Pall-Ex Group has been through an extremely thorough and robust process.
“This involved equipment being assessed and having to meet with critical success criteria.
Key stakeholders were fundamental to the process which took in excess of six months. The result of this has seen Honeywell selected to supply hardware for the NexusScan hub scanning project which will aid the delivery of the next module of the Nexus project."
Dave continues: “Investment in technology is a cornerstone in Pall-Ex Group’s journey to achieving excellence. Our strategic investments are made to reduce operating costs, drive efficiency and enhance the customer experience.”
Having successfully worked alongside Dave and the Pall-Ex Group IT team for a number of years on various projects, Annette Dankowski, Client Relationship Manager at The Barcode Warehouse has played a key role in helping Dave and his team deliver the NexusScan project.
Explaining the strength of the relationship The Barcode Warehouse and Pall-Ex Group has, she comments: “We are really pleased to be part of this exciting technology refresh for Pall-Ex and being able to lean on our expert knowledge throughout the process.
“The success of our partnership with Pall-Ex has been based on trust and openness which has empowered us to provide a best-in-class solution to meet their operational requirements right now and into the future.”
Meanwhile, the relatively new partnership Pall-Ex Group has with Honeywell will prove equally important to the success of the Group’s IT journey.
Horst Mollik, General Manager of Honeywell’s European Productivity Solutions and Services business describes why the Pall-Ex Group will benefit from the hardware investment it has made.
He comments: “We’ve designed our mobile computers to be ready for the toughest warehouses and distribution centers while helping mobile workers boost productivity in this time of ever shrinking delivery timeframes. What’s great for enterprises like Pall-Ex – other than being easy to learn and use for mobile workers – is our computers offer a long-life span, helping to reduce the cost to support and help minimize the total cost to own.”
Overall, the investment makes up just part of the multi-million pound investment Pall-Ex Group has made since it began development of the Nexus system.
However, the expertise and quality hardware this investment now brings in is sure to mean that the Pall-Ex Group’s IT journey is accelerated, and all stakeholders share in the fruits of the project thanks to The Barcode Warehouse and Honeywell.
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