This major metropolitan area food bank has helped address food insecurity in its area for more than 40 years. In early 2020, it was tasked with gearing up for an anticipated increase in demand in the wake of the fallout caused by the onset of the global pandemic.

The food bank needed warehouse device upgrades to account for both working conditions—for better operational capacity in freezer or refrigerator environments at the facility—and in transmitting data as the warehouse management software (WMS) had recently been moved to a cloud-based solution.

As a primarily volunteer organisation with a limited budget and a hard deadline—its critical services would be needed by more and more people in the coming weeks and months—the food bank needed a collaborative partner who could help them find dependable solutions on budget, and quickly.

Learn how TRG supported this client with finding and auditioning new hardware, device procurement, kitting and deployment services and more.

Maintaining Device Continuity

Many enterprises opt to use legacy equipment even after OEMs cease service. The customer’s distribution centres used legacy devices to ensure secure operations and device continuity. Additionally, these devices offered a durable solution that could withstand their harsh environments.

Our relationship started by procuring and servicing these legacy devices. All devices purchased were either pre-owned or refurbished, so equipment was initially sent to TRG where it was staged and kitted. Devices arrived at the customer’s facility ready to use immediately.

Improving Operational Efficiency Every Step of the Way

TRG had already established a decade-long relationship with the food bank. Flush with enthusiastic, hard-working volunteers, the organisation turned to us to address older and damaged equipment and increase day-to-day efficiency.

Our first major project with the food bank began in 2011 as we repaired older warehouse management equipment. TRG provides repair and replacement service no matter the make, model or age of the devices to be replaced. Part of this initial solution was acquiring vehicle-mounted computers for use in the cold storage areas.

Throughout the relationship, TRG provided ongoing support to improve efficiency and operational consistency with hardware and software optimisations. In 2017, for example, TRG worked with the food bank to conduct testing and find the right solution for outdated barcode readers and scanners.

Warehouse Device Upgrades That Delivered Beyond Expectations

In early 2020, the food bank again turned to TRG to implement solutions to maximise productivity and efficiency in the face of the expected dramatic rise in demand. The organisation received grant money to spend in preparation of the looming and developing pandemic and needed to make every choice and dollar spent matter.

TRG helped them revamp all their picking terminals, working with the food bank to test several different devices to identify the one that best suited their specific needs. Ultimately, the food bank decided to go with MobileDemand. The T1180 model with a special heated overlay emerged as the preferred choice. 

Rugged Tablet and PC Solutions

MobileDemand provides rugged tablets and cases that allow enterprise workforces to be productive anywhere work is done. With more than 15 years in the industry, MobileDemand excels in delivering tablets and cases designed to handle tough environments so clients don’t have to worry about losing productivity due to failed technology.

TRG facilitated the acquisition of these devices by helping the food bank prioritise specific needs, reviewing possible solutions and collaborating with multiple vendors to audition potential fixes in a real-world environment. MobileDemand offered the ideal product for this scenario and went above and beyond in execution. Additionally, the food bank opted to include a heated envelope that would increase functionality and productivity for the unit when working in the cold storage areas of their warehouse facility.

With TRG’s guidance, MobileDemand also provided two versions of its rugged tablet solution: one specialised for work in freezer and refrigerated environments, and another for more powerful processing power elsewhere in the facility. The food bank also received free upgrades beyond the initial spec also, doubling the built-in RAM on the devices.

Working with TRG, MobileDemand filled the order by pulling from existing inventory to get the project completed on time. The rugged tablet with heated envelope solution helped the food bank implement a new more powerful WMS processing device, with more capacity in colder environments, on time and on budget.

Comprehensive Service Leads to Effective and Efficient Operations

Besides increasing capacity, adhering to the budget and deploying the new hardware on time, the solution provided by TRG and MobileDemand also helped the food bank reach new heights of efficiency and productivity. With fewer equipment failures, less product damage and a more streamlined process, the food bank was able to meet the challenges of 2020 and exceed previous metrics with customised warehouse device upgrades.

• The new devices integrated seamlessly with the cloud-based WMS—the previous devices could not
• The food bank saw an estimated 5% increase in overall productivity
• The damage rate dropped from 15% to 0% after implementing the new rugged tablets
• The food bank provided 56 million pounds of food and served 400,000 people in 2020, representing a 20% increase in food provided with roughly 33% more people using the service

The partnership began with support for legacy equipment and grew to the point where the customer trusted TRG to implement and deploy a needed solution during a period of strain and stress for the organisation. TRG’s breadth of services allowed the customer to improve and support their operations with the direction of a single partnership for complete device management—from replacing and/or repairing older equipment to procuring new solutions.

We continue to support them with repairs to ensure devices work properly, but we see additional opportunities to support in the future. For instance, TRG is currently helping their sales department re-evaluate tabletop tablets with a high failure rate.

Find a Partner with a Comprehensive Breath of Services

The partnership began with support for legacy equipment and over time the customer’s trust and reliance grew into a long-term collaboration that supports their growing enterprise. The customer now relies on TRG for all device management throughout the entire lifecycle—procurement to retirement. TRG’s breadth of services has allowed the customer to support their operations on multiple fronts with the help of a single partner.

Interested in learning how TRG can help you improve efficiencies and streamline operations in your own distribution centre? Contact us to get in touch with our team.