SCDigest editorial staff

The Smart Dock software has a very simple, clean user interface that enables easy drop and drag to manage schedules and appointments. It allows buyers and logistics managers to easily see not only what is scheduled, but what inbound loads or purchases do not have appointments. It also provides a very flexible ability to assign loads by vendor or product type to specific dock door grouping, by door type and/or proximity to storage locations.

Screen shot of the Smart Dock dock management software from BGI International. Colors on the appointments indicate their status.

Though it lacked a full yard management system, BGI has developed a creative way to provide “YMS light” capabilities as part of the package.

We liked the new ceiling mounted pallet dimension scanner from Cubiscan/Quantronix. Many Supply Chain Digest readers may have used traditional gear from Cubiscan to get accurate carton dimensions. This new device provides a 3D profile of pallets to improve load building and other shipment planning.

An overhead array of optical readers provides highly accurate reads of a pallet’s height, width, and length, and therefore also total cube. This can then also be combined in the software with pallet weight if it is read while placed on the optional scale.

The system is being used now by several freight forwarders, air cargo companies, and 3PLs, not only to plan container/loads but because those types of companies may bill based on cube. We were told there is strong early interest from regular shippers.

The new device lists for something like $40,000, before bells and whistles. 

Finally, Softeon has added new interactive voice capability in its WMS. This new feature from the WMS/SCE providers adds the ability to easily create voice notifications or instructions to workers as events occur. Interesting potential now, but will perhaps be essential in an RFID-based world where automated reads, rather than operator-initiated bar scans, create transactions or alert the system to errors or opportunities. In that type of system, a company representative said, the WMS may pick up a read say of a pallet being moved in the warehouse, and the system may know either that something else needs to or could be done, or that perhaps there is an error (let’s say the pallet is being deposited in the wrong staging location).

How is the operator to know? Do they have to look at a traditional RF terminal screen? Is the screen automatically refreshed (not really possible with a character-based device)? Proactive voice communication issued from the WMS may provide the answer.

Softeon’s demo at the show featured an LXE MX7 terminal with Bluetooth wireless communication to a belt-worn speaker. Alternatively, a head set could be used.

Did you attend NAMH 2006? What cool new products did we miss? Any comments on our Best of Show list? Let us know your thoughts.

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Did you attend NAMH 2006? What cool new products did we miss? Any comments on our Best of Show list? Let us know your thoughts.