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Farmacol - Poland

Mobile WMS in Farmacol S.A.

BCS Polska implemented a mobile warehouse management system supported by automatic identification devices, which use a wireless network in a leading pharmaceutical distributor in Poland.

The company

Farmacol is a leading pharmaceutical distributor in Poland, whose shares have been traded on the Warsaw Stock Exchange since 1999.

 
The company hold equity stakes in a number of companies, including Cefarm Kielce, Cefarm Wrocław, Cefarm Szczecin, and Cefarm Warszawa, which form the Farmacol Group. The parent company alone owns five warehouses in Poland. These are located in Katowice, Warsaw, Poznań, Gdańsk, and Rzeszów.
 
The Farmacol Group operates throughout the whole country, supplying medicines and other pharmaceutical products to a few thousands pharmacy stores, a few tens of warehouses, and a few hundreds of hospitals.

Problem to be solved

In order to ensure efficient execution of main logistic processes (in the context of growing sales volumes), changes had to be introduced to the model of operating our warehouses in Katowice and Mory, and, eventually, the other warehouses owned by the Group.

 
The existing warehouse management model that used paper files was time-consuming. Considering the specific nature of medicinal products, it is of vital importance to track each batch of merchandise to know its origin and destination, whether a pharmacy store or a warehouse.

Why BCS Polska?

“We have searched for a solution that would meet our expectations in a comprehensive manner.

 
A considerable number of service providers participated in the tender procedure, yet it was BCS Polska that presented the most comprehensive offer.
 
We focused our attention on the quality of the offer, as well as the company’s track record in implementing similar projects and an impressive number of references. We were hoping for an efficient and quick implementation as well as a post-implementation support, and we saw BCS Polska’s expertise as a guarantee of success of the entire undertaking.” – said Jan Przewdzing, Manager of Logistics in Farmacol S.A.
 
The solution BCS Polska proposed is based on the implementation of a mobile warehouse management system supported by automatic identification devices, which use a wireless network.
 
The solution helped to eliminate previously experienced inconveniencies in the warehouse management. It guaranteed an immediate access to information regarding the location of a given item of inventory, while speeding up and optimising warehouse processes.

Solution

The solution implemented by BCS Polska:

  • Pre-implementation analysis
  • Design and installation of the WLAN radio network
  • MC9090 Motorola terminals (WT4090 wearable terminals with RS409 scanners)
  • Non-portable and portable Motorola bar code readers
  • Non-portable Z4M and ZM400 and portable RW420 Zebra label printers
  • Selection and delivery of material for label printers
  • Technical support
 
“We started the project with a pre-implementation analysis, which included the selection of automatic identification devices and the examination of the radio waves propagation. The analysis was of particular importance as the efficient functioning of the whole solution performance depended on proper connectivity. We also participated in the process of developing standards for logistics procedures supported by the implemented technology.” – said Marcin Bobowski, Sales Manager - Retail Sector in BCS Polska
 
The implementation process was executed with respect to the acceptance area, high storage warehouses and the picking zones of the main warehouses. It was essential for Farmacol S.A. to streamline the logistics processes, from identifying the incoming merchandise, through labelling of goods and storing them in a warehouse, to dispatch picking and identifying the released goods as to the batch series and expiration date.
 
The warehouse size and the characteristic features of goods determined the selection of automatic identification devices. BCS Polska recommended high quality reliable devices marketed by Zebra Technologies and Motorola.
 
Due to the large amount of assorted goods, it was very important to use scanners which would allow freedom of arm movement. The best solution was Motorola WT4090 wearable terminals with RS409 ring scanners.
 
“From the very beginning, Motorola Enterprise Mobility has set standards in the warehouse and logistics business. Our WT4090 wearable terminals belong to the new generation of heavy duty and functional portable terminals. The application of these terminals lowers the risk of errors, and also increases work efficiency and productivity of the warehouse operators. The unique comfort of work is ensured by an ergonomic design and a voice and text application functionalities. The wearable terminals as well as the RS409 ring scanners are Motorola’s unique solution that proved its reliability over the years. It ensures easy and flexible movement during scanning, selecting and sorting of goods.” – said Przemysław Najda, Territory Account Manager, Enterprise Mobility Division, Motorola.
 
“Zebra Technologies constantly invests in the development of mobile technologies, especially those supporting mobile printers. The effect of such investment is a broad family of mobile printers, whose task is to further improve productivity even in a very demanding work environment. This is why I can classify our devices into the group of extreme mobility products; for example, the RW420 printer selected by Farmacol is designed to work in particularly difficult conditions. Among other things, it withstands repeated drops on a concrete surface from the height of almost two metres. Selecting the right equipment is equally important as selecting proper materials. Original labels and thermal paper from Zebra Technologies, designed to fit our printers’ parameters, guarantee safe functioning of the solution.” – said Rafał Leszczyński, Channel Account Manager - Central & Eastern Europe, Zebra Technologies.

Results

“The implementation of the solution has fully satisfied our expectations. The project by BCS Polska was accomplished as scheduled. The main logistics processes at the warehouses were streamlined thanks to the implementation of the solution. The ability to control the compliance of batches of released medicines was especially important to us. All procedures are remote execution procedures thanks to the radio network; therefore we have a permanent access to information on the type and location of a given item of inventory at a given time. A high quality of Motorola devices, which support the solution, should also be emphasised.” - said Jan Przewdzing, Manager of Logistics in Farmacol S.A.

Benefits

  • Monitoring the released goods as to the batch series and expiration dates
  • Access to information about warehouse inventory in real time
  • Minimization of picking errors – lower costs of complaint handling
  • Reduced number of complaints by 70.02%
  • Ongoing order monitoring
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