Customer Case Studies

SRB World initially stored incoming and outgoing goods at the same premises as their offices. As the business grew this soon became impractical and suitable premises were found a few miles down the road. Now that goods were stored satisfactorily, the next problem was how would office staff know what was in the warehouse?

Some kind of database system connected to the warehouse was identified as being the route to follow. A third party supplier was able to offer a custom written database to fulfil this role but the backbone infrastructure for the system was missing. Having looked after their network for several years SRB World contacted Sound Networks and the following system was installed.

• A Windows 2008 server at the office to run the database, in addition to their existing Windows file server.

This database is accessible either via clients in the office or from the Warehouse.

• An ADSL line was installed at the warehouse and linked to the office via a VPN connection.
• To enable stock to be scanned in and back out again, a tablet PC was configured to work at the warehouse. This machine accesses the database at the office via the VPN connection and is able to update it as stock moves in and out of the warehouse. This is accomplished by scanning items in and out of the building with a barcode scanner.

The tablet machine is also able to roam around the warehouse via the wireless network installed. This way items can be scanned as they are picked.

Due to the warehouse being set out with aisles of stock, stacked to the roof, on metal shelves, in a metal building, this presented a problem for conventional wireless access points to provide coverage throughout the building.

The solution was to install wireless access points with directional antenna at the end of each aisle that ‘beam’ the wireless signal down the aisle, rather like a car headlight. This way the wireless signal is concentrated in the area that coverage needs to be, rather than wasting it by trying to send it out in a 360 degree area to places that it doesn’t need to be. Consequently the tablet PC is able to connect to any of the access points in the warehouse, moving from one to the other seamlessly, providing network coverage wherever it is needed.This means that stock control for SRB world has now become far more accurate and much less time consuming.