To Convert to RF or Not to Convert? That is the question.

Fortunately, I have an answer.

While I may not have Shakespeare’s acuity for prose, I do trump him when it comes to knowledge on how RF can significantly simplify all of the tasks involved in receiving, locating, picking and cycle-counting in your warehouse.

On several occasions each month, I am asked by a customer whether I’d recommend doing RF receiving separately from other parts of the process, or if it makes more sense to do the receiving / picking / cycle-counting all in one fell swoop. (You like all my Shakespearean references, don’t you?)

Let’s take a deeper dive into the two schools of thought on this topic:

• Those who suggest only tackling receiving first state that you don’t run into as many instances where your customers are waiting on you to scan products. Less customers waiting = less frustrated customers.
• Those who suggest taking on receiving, locating, picking, and cycle-counting at the same time ascribe to the belief that each part of the RF process needs the other to work properly, and without taking the time to implement the whole process correctly, you’re eventually setting yourself up for inefficiencies and mistakes.

I am typically in the camp that suggests doing it all at one time, and here are the five key reasons why:

1. Receiving – You can’t technically receive product on the dock without the bar codes actually scanning. If you cut corners here, it will take your crew long to receive the product since they’ll be working twice as hard to fix all of the SKUs as they come in. And let’s be honest… that assumes the crew actually attempts to fix the SKUs, which may not happen, ensuring missing SKUs and of course, not accounting for anything already on the shelf.
2. Locations – In order for the RF gun to do its job, and do it well, a facility must be set up correctly with the assignment of bin locations and bar coding. Taking the time to do this up-front will save a load of trouble down the line. 
3. Picking – If the receiving crew didn’t get the previous steps in the process right – or skipped a few steps along the way – pulling tickets for customers is going to be a nightmare. When using an RF system, everything flows downhill from receiving. If the process doesn’t start correctly at that time, it will continue to be wrong, and inefficient, until it’s corrected later in the process.
4. Cycle-Counting – Without picking, cycle-counting can’t even be done. Companies must have receiving and picking live in order to cycle-count on the RF guns. And, the faster picking starts, the better RF will be because of cycle-counting.
5. Training – Many companies are short-sighted here and only ask that their receiving crews learn how to properly use RF guns. So much more is involved in utilizing RF to its maximum potential than just receiving. If you’re going to be spending the time and money to train your team on how to best use RF in your business, you might as well ensure everyone knows how RF plays a role in their job functions. The end result is better communication, better execution and expectations that fall in line throughout the entire organization.

This is absolutely one of those instances in which putting in the work ahead of time pays huge dividends in the future. For more than 15 years, I have been encouraging customers and colleagues to go through their entire warehouse to ensure everything scans. It can take months, and believe me, I know how interminable that may seem when you’re trying to complete inventory, but the wait is well worth the reward. Eclipse RF depends on whether or not your barcodes are working. If they aren’t, you’re doing at least twice as much work on the back-end, and often more. And it’s important not to skimp on the training component of this process, as having a well-informed workforce who understands their part in the process makes a world of difference, and they feel their loads lighten as well!

So, if you’ve been holding out, what are you waiting for? I encourage you to tear off the band-aid and see how much easier life can be on the flipside. If this task feels overwhelming, reach out to see how Zerion can help facilitate it alongside your team. If you need assistance selecting the right RF system for your warehouse, or would like to discuss training, don’t hesitate to reach out. I can be reached at tony.king@zeriongroup.com or 321-229-1089.