Apex Supply Chain Technologies®, a global leader in automated dispensing systems, is helping foodservice distribution centers secure handheld electronics such as POS devices, radio headsets and table pagers, and tablets with cloud-based, automated locker solutions. Apex Axcess lockers are on display this week in booth 9122 at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago.
“Distribution centers throughout the foodservice industry are relying more on handheld electronics to keep orders moving and customers happy,” said Kent Savage, Apex founder and CEO. “Apex automated locker systems allow DC operators to track, manage and control these expensive devices, offering major savings in employee time and replacement costs.”
Efficient DC Operations
For example, an employee that uses a radio headset would use a PIN or ID badge to check the headset out of the Apex locker at the beginning of her shift. The Apex Trajectory™ Cloud, which is the brains behind each locker, records the transaction so her manager knows who is responsible for the headset. If the headset is not returned at shift’s end, Trajectory will alert the manager, who can ask the employee about it.
Axcess lockers automate check-out and check-in of handheld electronics through the use of personalized codes or employee ID cards. Managers control who has access to items in each compartment. Trajectory records who checked out what and when it was returned.
Check-out from automated lockers allows employees to get what they need quickly and get right to work, while also offering better control than open-issue shelves, cabinets or closets. Digital record-keeping from Trajectory is more accurate than manual pen-and-paper logs, and saves managers time that had been spent counting and searching for critical electronics.
The Trajectory Cloud can send an automatic notification to supervisors and employees if an item is past-due to be returned, if it is due for maintenance or needs to be charged.  Trajectory also delivers actionable reports, usage patterns and other data.
Because each check-out and return is directly linked to an individual, accountability for the devices improves. They are not misplaced as often, which means that employees and managers no longer waste time searching for them.
Distribution Centers
Efficient operation of foodservice distribution centers requires that associates have the tools they need to do their jobs. Apex is working with DCs to secure and manage the handheld electronic devices that are critical to the daily flow of goods and data. Automated lockers bring increased control and visibility for each item that operators use. Workers and management can have confidence that critical equipment will always be available when and where it is needed and that the equipment will be ready to use.
The result? An immediate elimination of labor time wasted checking the devices in and out, supervisor time wasted searching for missing devices, and money spent ordering replacements of lost items. It all adds up to higher productivity and profitability.
About Apex Supply Chain Technologies: Mason, Ohio-based Apex Supply Chain Technologies is a global leader in automated dispensing systems for applications in retail, professional, service and industrial settings. CEO and founder Kent Savage is widely recognized as an international expert on automated dispensing and technology solutions and a visionary for innovative applications of the technology. Apex has managed more than three billion automated vending transactions and serves thousands of global clients, including more than 300 Fortune 1000 companies.
For more information email anywhere@apexsupplychain.com visit www.apexsupplychain.com/retail-dc-asset-management/ or call +1 (800) 229-7912.