0:00 / 0:00
Success Story
50+ Landpower locations cut stocktaking time by 75% with Zebra
Landpower is a privately owned Australasian importer, distributor and retailer of agricultural machinery, serving farmers across New Zealand and Australia for more than 50 years.
Zebra Success Story: Landpower
Overview: Manufacturing Challenge
Landpower equipped a Trans-Tasman network of distribution centers and retail dealerships across Australia and New Zealand with a reliable, integrated scanning solution to replace manual, paper-based inventory processes.
Benefits / Outcomes
- Stocktaking time cut by 75%
- Increased stocktaking accuracy
- Full inventory visibility
- Fully automated goods receipt process
- Manual spreadsheets replaced with real-time inventory reporting
- Improved staff engagement across the network
About Landpower
Farming isn't just an industry in Australia and New Zealand—it underpins economies, sustains communities, and positions both countries as key players in meeting rising global food demand. For the farmers and contractors at the heart of it all, reliable equipment isn't a nice-to-have; it directly impacts productivity, profitability and long-term sustainability. When conditions are right, they need to move fast. That's where Landpower comes in.
Landpower is a privately owned Australasian importer, distributor and retailer of agricultural machinery, serving farmers across New Zealand and Australia for more than 50 years. Through its CLAAS Harvest Centre retail network, it represents some of the world's leading farm machinery brands across more than 50 locations and three wholesale distribution centres. With a combined inventory of 74,000 product lines—from penny washers to engines worth up to AUD 150,000—accurate stock visibility across the entire network is no small feat. It's a challenge Landpower set out to solve with Zebra.
The Challenge
Keeping farmers moving is Landpower's number one priority—providing world-class equipment and trusted advice, backed by people who understand the pressure and urgency of the job. Part of that commitment comes down to knowing exactly what's in stock, and where, when farmers need help the most. “Sometimes we may only have one part in stock in the entire country, and if someone looks it up and sees it's available in Melbourne, it needs to be there,” shares Peter Jones, Group Parts Manager at Landpower. At its three large distribution centres, Landpower had this under control—rigorous processes and Pronto Xi, the Australian-developed enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform, kept stock data tight and reliable.
However, across their dealership network, staff were processing orders, counting stock, and issuing parts largely by hand—writing things down, then entering the data manually into Pronto Xi. With so many locations spread across two countries, that approach was becoming increasingly difficult to manage accurately. While some basic scanners existed across the network, they were rarely used. “We wanted tighter control across the entire retail network,” notes Jones. “Radio Frequency (RF) scanning was clearly the way to get there.”
For the first time, we have full transparency across the network—and it's changed the way we measure and run the business.
The Solution
Landpower partnered with LogiQ-On, a supply chain and warehousing technology specialist, to map out a solution. What started as a simple hardware upgrade quickly turned into something broader. The goal was not just to replace devices, but to create a setup that could support the way their teams worked day to day, ultimately increasing productivity and yield for both Landpower and their customers.
The internally developed RF scanning software had to be rethought and adapted for store environments. The traditional text-based green screen interface, familiar in warehouses, proved too complex for store staff, so Landpower redesigned it to be more intuitive. Concurrently, the Wi-Fi infrastructure was upgraded across dozens of locations, and different device needs were mapped out for distribution centres versus stores. LogiQ-On worked closely with Zebra to identify the right fit for each environment.
At the distribution centres, where staff handle high volumes of stock in demanding conditions, Landpower selected the Zebra MC9000 Series Ultra-Rugged Mobile Computer. Store staff handling day-to-day sales, stock counts, and parts orders were equipped with Zebra TC5 Series Mobile Computers—touchscreen handheld devices chosen for their usability. Starting with a pilot location near Melbourne, the rollout of the devices was completed across all company-owned and franchise locations in around 18 months.
Getting staff up to speed was also simple. “The approach we took in developing the program was: if we had to spend more than two hours training a user, we'd failed,” recalls Jones. “Many people have joined the business from scratch, picked up the device, and easily navigated the menus within about an hour.”
Behind the scenes, Landpower also invested in Zebra OneCare Support Services for device lifecycle management and ongoing support, alongside Zebra VisibilityIQ Foresight to monitor device health and performance across the network. As the rollout expanded, this provided added peace of mind that any issues could be identified and addressed quickly, without disrupting day-to-day operations. “As we scaled from two locations to nearly 40, we needed confidence that support was there wherever issues arose,” shares Jones. So far, that safety net hasn't been needed. “Despite operating across some of our region’s most demanding environments, all devices have held up well,” he adds.
The Zebra Difference: Outcome and Benefits
The impact on accuracy and efficiency has been significant. “Instead of checking goods off against bits of paper, we have a fast, easy-to-use, reliable scanning process,” Jones claims.
Stocktaking is a good example. Previously, staff would print out sheets, work through a warehouse with a clipboard, then return to a PC to manually re-enter everything they'd counted. There was room for error—misreading handwriting, transcription mistakes—and it was very time-consuming. “Today, the device guides staff through the entire process: flagging any items missed, prompting recounts where figures don't match, and resolving discrepancies on the spot,” Jones notes. “What used to take the best part of four hours can now be completed in less than an hour"—a 75% reduction in time.
The same improvement carried through to how goods are received. Previously, staff checked incoming deliveries against paper sheets. Today, when a consignment arrives at a store, the staff member simply picks up their device, scans the barcode on the receiving document, and checks off the goods as they unpack them. “From a single scan, the system automatically updates stock levels, reconciles the invoice, allocates items to any outstanding orders and processes the payment to the supplier—all in one step, saving us a lot of time without compromising accuracy,” Jones adds.
Beyond day-to-day operational gains, the upgrade has given Landpower a new level of visibility across the business. “Previously, people would manually enter data into spreadsheets—some more reliably than others,” notes Jones. “We've removed risk entirely, because the data is captured correctly at the source.” The result is a suite of reports that didn't previously exist, including detailed stock take reports showing, for any given location, exactly how many lines are up or down, the value variance, and a full audit trail of who counted what and when. “For the first time, we have full transparency across the network—and it's changed the way we measure and run the business,” adds Jones.
The benefits have been immediately apparent to the people using the devices every day. “Not only have we improved accuracy and speed, staff across the business are also more engaged and more motivated to keep their parts stores and warehouses well-organised—because doing so is now far easier,” Jones claims. Tasks that were once tedious, like stocktaking, have become something staff actively embrace.
Landpower is already building on its RF program by rolling out Zebra RS5100 Single Finger Bluetooth Ring Scanners at its distribution centres for hands-free scanning. This initiative reflects a broader mindset within the company: a constant focus on process improvement, early adoption of technology, and finding smarter ways to support both teams and customers. “We've made great strides, but there's still a lot of potential to keep improving the way we operate,” Jones wraps up. What started as a desire for tighter inventory control across a sprawling network has grown into a fundamental shift in how the business runs—and measures itself—every day.
Featured Products and Solutions
