Ingram Micro Boosts Warehouse Efficiency, Cutting Handoff Time by 50% With Zebra Guardian Cabinets
Ingram Micro, a leading warehouse and distribution company, faced challenges in managing mobile devices efficiently within its large and busy Advanced Logistics Center.
Zebra Success Story: Ingram Micro
Overview: Transportation and Logistics Challenge
Ingram Micro sought an efficient solution to prevent the loss of mobile computers, track each device for efficient handling, maintenance and handoff and equip workers to begin their shifts seamlessly.
Benefits / Outcomes
- The average time for shift handoff has been reduced by 50%
- Employees receive devices immediately upon arrival
- Managers have complete device visibility through intelligent dashboards and reports
- Bulk charging and system updates provide additional time savings
Customer
Ingram Micro
New South Wales, Australia
Industry
Transportation and Logistics
Solutions
About Ingram Micro
“Where did I leave it?” It’s a question you might hear a lot in a busy warehouse where employees pass on devices from one shift to another. In its quest for continuous improvement, it was a question to be eliminated for Ingram Micro Pty Ltd, one of Australia’s largest technology and supply chain service distributors, connecting more than 11,000 resellers with 250+ technology vendors nationwide. Every day, the company empowers its B2B clients with technology and equipment, and its Advanced Logistics Centre (ALC) in Sydney's Eastern Creek is crucial in this endeavour.
At 40,000m2, ALC is around twice as big as the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Serving as the hub for inventory management, order fulfilment and logistics, it is one of Asia Pacific's most modern automated warehousing facilities with 34 docking bays and room for more than 30,000 pallets. The centre operates five days a week, 18 hours a day, with a dedicated team of 115 employees. During peak times, like Christmas, it can scale up to 180.
“Quality, efficiency and safety are critical for us, and we’ve always been early adopters of technology to stay at the forefront,” says Aaron Kumar, Director of Operations at Ingram Micro. “Over two years ago, we recognised that Zebra’s new RF scanner and cabinet technology could help us make further gains in these areas. Specifically, getting associates set up more quickly and with less friction to start their shift”, adds Indra Hareguna, Vendor Business Manager.
The Challenge
Leaders at Ingram Micro wanted to improve things by automating the device tracking and optimising their handover. “We wanted to empower our workers, free their time and track our equipment better,” shares Hareguna. “Since we had already been using Zebra technology for 15 years, we saw the opportunity for a solution that would fit right into our ecosystem,” explains Warren Jimenez, Senior Infrastructure Lead at Ingram Micro.
In the past, Zebra MC93 and MC94 Ultra-Rugged Mobile Touch Computers were located in the warehouse’s central control room and were tracked manually. Employees wrote entries in a logbook and would have to check page-by-page for usage history if any devices were missing. This manual system meant it took longer to locate equipment and ensure it was fully charged and ready to go. Plus, having only one location to collect devices prolonged wait times at the start of shifts and peak hours, given the size of the facility.
In a massive 40,000 square metre space, having the cabinets closer to you makes equipment more accessible and reduces traffic, and collectively saves hours daily on trips to pickup and return devices.
The Solution
Ingram Micro installed eight Zebra Guardian Cabinets powered by the Zebra Access Management System (ZAMS) to maximise the use and productivity of its devices. They joined a suite of Zebra’s solutions at Ingram Micro, like ZD421 desktop printers, ZE500 print engines, ZT230 industrial printers, DS2278 scanners and L10 tablets for delivery sign-offs.
To improve flexibility, the company strategically placed the cabinets across four locations throughout the warehouse. So, instead of queuing up in one place to get mobile computers, employees can get them closer to where they are. “In a massive 40,000 square metre space, having the cabinets closer to you makes equipment more accessible,” describes Hareguna. “It reduces traffic and collectively saves hours daily on trips to pickup and return devices.”
The main goal of the solution was clear: getting workers to return their devices to the right spot after their shifts. Sometimes, it was just a matter of being in a rush. But sometimes, workers preferred a specific device and wanted to hold it for their next shift. “The impact on shift changeover was substantial: on average, half of all devices were not returned by the end of the third shift,” Kumar says. To address this, one person was assigned full-time to manage the devices, including issuing them, bringing them back, charging them and keeping records.
Zebra’s Guardian Cabinets have put an end to the issue of non-returns. Connected by the underlying intelligent system, each device now requires users to authenticate within a set time. If they fail to do that, an alarm goes off. “Additionally, if a person tries to log onto a new device without returning the old one, the system won’t allow it. They must bring back the missing device first,” adds Kumar.
With dedicated ports and colour coding, Zebra Guardian Cabinets make it easy for employees to identify the correct spot for their devices. This keeps everything organised and evenly distributed across the site. Hareguna explains, “The colours match the assigned cabinets, so there’s no more random dropping off. That ensures we have enough devices for each of the four sections.”
The Zebra Difference: Outcome and Benefits
Enforcing the right placement has radically improved device tracking and auditing. Now, managers can quickly log into the system on a kiosk or their tablets to see the status of each device. “With a centralised management system, we get smart reports about each device’s usage. We know how long it’s been used, who last used it and who currently has it. We can also see if any devices are low on battery or not charging,” highlights Jimenez. “This level of accountability makes things easier for managers, who don’t have to spend time micromanaging device usage or checking logbooks manually.”
With a more efficient system, Ingram Micro has saved time in its daily workflow. “Switching from manual logs to Zebra’s Guardian Cabinets has saved us 50% on handoff time,” Hareguna adds. “It also ended long lines at the start of shifts and greatly increased device return rates.” Ingram Micro’s workers no longer waste time trying to locate missing devices. “Before, if someone couldn't find a mobile computer, they had to report it to their supervisor. It could take several people to find it, wasting 10 to 15 minutes per case. Those minutes add up,” exemplifies Hareguna.
Device updates are also more streamlined at Ingram Micro. “We now update the devices in the cabinets all at once instead of doing it one by one,” Jimenez shares. “The automated bulk update ensures all devices are aligned with the same operating system and significantly reduces the manual effort.”
Ingram Micro is seeing huge improvements in the management of their mobile computers with their new cabinets. Each warehouse employee is ready to work within minutes without wasting time on excess admin and logistics. This increased team efficiency directly impacts the speed and quality of service delivery. “With the cabinets strategically placed, we can hand out equipment and pick up orders much faster,” says Hareguna. The boost in speed increases the company’s throughput, which is critical in pushing out orders from a large facility and ultimately improving the customer experience.
Looking to the future, Ingram Micro is set to innovate further. “We’re always seeking greater efficiency and adaptability in a changing market,” Kumar explains. “As the market continues to shift, we will rely on vendors like Zebra to provide solutions to potential problems and, more importantly, to create opportunities.”
Right now, the company is also exploring packaging equipment that, in Kumar’s words, “Australia has never seen.” With their minds on that quest, the team is looking at Zebra’s printing solutions to bring this exciting vision to life.
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