RE: Bar Coding

We are in the midst of installing JBA Viewpoint (from NuTech) on a limited
scale.  We also looked at Sierra Consultants.  Both vendors were very
impressive in the sales cycle.  The only transaction we're implementing at
this point is Warehouse Confirm Pick in one warehouse.  So far, NuTech has
done everything they said they would do when they said they would do it,
which in my experience is very unusual.  This is consistent with what their
references said about them also.  If all goes well on this pilot project
we'll roll out other transactions and other warehouses.  I don't know
whether you (being in the UK) would buy this directly from JBA or from
NuTech.  I'm assuming we are talking about the same product.  

I think any bar coding / scanning system you install will require
significant customization.  Both vendors we talk to do predominantly JBA
business, and yet they considered their offerings to be just a starting
point in a complete solution.  The other issue you should consider is what
issues you have with customer required product labeling and EDI.  We might
need to start doing automated parcel (FedEx and UPS) shipment label
printing, Advance Ship Notices (X.12 856) and Retailer specific UCC128
labels and all of this is outside the scope of Viewpoint.  I'm afraid we
might be facing a situation of having to buy other software for these
functions and I think there will be a lot of functional overlap and
potentially conflict between these packages.  We are looking at Varsity
Logistics and Summit Group to provide these capabilities and both of them
have some scanning built into their systems.

Neither JBA Viewpoint or Sierra Consultants offer, in my opinion, a
warehouse management system.  I would consider them to be automating some
manual functions at a relatively low cost.  I've talked to some vendors that
offer full warehouse management systems which manage personnel and equipment
resources, allow interleaving of pick, receipt, putaway and count functions
and offer completely paperless operations.  These systems are very
impressive, but I've always been concerned about the complexity of
interfacing them with JBA.

Dan Thomas
Sr. VP Information Systems
Medical Distribution, Inc.
4500 Progress Blvd
Louisville, KY  40218-5058
Phone (502) 454-9013 ext 120
email  DThomas@lpw-mdi.com


-----Original Message-----
From: steve.doody@RICOH-RPL.COM [mailto:steve.doody@RICOH-RPL.COM]
Sent: Monday, July 19, 1999 8:00 AM
To: JBAUSERS-L@midrange.com
Subject: Bar Coding





We are considering implementing bar coding at our site in both the
manufacturing and warehousing areas.  One option we are considering is
purchasing JBA's bar coding module.

I just wanted to get a feeling from anyone that may have taken on the bar
coding module on whether it is any good?, Did it do enough? Was it stable?
Were there many implementation problems? etc.

Any comments/thoughts would be interesting....


Steve Doody
Senior Developer
Ricoh UK Products Ltd


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