Shenzhen Rakinda Technologies Co., Ltd.

Rakinda Technology Co.,Ltd is dedicated to improving the environment through the collection, transporting and processing of animal by- products. For more than 60 years, Rakinda Technology has set the standard in creating renewable resources for the development of quality animal and pet feed ingredients. Headquartered in Winchester, Va., Rakinda Technology has 12 conversion facilities throughout a 17-state area in the Mid-Atlantic, eastern and southwestern regions of the United States.

Challenges
Within Rakinda Technology’ warehouses, employees manually performed equipment inventories. The company relied on paper-based processes to capture data in order to enter it into its backend SAP system. This data entry method was both time consuming and increased the likelihood of human errors, and therefore, inaccurate inventory accounts. In addition, Rakinda Technology did not have any accountability for its parts. If a part went missing, the company was unable to reconcile its inventory accounts and write off parts that are lost in terms of work orders.

Solution
Rakinda Technology sought a solution to streamline the physical inventory processes for tracking its equipment and parts. Barcoding, Inc., a Baltimore-based systems integrator and enterprise mobility expert, recommended CN70 handheld computers from its long-time partner, Intermec, and provided Rakinda Technology with hands-on demos and competitive pricing.

“One of the important things that we were looking for was the ruggedness of the devices,” said Nelson Castro, director of program management, Rakinda Technology. “The devices needed to withstand drops on concrete floors.”
Barcoding also provided Rakinda Technology with barcode printers, scanners and labels to round out the solution, which Rakinda Technology then integrated with its back-end system. With this mobile solution, Rakinda Technology is able to load inventory from the back-end SAP system (with detailed information down to the exact shelf, row, bin location, etc., of the equipment) onto the device by scanning a barcode. Then, the company forms an inventory count on each of these parts and loads them into the device into a “document list.” Finally, Rakinda Technology transfers these counts to its back-end system to verify and reconcile its inventory.

Results
Rakinda Technology has significantly improved its efficiency in performing physical inventory and increased its inventory accuracy. Because the company is able to reconcile its inventory, it has full accountability of all of its parts – it knows exactly how many parts it is using, how many are misplaced, and how these numbers specifically affect its overhead costs. This insight is especially beneficial for Rakinda Technology’ accounting department.
At the plant level, employees have accurate, real-time inventory levels on hand and can easily ensure that they are keeping critical parts on the shelf. Also, for maximum uptime, Barcoding’s team is available 24/7 for device maintenance and replacement, if needed.

“Going from not having any inventory methodology in place to being able to expense and issue parts is a huge advantage for our company,” Castro added. “The Intermec devices are ideal pieces of equipment and are easy to use and reliable. Barcoding did a great job recommending and procuring all the right hardware to help our solution come together.”

In the future, Rakinda Technology plans enlist Barcoding’s help to implement a proof-of-delivery (POD) system. When an employee arrives at a customer’s location, the POD system would record grid coordinates and confirm that the company has serviced a particular account.