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Highland Supply - Wireless Inventory Management System
Business Challenges

Highland Supply wanted to upgrade and streamline its inventory management system. Its current system was manual, with a decentralized data management approach that supported only a single user at a time. It wasn’t used very often.

This outdated inventory system was causing operating hardships for Highland Supply. Inventory figures were inaccurate and employees were having a hard time finding items in the warehouse.

Solution

Oakwood recommended a comprehensive Web-based inventory management system. Our solution relies on Microsoft’s Visual Studio.NET™ handheld technology and Compact Framework, the mobile version of Microsoft’s .NET technologies for using Web services on smart mobile devices.

The Microsoft .NET Compact Framework platform is superior for mobile development because it encourages rapid development and code reuse, which cuts costs. The platform also makes it easy to build the powerful user interfaces required for handhelds.

The new system uses Microsoft Pocket PC 2002 handheld devices that communicate with a centrally located server. It supports all major warehouse inventory processes and provides an interface for updating existing databases.

Key Benefits

Oakwood’s solution allows Highland Supply’s employees to obtain real-time, mobile information. This improves the efficiency of the warehouse, boosting productivity and profitability.

Additional benefits are:

  • Code Ownership: Highland Supply can deploy this solution locally or at one warehouse with minimal costs at other locations.
  • Rich User Interface: Because we developed the interface in the standard Microsoft technologies, it is easily customized.
  • Real-Time Interfaces: This system interacts with Highland Supply’s Oracle database on a real-time basis, which provides faster and more accurate data. This reduces the need for human input for reporting purposes.