Mobile Printers: Charter Baking Streamlines Direct Store Delivery Using Ross Computer Systems' STORS Handheld Application With Zebra's RW 420 Mobile/Wireless Printers

Zebra Technologies, a global leader in specialty printing and automatic identification solutions, has announced that its Zebra RW 420 mobile printers play a major role in an innovative direct store delivery (DSD) system recently deployed by Boulder, Colorado-based Charter Baking Company, North America's leading supplier of natural and organic bread and baked goods. The company distributes branded products from Rudi's Organic Bakery, The Vermont Baking Company, The Baker, and Matthew's Bread to supermarkets, mass retailers and a host of independent natural food stores across the U.S.

This year, Charter Baking implemented Ross Computer Systems' STORS (Sales Tracking, Ordering, Route Settlement) mobile/wireless Route Accounting/Direct-Store-Delivery solution in nine key distribution centers – one in Boulder and eight on the East Coast. Ross' STORS application runs on any Microsoft Windows Mobile device and the Charter Baking implementation utilizes Motorola MC9090 rugged mobile computers with a keypad designed specifically for DSD and Zebra RW 420 mobile/wireless receipt printers. Transaction data from each route is uploaded daily into Charter's host system application called ‘Bakers Dozen' – one of Ross Computer Systems' bakery production and distribution enterprise solutions.

Using Ross' STORS handheld mobile/wireless solution, Charter's drivers can complete delivery route transactions quickly and conveniently. With the Motorola MC9090 rugged mobile computer and the compact, rugged Zebra RW 420 printers, Charter's mobile workers can issue invoices, print receipts, collect signatures, enter credits for returns and accept payments on the spot, then communicate these transactions to the host system.

"Implementing STORS has helped us streamline delivery operations for drivers and provides us with significantly greater accountability and accuracy on product sales across all locations," states Andy Artzer, CIO of Charter Baking Company. "As a result, we can identify and optimize sales opportunities and ensure that production, distribution and product placement are done in the most advantageous manner to serve our customers."

Rollout of the Ross STORS mobile/wireless solution at Charter's distribution depots began in April 2007, with each successive set of routes being rolled out every week. "This was an extremely challenging and demanding timetable," Artzer adds. "Achieving full deployment and training of our handheld system– on time and within budget – required the hard work, focus and commitment of our hardware vendors, the Ross installation group, and most importantly, the Charter sales management and sales operation teams."

Kevin Glander, Implementation Manager at Ross Computer Systems notes: "This was our first implementation working with the Zebra RW 420 printer and we have been very happy with its quality and performance." On the same topic, Artzer concludes: "We are also pleased with the hardware components. The Motorola handheld computer features a keyboard designed for driver ease of use in DSD operations and the Bluetooth-enabled Zebra mobile printers have proven to be highly stable and reliable, with the best battery performance we have ever seen."

About Ross Computer Systems
Ross Computer Systems is a leading provider of host and handheld Route Accounting/Direct-Store-Delivery software to the food and beverage industries. Headquartered in New York City, with offices located throughout the United States, Ross offers a full suite of DSD specific applications to its customers. Food and beverage companies utilize Ross' offerings of integrated solutions to solve all their Direct-Store-Delivery business needs. For more information, visit www.rossusa.com.

About Zebra Technologies Zebra Technologies Corporation helps companies identify, locate and track assets, transactions and people with on-demand specialty digital printing and automatic identification solutions in more than 100 countries around the world. More than 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies use innovative and reliable Zebra printers, supplies, RFID products and software to increase productivity, improve quality, lower costs, and deliver better customer service. Information about Zebra and Zebra-brand products can be found at www.zebra.com.

SOURCE: Zebra Technologies