UPS has begun using a new type of ‘wearable’ scanning system for employees, which it claimsaccelerates the loading of packages into vehicles and the delivery of visibility information to
customers.The device, made by Motorola Solutions, consists of a hands-free imager that is worn on a fingerand a small terminal worn on the employee’s wrist or hip. UPS said the ring imager represents amajor advance because it automatically scans based on label-sensing technology, allowing UPSemployees to more quickly image barcodes compared to the current ‘point and shoot’ method withexisting equipment.
UPS said the improved technology would enable it to accelerate the transfer of package trackingdata to customers and improves package travel reliability through the system. Internally referredto as ‘link and load’, the scans are key to providing the tracking data that feeds the 32.1 milliontracking requests viewed daily on ups.com.
With the new equipment, the ring scanner sends each package’s tracking information via Bluetoothto the terminal worn on the wrist or hip. The data is then transmitted over a wi-fi network to theUPS facility network and ultimately to UPS’s global data centres, to be stored, processed, andaccessed by customers.
The data captured by the imager includes two-dimensional and traditional one-dimensionalbarcodes. These barcodes reside on all UPS shipping labels and contain relevant shipment trackinginformation about the package destination. The imager reads the service level and postal (ZIP) codeand verifies whether the package is being loaded into the proper trailer or air container. Anaudible and visible alert identifies any package that’s about to be loaded incorrectly to help UPSavoid service disruptions. The two-dimensional imager also has improved the tracking number ‘readrate’, reducing the need for key entry by employees.
“UPS is always examining new ways to improve our delivery reliability and provide timely andaccurate shipment information to our customers,” said Juan Perez, UPS vice president of informationservices. “Effectively deploying mobile and pervasive computing technologies like this allows us toachieve those goals, with higher performance, and a more rugged, longer-lasting piece ofhardware.”
UPS began deploying the new system last year and 28,000 ring imager and terminal devices arecurrently in use at 480 facilities. The deployment will be completed by the fourth quarter of 2013,with more than 38,000 ring imager and terminal devices in use at 1,383 facilities.
