DHL is to introduce a new generation of handheld scanners throughout the US which it says willimprove visibility and tracking, and allow deliverers to process up-to-the-minute shipment
information at customer locations and DHL facilities.Twenty thousand of the new scanners, which use Wi-Fi, wireless local area networks (WLAN),will be deployed nationwide, in a single system, by Q3 of this year, the Deutsche Post subsidiarysaid.
“The adoption of this new technology will allow us to provide enhanced service, and yieldgreater efficiencies,” commented Jose Eiras, head of information, DHL Express USA. “Leveraging thelatest technology platforms to best-serve our customers is a key element in delivering a superiorcustomer experience.”
The DHL scanners, Motorola HC 700s, use the latest GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) andtechnologies, which enables the carrier to transmit customer shipment information automatically –from pick-up to final delivery – without the need to wait and place a device within a transmissioncradle.
Information will be immediately fed into back-end systems, said DHL, providing instantvisibility to customers looking for shipment status via calls to customer service, the DHL web siteor its shipping systems.
In addition, the new technology is RFID-ready (Radio Frequency Identification), allowingintegration with new RFID supply chain management products to be introduced worldwide in the nearfuture.
The wireless technology is also being introduced by DHL Express International Americas inCanada, the Caribbean and Latin America.
