Underground Vaults & Storage Digs into ROI on Mobile Computing Solutions

Safe storage company selects Symbol and O'Neil Software for enterprise mobility solution to tracks sensitive, perishable records in salt mine

Safe storage company selects Symbol and O'Neil Software for enterprise mobility solution to tracks sensitive, perishable records in salt mine

Holtsville, NY — May 30, 2006 — Records storage company Underground Vaults & Storage (UVS) has deployed mobile computers from Symbol Technologies in its secure storage facilities to track the location and processing of stored records and records in transit via courier.

UVS uses the Symbol enterprise mobility solution to monitor the location and processing of the sensitive records — in formats that include paper, movie film, microfiche and microfilm — stored underground.

The company operates multiple storage sites, including a 850-acre space in a working salt mine located 650 feet below ground level, built during the Cold War to keep highly sensitive records safe from spies, as well as potential aboveground disasters.

Inside the storage facility, UVS employees use the Symbol PDT8146 and PPT8846 mobile computers to scan stored items and provide automated updates to a central system in real-time, which helps increase the efficiency of the storage and retrieval process.

Symbol said that UVS selected the technology company's flagship rugged MC9000 mobile computer to meet the demands of its highly mobile couriers. The couriers use MC9000 mobile computers to validate retrieved items and delivery; record the items once loaded on courier vehicles; and capture customer signatures.

In addition, Symbol mobile computers interface with RSMobile, technology supplied by O'Neil Software that enables UVS to offer online tracking information to its customers. "In our industry, customers often need information about the location of their records immediately," said Lee Spence, UVS' president and chief operating officer. "The Symbol-O'Neil Software enterprise mobility solution enables us to maintain a 'chain of custody' for our records and provide information quickly and accurately."

According to Symbol, UVS saves a considerable amount of time using mobile computers that connect wirelessly to the Symbol wireless network infrastructure, which includes AP-4131 access points, AP300 access ports and WS2000 wireless switches.

With its previous system, storage facility personnel would go to a central office to collect instructions on which records to retrieve or replace. With the Symbol-O'Neil Software solution, updates are sent to the employee's mobile computer whether they are onsite or delivering materials to a customer. Personnel can access immediate updates, enabling them to retrieve more items per trip. Additionally, each step of the process is documented more effectively, meaning UVS can process more records with greater efficiency, Symbol said.

"Underground Vaults & Storage is an excellent example of using a Wi-Fi network to enable enterprise mobility in a unique environment," said Jerry McNerney, senior director of Symbol's supply chain industry solutions group. "The O'Neil Software application and Symbol mobile computers allow users to complete tasks directly from their wireless handheld devices, shortening process implementation time from hours to minutes."


Additional Articles of Interest

— Financial accountability laws offer an opportunity to elevate the importance of Supply Chain to the C-level suite. Find out more in "The Impact of Sarbanes-Oxley on Supply Chain Management," in the April/May 2006 issue of Supply & Demand Chain Executive.

— Thinking about automating your warehousing operations? Take a strategic stance with this helpful guide: "The Analyst Corner: Warehouse Management," in the April/May 2006 issue of Supply & Demand Chain Executive.


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