Bumpy Bar Code Success Stories
Black River Plastics

Objective:

Implement Mecco's BBC Dock-Audit-Sytem to avoid critical errors
Eliminate wrong parts being sent to the customer

Solution:

Bumpy Bar Code System
Mecco's Dock-Audit System and Software

Benefits:

Auditing System guarantees the shipment to be error proof

Interview:

“They Weren’t Bad Parts; They Were Just the Wrong Parts”

Bar Coded Part This verbal interview was conducted via telephone by Scott Cunningham (SC). Paul Ochmanek (PO) of Black River Plastics (BRP) gave the following responses to questions asked.

SC: Please explain how Mecco Marking & Traceability’s Bumpy Bar Code technology has helped eliminate critical errors.

PO : Less than one month after implementing Mecco’s Bumpy Bar Code (BBC) system, the new procedures and Dock-Audit system stopped seventy of the wrong splash-shields from being sent to our customer.

SC: How did the system work to discover the mistake?

PO : We have implemented the Mecco Dock-Audit system at Black River Plastics. Basically, the shipping clerk pulls out one of the thirty-five splash-shields in each tote that is awaiting pick-up. The operator then reads the molded Bumpy Bar Code mark on the part with the BBC hand-held reader. Next, he/she reads the contrast shipping label with an Intermec 750 Pocket PC. The BBC reader is tethered to the PC, and the Mecco Dock-Audit software compares the two barcodes. If the encoded characters match, the operator is given a “GOOD” signal. He/she then puts the part back into the tote, signs his/her initials on the shipping label (to signify that the container was verified), and proceeds to the next pulled part and tote. After all of the totes have been audited, the shipment is ready to go. We all feel a lot more secure knowing that our auditing system guarantees the shipment to be error-proof before it reaches the customer.

SC: What happened – or better yet, what didn’t happen?

PO : Using Mecco’s BBC Dock-Audit systems, we were able to differentiate between the various splash-shields that we produce. In our shipping dock area, we had about thirty totes containing splash shields that were awaiting pick-up. Thirty-five splash-shields were placed in each tote, so we were scheduled to ship out over one thousand pieces of the same part to our customer. Because of a labeling error, two of the totes were mislabeled in-house and contained different splash-shields than was indicated on the external container label. These totes were still pulled for the order because they had the same label as the other correctly labeled totes. Prior to the implementation of the Mecco BBC system, we would have been unable to discover that the wrong parts were shipped. Fortunately, with the Dock-Audit system, these two mislabeled totes were identified as “BAD” and replaced in the shipping area by two “CORRECT” totes.

SC: It sounds like the solution solved the problem. Had this mistake not been caught by our Dock-Audit system, what would have been some ramifications caused by shipping the wrong parts?

PO : More than likely, a shipment of seventy of the wrong parts would have relegated Black River Plastics to CS1, a classification which requires 100% containment and audit of every shipment to this customer. At Black River Plastics, we have significantly improved our quality and accuracy through hard work and focus. Our customer seems to appreciate our effort, because we have been awarded more and more contracts to supply them with automotive components for years to come. Thanks to Mecco, our new error-proofing processes now enable us to focus more on proactively earning new contracts rather than on merely preserving our existing ones. We take pride in the job we do and the quality of the products we provide to our customers, and now with Mecco’s BBC technology, we can rest assured that our work will always reflect positively on us.

Bumpy Bar Code Success StoriesBlack River Plastics

Bumpy Bar Code Success Stories
Black River Plastics