At the heart of each BellHawk system is a database server that holds all the information used by the BellHawk system. This is a SQL Server database running on a Windows 2000/2003 server computer or a Windows XP-Pro workstation.
Some of the information in this database includes:
Setup-data such as the item-master list for parts, work centers, machines, employees, customers, vendors and ship-to addresses.
Routes and BOMs to make parts
Open supplier purchase orders and open customer orders
A containers table that contains the status of every container, serialized item, and bins of loose material being tracked by the system.
Information about the nesting of containers
Current status of jobs, employees and machines
A history of all transactions
Time taken on job steps by people
Setup and run times for machines on job steps
Materials consumed by job steps and scrap produced
Formats for labels to be applied to products and shipping containers
Formats for RFID tags to be encoded
All the setup and viewing of data in the database is performed using Windows PCs connected to the server over a local area network. These PCs can be used to access standard status screen and to print reports. They can also be used to import and export data in the form of Excel spreadsheets and to develop reports using Access or Crystal Reports.
Job, labor, material, and machine status transactions are recorded using barcode scanners attached to Windows XP based PCs, which are connected to the server over the local network. The barcode scanners used are normally corded scanners that are connected in a wedge configuration between the keyboard and the PC. For job tracking stations low-cost robust contact barcode scanners are typically used. For packing stations, hands free laser scanners are preferable and cordless scanners, with a range of 30 feet from the PC, are used where pallets and other large objects need to be scanned.
The transactions from the PCs are stored on the server's hard drive so that they, and the corresponding status changes, are recorded and available in real-time.
BellHawk can make extensive use of barcode scanning to minimize the time for data input or alternately it can run in a paperless mode.
Some of the barcode sheets it produces to make data entry easier are:
Production, material, machine, and labeling action barcodes. An action barcode is scanned to start a transactions sequence. Thereafter the user is prompted to enter one item at a time, with extensive real-time data checking after each item is scanned or entered on the keyboard (such as for entering quantities) to avoid getting bad data into the system.
Barcoded job traveler with a barcode for the batch and a barcode for each job step and a barcode for each material item to be consumed. This is scanned to record labor and machine time associated with the job step as well as material produced and consumed and scrapped by the job step.
A barcoded receiving sheet. This is generated from the supplier purchase order and has a barcode for the order number and barcodes for each line item. These are scanned when receiving materials to avoid manual data entry of part numbers.
A barcoded picking or packing sheet. This is generated from the customer order and has a barcode for the customer order number as well as barcodes for each line item. It is scanned when picking or packing orders. It is scanned to complete the shipping transaction.
BellHawk also supports the use of wireless mobile computers to record material transfer transactions including:
Entry into inventory and withdrawal from inventory.
Movement of material including nesting of boxes on pallets.
Receiving against vendor purchase order
Consumption of material on a job step
Put away of material produced by a a job
Return of material from a job step.
Picking of material for a customer order
Loading of a truck
Shipping of a customer order.
The wireless mobile computers use the BellHawk BSAF store and forward communications technology so they can operate in environments where wireless communication is intermittent and unreliable. This technology can also save considerable cost by substantially reducing the number of wireless access points that would otherwise be needed to ensure continual communications if the wireless mobile computer were used in terminal server mode.
The wireless mobile computers used with BSAF have an integral 1D/2D barcode scanner, a color touch screen, and a full keyboard. They have an integral 802.11b/g wireless communications card and a non-volatile memory in which the on-board database is stored so that information is not lost even if the battery goes flat. BellHawk works with a variety of different Windows Mobile and CE based mobile computers, including units that are suitable for use from a fork-lift truck
Because BSAF can work when there is no wireless communications, it is ideal for yard operations, and intermittent use in remote warehouses or site with no wireless communications. BSAF will also work with the new cell-phone based data networks to provide transactional communications with the server over a wide geographic area, provided that the server is connected to the Internet.
Barcode label generation and the encoding of RFID tags is performed using PCs connected to the server. Whenever a product or shipping container label or RFID tag is to be produced, the format is deduced from the customer order or the product part number (selected as part of the normal job, material, or packing transactions). The label or RFID tag format is then loaded from the database and automatically populated with data from the database. Then the label is printed and/or the tag is encoded on a printer that is loaded with the appropriate labels or tags. To enable BellHawk to support a wide range of barcode printers, including combination barcode/RFID printer/encoders BellHawk works with BarTender Enterprise.
BellHawk can work with RFID portals, such as those placed on shipping and receiving loading docks to automatically record the movement of materials onto and off-of trucks. BellHawk also supports PC interfaces to devices such as weighing scales for automatically capturing quantities of materials.
Through its standard Data Exchange (DEX) interface, BellHawk can be interfaced to a wide variety of ERP, financial, CRM, mailing, supply chain and process control systems. DEX provides a set of tools for implementing real-time interfaces to external systems that enable these external systems to read and write the data objects managed by BellHawk, including transactional and status data objects. DEX isolates the interface from changes to internal BellHawk tables from version to version and provides mechanisms to facilitate the rapid development of interfaces. DEX also handles tasks such as the import and export of data in the form of Excel spreadsheets. DEX is supplied with every BellHawk system.
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