Equipment required
Three items of equipment are needed to operate a despatch bench with PVX:
Barcode scanner: Use a bespoke scanner which suits your working environment. For example, a table-top scanner on a stand which sets the scanner to be always on is useful for small item despatching, while a scanner which can be worn around the neck on a lanyard can be helpful for scanning bulky items where the operator has to move around the item to find the barcode.
Barcode label printer: Choose a printer with a suitable specification for the predicted workload. Some printers are designed to handle 500-1000 despatches a day. If you have very high volumes and/or operate around the clock, then consider a higher specification for your printer. Breakdowns can have a serious effect on your warehouse efficiency.
Desktop or laptop computer: Most modern computers will be more than adequate for running the PVX web app. Of greater importance is that there must be a reliable Internet connection, using either a wi-fi signal or a local area network (LAN), and that a supported Internet browser is installed. If possible, connect a standard laser jet printer to your computer to allow printing of despatch documents.
Setting up the despatch area
Try to ensure that despatch benches and their surrounding area permit a natural flow for the despatch process, with easy access to pick boxes or trolleys through the scanning, printing and packing processes and then removal of the items for shipping.
Ensure that items entering the despatch area can be easily scanned, no matter what their size.
Consider the working position of the despatch operators. Position the screen on which the PVX web app will be displayed straight ahead, not to one side. Where possible, allow operators to sit or be supported and ensure they don't have to bend, stretch or twist excessively or repetitively.
If there are multiple despatch benches needed, make sure there is enough space between them for the operators to work comfortably without getting in each other's way. Maintain the same flow of material through each bench to maximise efficiency and allow operators to transfer easily between benches.
If the volume of shipments justifies it, you can consider setting up separate despatch areas for specific carriers. You can set up the print templates to only print out the appropriate carrier's labels, and even adjust the roles for each despatcher to ensure they only use a specific carrier integration. However, this approach does not always allow easy scaling if order volumes increase, in which case print template rules can allow each despatch bench to handle shipments using any carrier. See the article on despatch process configuration for further details.