What Does the Supply Chain Act Have to do With Mobile Computers and Auto-ID Solutions?
The Supply Chain Due Diligence Act - in short: Supply Chain Act - came into force on 1 January 2023. According to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the law regulates "corporate responsibility for the observance of human rights in global supply chains". Companies are therefore obliged to adapt their processes along the entire value chain to the legal requirements in order to protect human rights and the environment.
But how can scanners, handheld terminals, auto-ID solutions and digitalisation in general be linked to the Supply Chain Act?
DENSO has given it some thought. Dirk Gelbrich, General Manager Technical Department at DENSO WAVE EUROPE, explains: "We are aware that we do not create a fair supply chain with our mobile computers and Auto-ID solutions alone. But with our MDE devices, processes can be optimised, which has a positive effect on the workforce and, in the longer term, also on the environment, for example through better warehouse management and error-free inventories."
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As the inventor of the QR code, optimising inventory management has always been an important concern for DENSO. Users, for example in the retail, transport and manufacturing sectors, play a leading role in the development of the MDE devices.
And what does this mean in the context of the Supply Chain Act? How do the mobile computers as well as Auto-ID solutions help in complying with the legal requirements?
When auditing processes along the supply chain, vast amounts of data are generated. When collecting this data, a company's workforce can use DENSO's mobile computers. It can also be added to a digital supply chain system. For example, DENSO's BHT-M series is ideal for use in the manufacturing, transportation and retail industries.
From autumn 2023, the BHT-M series handhelds will be equipped with Android 13. With this update, DENSO is responding to the needs of users in different industries. "Android is an intuitive operating system and the majority of users are familiar with it through their own smartphones," says Gelbrich. Therefore, the familiarisation phases are usually quite short. This in turn leads to time and cost savings and thus forms one of the biggest advantages for companies. Also with regard to the Supply Chain Act, there is no way around advancing digitalisation. "By capturing data with mobile computers, errors and potential risks along the supply chain can be detected more quickly and ideally improved, if not avoided," adds Gelbrich.
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The mobile computers of the BHT-M series also offer further advantages for users. They are DENSO's most powerful mobile handhelds. Among other things, the BHT-M80 has a large, user-friendly 5-inch touch display, and the BHT-M70 is also equipped with a large touch display (4 inches) and a powerful scan engine. Like the BHT-M60, it combines excellent scanning performance with comfortable handling thanks to its ergonomically designed handle.
"As said before, we cannot create fair supply chains with our mobile computers and Auto-ID solutions alone. But we can accompany our customers, advise them and optimise processes together," says Gelbrich, looking optimistically to the future. After all, the Supply Chain Act may pose challenges, but it is essential for the better protection of people and the environment. "And with the modern technologies from DENSO, our customers can better accept and master these challenges," he says.
