Looking for any recommendations on what people are using for Tablets on the Shop Floor. Pros and Cons and what should I be looking for.
We are in same boat following this thread to see what people recommend.
Also following this as we are actively investigating. First thoughts are basic cheap Windows tablets, need to ensure configuration releases MES licence when logged off though
Userlevel 2
There have been multiple posts on this but the rollout of Kinetic could change what you choose.
We are on prem and selected simple Z83 micro machines attached to the back of a monitor back In 2017. These are running Windows home which makes them a little difficult to manage. Had a skilled person write a script to do an auto-install based on a spreadsheet of the list of users which works well.
The manufacturer now only has Windows Pro and larger SSD drives (updates have trouble installing on the current 32gb ones) which I am considering upgrading to.
Kinetic allows a fully web based MES workstation so the choice is wide open now. You still want something simple that the shop people only need to reboot/reset if they get into trouble. Our MES stations link to a terminal server which does make things simpler but there are still lots of moving parts that can break.
I am considering switching our MES stations to use the existing Kiosk mode with Edge and I would be interested to hear about anyone doing this. I already have a few info-terminals showing shop stats using this and it is pretty simple.
I presently have a number of WinCE handhelds for my warehouse but these are no longer supported. Support is a big issue with any of these platforms because many different devices make a training nightmare for your desktop support staff.
Epicor would like us to switch to their warehouse software but I am not convinced. We have customized the handheld using the same technique as the desktop client and it works well. The current generation of handhelds (e.g. Zebra) are now all android so you have to consider how you will support all this stuff.
We outsource our network management and server hosting and their tools (Nable) work great for our windows MES stations but not for the winCE, android or iOS devices we have deployed. Maybe this is what we have to live with but unless you want to be the go to person for all issues, picking a simple solution that you can delegate to a junior support person is key.
Graeme
Userlevel 1
We are in the process of implementing EKW. We are using a few of the Honeywell RT10’s for the full tablet type and the CT60 for the handheld type. It is a big change from the old warehouse software and yet another license to buy. We don’t yet have them working on the floor--except for 1 RT10 for POD signatures at will call.
From what I have seen as we work through the process the software is much more usable and should speed things up. For us with think moving to a QR type code which will populate PartNum, Qty and Lot will be a big time savings. It will also give the the ablity to easily switch between printers-both regular printers for packslips sand bartender label printers.
At Epicor Stephan Duralde is the hand held guy. He is generally responsive and happy to answer questions.
Doug
We are just starting and have a CT60. I have found that the screen size is an issue and that some of the options are different in the Handheld version of Epicor versus the regular Epicor. We are on Version 10.2.600.17. What issues did you have getting the CT60 up and running?
Userlevel 1
We are working through the issues. Epicor has solved a big one for us which is printing. The guys can select a regular paper printer but can also changes virtual workstation to change label printers.
Right now we have POD up and running on the RT10 but have a license issue with POD on a driver’s Iphone. We hope that will be solved shortly.
We are having some issue with taking pictures--which we do for shipments--again we expect to have that solved soon.
BPM’s and customizations are the biggest amount of work. Several things don’t work with EKW. We are trying to look at it as an opportunity to clean up messy old code, but it is a big slow down.
The screens are different but were pretty intuitive for our guys. Again, not fully up and running but I actually expect our warehouse team to come up with a bunch of efficiencies that I would never think of. The screen sizes is about the same as our old handheld screen but seems to work better.
Overall the process of getting it up is slower than I hoped. Part of that is some of software and license issues, but part of it is that the team is just crazy busy--and it is next to impossible to find new staff right now.
Thank you for the feedback
Our problem is that we are on 10.1.400 and not planning to upgrade to Kinetic until next year, but the benefits from hand-held are significant in our environment and hence want to roll out now if possible.
Userlevel 1
Yes. We are on 10.2.700. It is a bigger priority to get onto the new handhelds than it is to get Kinetic (are are also planning for early next year.) If we get half the benefit we expect it will still be a big win for us.
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