PPG Refinish Warehouse Facility with Motorola Capabilities

Founded in 1883 in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, PPG Industries is a highly respected global supplier of coatings, glass and chemicals, employing more than 30,000 people in 21 countries worldwide.

When you choose PPG Refinish coatings you benefit from 75 years of experience in developing automotive coatings. Regardless of the application, you can expect PPG to meet or exceed the most demanding requirements for gloss, durability, ease of use and compliance with European legislation. Indeed, today, two out of every three cars made in Europe and North America now use PPG technology and know-how, making PPG the motor manufacturer's choice.

PPG Industries is continually under pressure from competition at home and abroad. In order for them to remain ahead of the competition PPG recognized that it needed to track stock movement for just-in-time order fulfilment and line replenishment.

With this in mind, improvement in systems and processes became a strategic initiative. One of the most innovative technologies introduced into the manufacturing environment was the RF data capture and bar-coding solution supplied by Vietec Limited. “It has made an enormous difference to our business” said Ben Clarke, PPG Project Manager. “We now have a highly accurate record of stock and it has helped us to serve our customers, not just the stock levels”. By managing its inventory status in real time and improving the quality of data capture within the warehouse environment, Mr Clarke believes that it has helped PPG increase their accuracy as well as improving their customer service.

Vietec proposed the Motorola WS5100 along with the Motorola Access Port AP300 as together they provide robust support for enterprise 802.11a/b/g mobility, including increased security, manageability, L3 roaming capabilities and quality of service (QoS).

Vietec also proposed the MC9090-G as it offers advanced data capture options and integrated wireless LAN/PAN plus a comfortable ergonomic pistol grip to enable scan-intensive real-time data collection. To compliment these the VC5090 vehicle computer was chosen for forklift workers. These computers combine rugged construction and high performance wireless networking to enable real-time data access and collection on the move.

One of the primary reasons why PPG chose Vietec as their data capture and RF infrastructure supplier was their knowledge of the industry. “When choosing a partner to implement technology such as RF, we wanted a company that clearly had the expertise, but also positioned customer service and support as its number one consideration. Vietec illustrated a strong track record of success in their chosen fields, but more importantly were able to provide multiple references that backed up their commitment to service”.

Vietecs’ choice of vendor proved to be correct and from day one Vietec provided an efficient on time implementation delivered before the business deadline of September 2008.”It was because of the high level of support and technical expertise encountered that PPG have decided to carry on using Vietec for any future implementations” Clarke added.

Phil Drew, Director of Vietec said “As many companies will testify, the greatest risk to any IT project is ensuring the delivery of strategic solutions on time and on budget. However, Vietec's approach to customer satisfaction, backed by products ideally suited to warehouse environments, it clearly shows that Vietec Limited can help companies overcome this risk.”