What they do
EHI Australia supply market leading quality hardware and industrial products at value for money prices.
Industry
Wholesale and distribution
Key features used
- Professional Standalone Edition
- Paperless order picking, label printing, and scan pack
- ERP integration
- Bulk container receiving and putaway
- High volume order management
Summary
EHI Australia supplies market-leading hardware and industrial products across Australia, serving sectors from general hardware to mining. As an importer and wholesaler, operational accuracy and efficiency are critical — particularly during periods of rapid growth and increased order volumes.
The Challenge
EHI operated a strong paper-based picking process, backed by well-trained staff and performance incentives. But as order volumes scaled and major customers imposed stricter SLAs, the manual system began to falter:
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Order inaccuracies led to financial penalties
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Printing costs exceeded $200 per day
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Manual processes made training slow and visibility limited
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Paper-based operations couldn’t scale easily with business growth
“We thought we had a good system. But human error creeps in — and we were being penalised for it.”
The Solution
To improve performance and future-proof their operations, EHI implemented Datapel’s Inventory Controller with wireless RF barcode scanning. This solution enabled:
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Paperless order picking via handheld scan guns
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Real-time visibility into warehouse activity
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Integration with ERP and EDI workflows
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Streamlined bulk receiving and high-volume putaway
The system was implemented quickly with minimal disruption — even as business demand continued to grow.
Measurable Results
✅ 25% increase in picking efficiency, including top performers
✅ Training time reduced by more than 50%
✅ Daily admin and printing costs reduced by $200
✅ Improved accuracy, visibility, and order tracking
✅ Full return on investment within 6 months
“Even our best pickers improved. We didn’t expect that. Honestly, if you don’t have barcode scanning, you’re losing money. Plain and simple.”
Smarter, Scalable Operations
Beyond efficiency gains, EHI achieved greater flexibility by multi-skilling staff across warehouse functions. With a system that’s easy to learn and use, the team could shift roles quickly and maintain productivity during unexpected absences or workload spikes.
“Now I can see exactly who’s doing what, when, and how long it takes — without standing in the warehouse. It’s clarity we never had before.”
Summary
With Datapel, EHI moved from a reliable paper process to a high-performance, scan-driven warehouse — achieving stronger control, reduced costs, and operational scalability to support continued growth.
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