Barcode Tracking Systems

1. CASE STUDY // Ocean Beauty Seafoods
“With SIMBA and Psion’s Workabout Pro 3, we’re able to ship directly to the customer out
of our Alaskan plants, giving us better transportation rates. Our employees appreciate the
Workabout Pro 3s intuitive interface and durability. The support we’ve received from DSI
and Psion has made the transition seamless.”
— Tom Marshall, Superintendant for Ocean Beauty
Seafoods Excursion Inlet Alaska Plant
Background
Established in 1910, Ocean Beauty Seafoods is a pioneer in the Northwest and Alaska
seafood industry, ranking among the largest and most successful vertically integrated
seafood companies in the Pacific Northwest. Its corporate headquarters is located in
Seattle, while six of its seafood processing plants are located throughout Alaska.
Every year, Ocean Beauty Seafoods distributes millions of pounds of canned,
smoked, frozen and fresh seafood to customers across the globe. Its customers range
from retailers, like Chicken of the Sea and Bumble Bee Foods, to restaurants and
grocery stores.
At the height of the fishing season in Alaska, approximately 2,000 Ocean Beauty
Seafoods employees are working at the company’s Alaskan plants.
Ocean Beauty Seafoods

2. CASE STUDY // OCEAn BEAUTY SEAfOODS
The Problem
Traceability and product quality are
key to Ocean Beauty Seafoods meeting
global food standards. Its fresh seafood
cannot sit in the distribution center for
long periods of time. With six Alaskan
plants processing and distributing
thousands of pounds of fish a week,
employees need the ability to track
product easily and efficiently.
In 2003, Ocean Beauty Seafoods
installed SIMBA, a software solution that
uses barcode technology for tracking, at
its plants. While the distribution process
became streamlined and more efficient,
Ocean Beauty Seafoods’ handheld
devices were unable to withstand the
harsh, wet conditions in the plants and
were constantly being sent out for repair.
They needed a more rugged handheld
device that could streamline, accelerate
and simplify its distribution process.
The Solution
To meet this need, Ocean Beauty worked
with Dynamic Systems Inc. (DSI), a
systems integrator that specializes in
barcode technology. DSI suggested
Psion’s Workabout Pro™ 3 because of
its ergonomic form factor, ruggedness
and IP65 rating. The Workabout Pro
3 is the perfect solution for a business
that operates in extreme conditions,
such as coolers and freezers, in wet
environments, and for users that
are focused on speed and accuracy,
and aren’t in a position to handle the
equipment carefully.
With the SIMBA software running on
Psion’s device, today’s distribution
process at Ocean Beauty Seafoods
is streamlined, efficient and reliable.
After a batch of fish is processed, the
product is placed in a carton and given
a barcode label created by a dedicated
barcode label printer. The label contains
important tracking information including
the product’s date of processing. When
the carton is removed from the freezer
for shipment, an employee scans the
barcode with a Workabout Pro 3 and
enters what container the order was
loaded onto and where the shipment
is headed. This system is integrated
with the inventory system used at the
company’s Seattle headquarters. Now
Ocean Beauty Seafoods can track its fish
throughout the distribution and delivery
process, ensuring its orders are accurate
and its seafood is fresh. It has also
enabled the company to handle a wider
variety of products.
The Benefits
“Before we implemented SIMBA
and Psion’s Workabout Pro™ 3, the
products were shipped to our Seattle
headquarters for cold storage,” said
Tom Marshall, Superintendant for
Ocean Beauty Seafoods Excursion
Inlet Alaska Plant. “With SIMBA and
Psion’s Workabout Pro 3, we’re able
to ship directly to the customer out
of our Alaskan plants, giving us better
transportation rates. Without these two
technologies, it would be impossible
to track such a high number of varied
shipments from vessel to destination.”
Approximately 15 Workabout Pro 3s
are in use at Ocean Beauty Seafoods’
Alaskan plants with plans to roll out
additional terminals in the future.
“Our employees appreciate the
Workabout Pro 3s intuitive interface and
durability,” said Marshall. “The support
we’ve received from DSI and Psion has
made the transition seamless.”
To learn more about Ocean Beauty
Seafoods’ use of SIMBA Food
Distribution Software, please contact:
Dynamic Systems, Inc.
1-800-342-3999
http://www.a-barcode.com/contact-us/