A technician programming up a Peacock solution on a forklift

One of Australia's oldest businesses is leading the charge with the newest warehouse technology as RFID (radio frequency identification) gains traction.

Peacock Bros., a market leader in barcode technology, has come a long way since its origin in 1888 when it began selling general ledgers and other office supplies.

"Over the years, it has moved with technology in delivering solutions for keeping track of inventory and assets," explains managing director Neil Crump.

Peacock, he says, is one of the "longest running Australian companies selling barcode printers and supplies".

The move from barcodes to RFID was a logical one, and Crump says the motivation came in 1998 when one of Peacock's label material suppliers opened a new division suppling RFID Passive Tags. "Peacock took an interest in the product and began assessing the market potential as it was thought at the time it would replace barcode and the barcode printers, which was a major market sector for the company," he says.

Peacock's demo unit of the RFID forklift with indoor vehicle positioning

Ten years later, barcodes are still around, but interest in RFID is reaching a tipping point and Peacock is leading the charge.

"Peacock Bros. prides itself by being involved in all new technology offerings concerning data capture and information management systems," says Crump.

The technology thrust is being led by Peacock's Enterprise Mobility Division, one of seven operating divisions in the company. This business unit invests heavily in R&D and boasts one of the few Australasian testing facilities. "The fully operational testing and development facility in Melbourne offers the latest solutions that technology can provide," Crump notes, adding that, in many cases, Peacock Bros. is the first to have tested and installed these solutions.

A forklift-mounted terminal in action

He cites the RFID forklift as an example of his company's innovation. The prototype has developed into a wireless RFID solution with indoor vehicle positioning and graphical warehouse management software.

"Originally, Intermec Corp. adapted the RFID Gen 2 technology to the forklift and we improved on it by eliminating all cable connections for power and communication," Crump recalls. "We also redesigned the forklift backrest that houses the RFID decoders, aerial and battery pack and added Bluetooth connectivity between the decoder and the Intermec's CV30 onboard computer.

"We have already sold this new development to EastPack in New Zealand and now have six well-known Australian companies doing their pre-install ROI assessments," he says.

All the technology was locally developed - not because Peacock Bros. wanted to re-invent the wheel, but because "in the warehouse/distribution sector, there is little on offer that can perform the tasks required for RFID data capture".

While Peacock Bros. has exported its technology to New Zealand, Crump says his company prefers to "perfect the technology here before exporting". However, there are plans to take specific applications such as the Sky-Trax indoor vehicle tracking system and all the associated products to Asia.

Asked whether the market is ready for RFID, Crump says the applications are already widely used for asset tracking. "Some of the major tracking systems are used for automating baggage handling at airports, post logistics, animal registries, mining equipment and luxury items," he says.

However, RFID won't become the norm "until the tag prices fall", he believes. "This may happen as manufacturing technology improves, but at the moment it requires a number of process stages to create an acceptable label for a finished goods item."

Apart from the RFID, Indoor Vehicle Positioning and Warehouse Management Software solutions for forklifts, Peacock Bros. also provides:

* Scanner/handheld computer vehicle cradles and wireless docking stations
* RFID Pallets
* Forklift mounted PCs and Notebooks (ToughBooks)
* Warehouse management software
* Software integration between the forklift and warehouse management system
* Fully customised software applications that run on the forklift terminals or driver-held scanners/handheld computers.

Melbourne-based Peacock Bros. has branches in Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland, New Zealand.

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