MediReva Revalidatie is a specialized company within the MediReva group. The company focuses on the rental, sale and stock management of medical aids. From its head office and warehouse in Maastricht, Netherlands, along with additional warehouses in Helmond and Gronsveld, Netherlands, MediReva Revalidatie delivers medical services and materials to private individuals, hospitals and healthcare institutions throughout the Netherlands.
Challenge
At MediReva Revalidatie, thousands of orders are processed every week. These orders contain both consumable goods and rental equipment.
Rental equipment returns to the warehouse after each rental period, where it undergoes:
- Cleaning and/or disinfection
- Inspection
- Repairs (if necessary)
- Storage
The administrative follow-up, processing and operation management is handled using the Microsoft Dynamics NAV ERP application.
MediReva Revalidatie partnered with HID Global’s partner Aucxis to streamline and eliminate as many manual operations as possible by integrating RFID technology into the administrative rental and stock management processes. The goal was to increase efficiency and provide a clear and accurate overview of all product statuses.
Aucxis faced two main challenges in this project.
Selecting the most suitable RFID tag:
- Safe for patient interaction
- Easy to apply but durable
- Resistant to heat and waterproof for high-temperature cleaning processes
Developing a compact warehouse management system (WMS) that seamlessly connects to Microsoft Dynamics NAV.
- Required a transparent communication layer via Microsoft Dynamics Services
- Ensured real-time processing, feedback, and offline synchronization of order statuses for RFID-tagged products
Procedure
All service materials and a majority of the user products are equipped with an RFID tag. When an order is registered, an order entry is created in the ERP application, which it is immediately available for the employees in the warehouse to process.
A warehouse worker calls up the order using a handheld RAIN UHF wireless scanner that can read barcodes as well as RFID tags. All required data of the item to be picked appear on the display: product, serial number and warehouse location.
The items equipped with an RFID tag are scanned one by one, confirming the serial number to eliminate mistakes. At the end of the warehouse picking, the order is placed in the transport zone. Another scanning is executed upon delivery at the customer.
Hardware and Software
Aucxis selected the HID Seal Tag Mini RAIN UHF tags that met all of the requirements including flexibility, secure tamper evident functionality, durability and easy to use. The tags are programmed with unique information for each product.
To scan the articles, Aucxis recommended the Nordic ID Medea RAIN UHF reader, which is a future-oriented handheld allowing scanning via 3G.
Aucxis developed a WMS package that offers a visually managed, intuitive registration for picking, transport, delivery, return, cleaning, control and reparation.
All process steps are linked back in real time to the ERP application to immediately alert workers of the order status.
Also, the service material return process is achieved using RFID; they are collected, cleaned and returned to the warehouse using a return order.
Furthermore, all employees are issued a HID RAIN UHF badge to register and identify who processes the order and executes the required action.
Outcome
The RFID solution delivered by Aucxis and HID Global grants a clear and accurate overview of the status of all products sold and delivered by MediReva Revalidatie.
By the efficient use of RFID tags and RFID scanners, mistakes are reduced to a minimum. MediReva Revalidatie has a clear and accurate overview of all articles’ statuses, as all process steps are linked to the back-office system in real time.
