AirLink Devices Enable Shipping and Courier Services

AirLink Devices Enable Seamless Shipping and Courier Services

Global Logistics Firm Deploys Shipping System Using the AirLink RV50X LTE Gateway

One of North America’s largest couriers and logistics services company's has the most extensive courier delivery network, processing well over 5.5 million pieces (delivery and pick up) weekly for destinations across North America and globally.

From automated solutions to 24-hour pickup and delivery, they provide their customers with the services and customized solutions required to get their shipments across town the same day or around the world the next day. The company has an extensive service network, with approximately 12,000 employees, over 5,000 ground vehicles, and North America’s largest dedicated air express fleet.

The Challenge

Outfitting Remote Shipping Sites with Service Terminals

The company offers a variety of shipping solutions for small and large businesses and individual consumers. One such solution is a cost-effective turnkey shipping system installed in higher volume customer sites, typically a warehouse or mailroom used as a company’s distribution or fulfillment center. The shipping system allows a customer to print shipping labels on-site, with the transaction information collected by the organization for regular invoicing. The system is a flexible and feature-rich application easily integrated with customer warehouse management software (WMS) or enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.

Connectivity for Shipping and Courier Services

As part of a recent investment program, the company upgraded to an IP-based user application to roll out enhanced features and functionality to its shipping system customer base. To do so, the company initiated a POTS replacement and moved away from the non-IP phone line connection used to connect to its back-end systems. While the company can utilize the landline data links available from some customers in dedicated buildings, many of its customers are located in multi-use buildings where piggybacking on Internet connectivity is not allowed and/or new landline installation is both time and cost-prohibitive.

“We deploy our shipping solutions into many diverse environments,” explained a member of their Customer Automation Client Services team. “We needed a new way to connect the client-facing side to our back-end systems to pull the transaction information and data updates required for accurate invoicing.”

The Solution

Fast, Flexible, Efficient Connectivity with AirLink RV50X

To provide the flexible, fast, and efficient network that was needed to support this transition, the organization partnered with a regional wireless communications firm to provide a solution utilizing the Sierra Wireless AirLink™ RV50X LTE Gateway for dependable, always-on connectivity on North America’s next-generation 4G cellular networks.

The organization chose the RV50X because it’s built on a robust platform and processing environment that provides remote monitoring and two-way communication to meet its needs in operating and supporting the remotely deployed application. The intelligent cellular gateway enables remote data collection, and its sleek, compact form factor enables integration within existing infrastructure and equipment. The newly available AirLink RX55 Industrial Router would have also been an excellent solution for this application.

The AirLink RV50X is powered by ALEOS™, the longstanding industry benchmark for reliable and feature-rich intelligence, enabling remote configuration, packet-level diagnostics, and network session persistence. In addition, it features the AirLink Management Service (ALMS) suite of tools and utilities to simplify the provisioning, managing, and troubleshooting of remote equipment, enabling Purolator to monitor and control its network of wireless gateways in one central location.

Using ALMS, a one-to-many remote management tool for the enterprise, the organization managed its deployment of cellular gateways from a central location, remotely resolved network issues, and implemented regular system status checks.

“We use the ALMS one-to-one remote management tool to do all of our device configuration and setup,” said the Customer Automation Client Services representative. “Everything goes out preconfigured; each device is a basic mirror of the others, with the only change being the device name.”

The team member also commended the support provided by Sierra Wireless’s field service engineers, who were “instrumental in helping us understand what we could accomplish with the wireless devices, the management of the deployed inventory, and how we could create a secure environment.”

Since deploying the first system, the organization has implemented 1250 systems using the AirLink RV50X LTE Gateway.

With transaction speeds increasing with each new generation of cellular technology, the team is pleased with the performance of their proprietary system and calls the integration of AirLink RV50X devices into its back-end systems and equipment “seamless.”

The company, and others like it, also deployed the AirLink RV55 with Wi-Fi inside their fleets of ground vehicles to better track and monitor their mobile assets and team members.

The Results

Easy Configuration and Reduced Wait Time for New Customers

The quick and easy configuration and setup of the AirLink RV50X LTE Gateways have significantly reduced the waiting time for new customers being integrated into the system.

“One of cellular’s big advantages is that it is so much quicker to deploy than a new landline,” explained a company representative. “Cellular has cut our required lead time from 8 – 10 weeks to just days.” And that immediacy translates to improved customer service and the potential for quicker revenues for the business as customers get almost instant access to their shipping systems.

The Sierra Wireless AirLink RV50X running on next-generation cellular networks has allowed the business to recognize the following benefits:

Time savings – Easy setup and configuration provided by ALMS and the quick deployment inherent in wireless solutions allow for minimal solution deployment time.
Lower operating costs – Remote, two-way wireless communication provided by AirLink devices reduces monthly provider costs by utilizing less expensive cellular service and overall solution costs by providing a less expensive alternative to landline (DSL) installation.
Reliability and remote monitoring – ALEOS embedded intelligence within RV50X communications gateways provides such high-level functionality as remote configuration and device maintenance, packet-level diagnostics and dependable network session persistence. The gateway enables “always-on” and “always-aware” connectivity, resulting in less than a one percent failure rate in the 15 months since the initial wireless system deployment.
Portability – Utilization of wireless cellular connectivity fulfills the potential need to move and re-use shipping systems without costly relocation of data lines.

About USAT

Device Provisioning, Activation and Installation Services

USAT specializes in designing and deploying mobile wireless data connectivity solutions for organizations of all sizes — complete with implementation, training, proof of concept (POC), system auditing, and on-site RF surveying services with optional engineering maintenance contracts. Our team not only helps you select, provision, and activate devices, we make sure they work in practical applications and real-life situations.

For over 25 years, USAT has provided mobile communications solutions for various retail applications across the USA. With our extensive catalog of world-class routers, gateways, and software designed for remote monitoring and management in even the harshest environments — you can count on us to get and keep you connected.

Better mobile connectivity translates to less manual equipment maintenance, reduced downtime, and an overall increase in your business’s ROI. Contact the experts at USAT to learn how our wireless networking solutions can help meet your organization’s exacting needs.