Case Study: ECHO Inc. Achieves 99.9 Percent Distribution Accuracy, Better Customer Service With Mobile Printing

For the past 30 years, ECHO Inc. has been a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of professional-grade hand-held outdoor power equipment for both the commercial and residential markets. With manufacturing in the Chicago area, the company sells its chainsaws, trimmers and other power equipment through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers.

Challenge
ECHO parts and finished products—numbering more than 15,000—are housed in a 156,000-square-foot distribution center at the company's Lake Zurich, Ill., headquarters. Over the years, ECHO's distribution methods have evolved, increasingly becoming more efficient and customer-focused. ECHO has moved from picking products off a carousel and tagging them for shipping to picking with individual forklifts. Both approaches had their drawbacks in terms of efficiency and accuracy.

As the company's volume increased, it needed a more precise and clear method of picking and labeling to improve internal efficiency and customer satisfaction.