Key Learnings from MODEX 2022

After a long two years away, MODEX returned with a powerful vengeance. Attendees and exhibitors alike were excited to reconvene for a week of supply chain solutions and innovations. We broke down our top four learnings from MODEX 2022 below. 

1. Windows isn’t dead. It’s moving from the back office to the frontline workers. 

“Windows is so much easier to use than Android.” 

Taking Windows out of the back office and bringing it out to the frontline workers was a common theme we heard at MODEX. The familiarity of Windows with the supportability by IT makes it the natural choice for companies of all sizes. If you have doubts, just ask your IT group if their financial systems run on Android. You’ll quickly see why so many companies choose Windows tablets for their frontline workers. 

2. Investment protection is a top priority. 

“Devices are being dropped and broken left and right.” 

Frontline workers need their devices to be tough. From falls on hard cement floors, rides on jostling forklifts or workers moving around the warehouse, devices are subjected to a lot. Customers stopped by just to say “before your rugged cases I was replacing tablets weekly because my guys dropped them so often. Since switching to MobileDemand, replacing tablets is now very low on my priority list.” 

Further, companies are having to invest more time and resources into training due to the labor shortage, and high turnover rate, of frontline workers. Decision makers are being especially cognizant of a device’s ease-of-use when investing in a mobile solution. Attendees were seeking convenient, easy to use solutions. “(The) need to get employees trained and up and running yesterday” was a common theme. 

3.Take box dimensioning from the back corner to where the work is. 

“Our dimensioning system is collecting dust.” 

Frontline workers are picking boxes, boxes are placed onto pallets and moved out on the loading docks. Just like Windows moving from the back-office, companies are desperately seeking solution to get accurate box dimensions back to the office and into their systems. The dusty contraption sitting in the far corner of the warehouse is not, and shouldn’t be, where the action happens. One attendee noted, “We don’t even bother using our (dimensioning system) anymore because by the time we get the boxes back there, it needs to be recalibrated.” 

4. The future of dimensioning is mobile. 

“I’m sick of all the errors (in measurements).” 

Frontline workers are either using outdated dimensioning systems, taking measurements by hand, or worse, taking their best guess on a parcel’s dimensions. Attendees are tired of this, resulting in inaccurate reporting and leading to loss of time and money. One attendee even noted he was “hit with $420,000 in overage charges last year!” After witnessing the revolutionary mobile dimensioning system, attendees were in awe, saying “This is the modern-day dimensioning system,” and “I’m never picking up another tape measure again.” 

Didn’t get a chance to connect with us at the show? Contact MobileDemand us to learn more about our productivity enhancing solutions.