Honeywell rolls out two rugged computers to streamline fulfillment – DC Velocity

Handhelds connect to warehouse software platforms, firm says. Honeywell International Inc. has rolled out two rugged mobile computers that it said will streamline fulfillment operations by connecting workers and DCs to cloud-based databases and the Internet of Things (IoT). The Dolphin CN80 Mobile Computer and 8680i Smart Wearable are Honeywell's vision of a "connected distribution center" that leverages machine-learning algorithms to predict snarls before they happen and avoid fulfillment backups, company's executives said in a webcast held Wednesday at the company's partner conference in Dallas. Distribution center managers are struggling to keep the rising tide of e-commerce volume from backing up order processing functions due to rising stock-keeping unit (SKU) diversity, order complexity, labor variables, and inventory congestion, the Morris Plains, N.J.-based company said. Warehouse workers can handle those challenges more efficiently if they are equipped with mobile computers that can access tools like augmented reality, machine learning, and smart robotics, Pieter Krynauw, president of Honeywell Intelligrated, said in the webcast.