Apex Steel selects Zebra Technologies for warehouse digitisation

Apex Steel, one of Australia’s largest privately owned steel manufacturers, has digitised its warehouse and shop floor operations with Zebra Technologies mobile computing, barcode scanning and printing solutions.

With Apex Steel facing challenges from a legacy paper-based system that led to inaccurate stock counts and fulfilment delays, Zebra modernised the company's operations by deploying a solution including Zebra’s MC9 series ultra-rugged mobile computers, ZT400 series industrial printers and DS3600 series ultra-rugged barcode scanners.

The project was executed in partnership with Zebra registered reseller and ISV, LogiQ-On Technology, who managed the integration of the new solution.

As part of the deployment, Apex Steel’s warehouse management system (WMS) was upgraded to Produmex WMS, which connects to the company’s existing SAP Business One (B1) system.

Zebra's ultra-rugged barcode scanners validate every steel coil’s colour and gauge before cutting, preventing material waste and expensive rework, while the industrial printers automate the final labelling stage, ensuring every finished pack is correctly identified to prevent shipping errors.

“In the steel industry, differentiation comes from service, not the product. We needed to deliver on our promises with absolute certainty,” said Nick Lachimea, chief corporate officer of Apex Steel.

“Receiving orders could take up to an hour. With Zebra’s MC9 series mobile computers, it now takes 10 minutes, making our team six times faster. We can tell a customer immediately if we have an item in stock and commit to next-day delivery with 99% confidence."

“Apex Steel’s success demonstrates the power of a connected frontline,” said Brett Newstead, sales director for ANZ at Zebra Technologies.

“Equipping their teams with our solutions solved long-standing challenges and created a significant competitive advantage through superior efficiency and customer service. This is intelligent operations in action.”