PUCE Reduces Inventory Time by 70% with Zebra

Zebra Technologies announced that Pontificia Universidad Católica de Ecuador (PUCE), a higher education institution in Quito, implemented Zebra’s RFID solutions to optimize inventory management and increase asset visibility.

Before the RFID implementation, PUCE manually controlled its inventory of campus assets, including laboratory instruments, library books and classroom furniture. This process was time consuming and ineffective, generating losses and high costs. By implementing Zebra’s RFID solutions, PUCE has reduced inventorying times by 70%.

“Zebra’s RFID asset tracking solution has been a game-changer for PUCE to help us control more than USD$90 million in assets,” said Yesenia Cubas, fixed assets manager, PUCE. “We have reduced the time it takes to count our inventory from three months to one day in each building, and we have nearly doubled our inventory accuracy while significantly reducing labor costs.”

PUCE now identifies its assets with Zebra RFID supplies and empowers its front-line workers with Zebra RFD8500 handhelds and TC21 mobile computers to help improve productivity and operational efficiency. Zebra mobile solutions are integrated with the inventory software of Corsinf, a Zebra partner.

“Prior to the deployment of the Zebra–Corsinf inventory solution, 40 people were needed to take inventory of PUCE’s assets,” said Milton Rubio, CEO, Corsinf. “After implementing the Zebra RFID solutions together with our asset management solution, only two people are needed, and human errors are significantly reduced.”

In addition to inventory control, the RFID deployment has helped PUCE improve its asset management operation, generating more accurate reports to improve real-time decision-making. Based on reliable data, the university makes timely decisions about obsolete assets, insurance renewals and new purchase requirements.

Beyond the business benefits, the implementation is currently one of the learning projects for students pursuing technology careers as they can witness the evolution, development, and results of the RFID deployment. 

“We are very pleased that PUCE, one of Ecuador’s leading educational institutions, has selected Zebra to provide visibility and efficiency, and a real tech project for its students’ learning process,” said Felipe Behar, VP, sales and GM of North of Latin America, Zebra Technologies. “With RFID solutions, Zebra provides unprecedented visibility into every corner of operations, helping businesses make more informed decisions and gain a competitive advantage.”