BarControl is proud to announce a successful first year with AmeriCares. AmeriCares has contracted BarControl Systems and Services to install its BarControl Enterprise Manager (iBEM) system in their warehouse.

AmeriCares is a non-profit disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization, it provides immediate response to emergency medical needs, as well as supporting long-term humanitarian assistance programs for all people around the world, irrespective of race, creed or political persuasion. AmeriCares solicits donations of medicines, medical supplies and other relief materials from U.S. and international manufacturers, and delivers them quickly and efficiently to indigenous health care and welfare professionals around the world.

AmeriCares went live on BarControl’s iBEM system in July 2004. During the first year of service the iBEM system assisted AmeriCares in receiving and distributing a very large volume of inventory. With the tsunami disaster at the end of 2004, the iBEM system was put through its paces as AmeriCares handled nearly 10 times the inventory value as their previous year. While AmeriCares uses several functions of the iBEM system, from purchasing and receiving of gift inventory to order entry and shipping, the heart of the system is inventory. The main warehouse utilizes Symbol Radio Frequency (RF) barcode scanners with real-time client server operation in iBEM. As a credit to the AmeriCares operation, the annual Price Waterhouse Coopers inventory audit, for the second year in a row (Fiscal Years 2005-2006), found zero inventory errors with the inventory on hand.

Two warehouses in the U.S. and one in Europe serve as assembly centers for inventory.

Uncompromising security procedures assure that the assistance is distributed to the designated beneficiaries and not diverted. For example, all-inclusive tracking of medicine by lot number. iBEM is capable of tracking by item/NDC, pallet, lot number and expiration date assuring a complete audit trail. Tracking and ordering by expiration date assures that product loss is kept to a minimum due to spoilage. Along with allocations by destination, countries, partners, and donor restrictions, iBEM allows AmeriCares to check inventories quickly, so the needed materials can get to their destination as fast as possible.

As AmeriCares expands their user base and other areas of operation convert to the iBEM system, BarControl continues to develop, expand and customize their system to meet the growing needs of the company.