How Kalundborg Municipality keeps track of thousands of assistive devices with barcodes and digital number plates

Thousands of assistive devices must be registered, loaned out and tracked every day in municipalities. At Health and Authority – Assistive Device Depot in Kalundborg Municipality, a solution with labels, barcodes and mobile PDAs from Delfi Technologies has created a better overview, higher traceability and more efficient workflows.

Danish municipalities play an important role in ensuring that citizens receive the right assistive devices at the right time—both to support self-reliance and to create a sense of security in everyday life.

However, when assistive devices must continuously be registered, loaned out, returned and reallocated, it requires efficient workflows and a complete overview.

A digital overview of the municipality’s assistive devices

From wheelchairs and rollators to welfare technology and other assistive devices for citizens with permanent reduced functional ability. Municipal assistive device depots handle large volumes of assistive devices every day, placing high demands on structure and documentation.

At the Assistive Device Depot in Kalundborg Municipality, workflows have been digitised with labels, barcodes and mobile PDAs (model: Bluebird S20) from Delfi Technologies.

The solution is integrated with KMD Nexus and provides employees with real-time updates directly in the system. This ensures better traceability, fewer errors and a stronger overview of both loaned-out assistive devices and stock status.

Barcodes as number plates

To keep track of the many assistive devices, the Assistive Device Depot uses barcode labels on, among other things, wheelchairs, rollators and other assistive devices. Each label contains an item number and a unit number, enabling the assistive device to be quickly identified digitally.

“In practice, barcode labels function as a kind of number plate on our assistive devices. They are a crucial key to registering correctly, tracking the assistive devices throughout the entire process, and always knowing what is out with citizens and what we have in stock,” explains Jesper Bilenberg Andersen, Operations Coordinator at Kalundborg Municipality’s Assistive Device Depot.

Labels are printed directly at the depot using label printers (model: Citizen CL‑S700III) from Delfi Technologies and are used daily to label the assistive devices.

Directly in KMD Nexus: Mobile PDAs reduce errors and manual processes

The Assistive Device Depot works—like many other municipalities—in KMD Nexus, which is the central platform for managing citizen pathways across the municipality.

Using mobile PDAs from Delfi Technologies, employees can work directly in Nexus and register changes in real time.

When an assistive device is loaned to a citizen, the barcode is scanned directly with the handheld terminal, after which the information is automatically updated in the system. This reduces manual workflows, minimises registration errors and also provides a constantly updated overview of loaned-out and available assistive devices.

“We need solutions that operate reliably in a busy day-to-day environment where many assistive devices are constantly on the move. The interaction between labels, handheld terminals and KMD Nexus enables us to quickly register changes and maintain an overview,” says Jesper Bilenberg Andersen.

Structure and order support efficient operations

At the Assistive Device Depot, digitisation is closely linked to structure and systematic organisation at the depot.

The assistive devices are organised systematically in the warehouse, enabling employees to quickly find products, handle orders and register returns efficiently.

The work areas are also designed with a focus on order and safety. By the lifts, for example, cables and wires are routed up to the ceiling to keep floor areas clear and create a more manageable working environment.

This supports a stable and efficient flow in daily operations.

Focus on both operations and citizen service

The Assistive Device Depot does not only work with managing assistive devices. The depot has also established a showroom—Quick Service—where citizens can try out different assistive devices and receive guidance from an occupational therapist.

This combines efficient operations with a focus on the individual citizen’s needs.

With labels, mobile handheld terminals and KMD Nexus, the Assistive Device Depot in Kalundborg has created a digital setup with high traceability and a strong overview of both assistive devices and stock status. The solution supports daily workflows and ensures that assistive devices can be handled and delivered quickly and correctly to citizens throughout Kalundborg Municipality.