PMS International

PMS International

One of the UK’s biggest importers of mass market consumer products, PMS International operates an enormous wholesale and distribution network based at its giant headquarters in Basildon, Essex.

The company supplies a huge range of goods, including toys, housewares, novelties, outdoor equipment and Christmas decorations, to buying groups, seasonal traders, market stalls, budget stores, the leisure and amusement trade and many more.

PMS is also an old customer of Brentwood’s. We first installed an analogue two way radio network at its 500,000 sq ft warehouse several years ago, and have been supplying handsets ever since. However, PMS recently came to the conclusion that the old analogue system was no longer meeting their operational needs.

Getting adequate coverage throughout the warehouse, plus its 24,000 sq ft worth of showrooms, was a constant battle. So the company came back to Brentwood and asked what their options were for upgrading.

Our solution

Having worked with PMS previously, we were familiar with the needs of its operation already. We visited the warehouse again to see if there were any new operational requirements, and to talk through protocols for coordinating deliveries, orders and stock control over such a large space, as well as health and safety compliance.

We recommended the Hytera PD405 digital migration model. The PD405 operates on both digital and analogue frequencies, which is why it is called a migration model – businesses like PMS can continue to use their existing analogue handsets as they gradually upgrade to digital. Smart technology in the PD405 automatically detects the signal type from other radios, allowing it to switch between analogue and digital automatically.

We recommended a digital upgrade for several reasons. For one, digital radio provides better network coverage over a larger range than analogue, so for PMS would offer more reliable communication across the 500,000 sq ft warehouse. Audio quality and clarity is better, and digital two way radios offer a wider range of features than analogue.

The PD405 is a slimline non display model which is easy to carry around for workers who are on their feet all day and very straightforward to operate. We supplied PMS with handsets programmed in UHF mode, as UHF frequencies are better suited to transmission in an indoors environment full of obstacles to the signal, such as a large warehouse