­LEWISBURG, PA October 20, 2023 — CSSI Technologies, an 11-employee industrial technology firm based in Lewisburg, PA which serves the rapidly expanding warehouse and distribution sector, announced that it has transitioned to new ownership. Company president Joe Tosolt purchased the business from long-time owner Dave Cornelius upon his retirement.

“I am thrilled to be able to carry on the tradition of technology leadership and excellent customer support established by Dave Cornelius in his years of ownership,” said Joe Tosolt, CSSI president and owner. “We will continue to support customers as they empower their edge workers, and improve productivity, inventory accuracy, security, and data availability throughout their organizations.”

Originally founded in 1973 by Ronald Lewis as Computer Support Services Group, Inc., the company was acquired in 1978 by Dave Cornelius and Del Ritter. The firm achieved success selling rapidly evolving computer hardware, software, and business forms, earning a spot in the Inc 5000 in 2007. With additional partner Tom Erickson, the company later developed Core Integrator, a successful accounts payable automation software package. Core Integrator was split off as an independent company in 2018.

Today CSSI Technologies LLC provides 3 business lines: 1) Rugged mobile computing and data capture technologies such as barcoding and RFID, which empower edge workers and improve business efficiency; 2) Support and service for Microsoft Dynamics GP accounting software, and 3) Custom programming services. While the company originally focused on the Pennsylvania market and continues to serve many leading regional companies, today the customer base is increasingly national in scope.

Tosolt is a Pennsylvania native and Lehigh University MBA, and formerly the CEO of Innovative Office Products LLC in Easton, PA. He will continue to operate with the same experienced staff from the company headquarters in Lewisburg, PA.

About CSSI Technologies LLC
CSSI Technologies LLC (https://cssi.com/) boosts business productivity with the smart integration of auto ID, mobile computing, and business software. Founded in 1973 as a datacenter for accounting software, CSSI has evolved to offer a complementary range of services which include: Barcoding and Mobility Solutions, Custom Software Development, sales & support for Microsoft Dynamics GP, and Microsoft analytics software. From headquarters in Lewisburg, PA, CSSI supports customers across the United States.

CSSI Technologies is pleased to announce the addition of Bob Carter as account manager, covering the Southeast US (VA, NC, SC, GA, and FL). Bob is an experienced AIDC and enterprise mobility veteran, and brings a wealth of experience and insight to CSSI customers.

“We are thrilled to be able to extend CSSI’s quality customer support and capabilities to a broader geography with the addition of Bob Carter”, according to CSSI president Joe Tosolt. “We look forward to powering the productivity of warehouses, distribution centers, manufacturing floors, and transportation/logistics businesses throughout the southeast US.”

Contact CSSI to discuss your requirements and opportunities with Bob!

CSSI Simplifies Internal Transportation with Advanced Mobile Robots

CSSI Technologies is now a source for autonomous mobile robots offered by MiR (Mobile Industrial Robots). Founded in 2011, MiR is a leading manufacturer in the development of robotics technology for internal logistics. MiR offers a robust line of AMR base units which can transport pallets, racks, and carts, improving productivity by reducing your usage of human-controlled material handling equipment such as forklifts, hand trucks, pallet jacks, and static conveyor systems.

As the US mid-Atlantic region’s premier source for supply chain mobile computing and data capture technology, CSSI is excited to further expand its suite of product offerings for the warehouse, manufacturing facility, and distribution center, now including MiR mobile robots. CSSI will consult with you to identify your best task candidates for industrial automation, and will work with you to demo and configure the ideal AMR solution.

MiR Robot Applications & Advantages

MiRs autonomous robots (such as the MiR100 robot) are suitable for a broad range of internal logistics tasks, such as parts-to-line, kitting/picking, putaway, pallet transport, and trash removal. The automation of these internal transport tasks allows you to redeploy expensive human workers to higher value activities, and reduces challenges in keeping the workforce adequately staffed.

MiR mobile robots are easy to implement, even in highly dynamic environments with heavy loads. CSSI will work with you to assess and map your facility, and program your desired workflows. You can have an initial workflow up and running for a powerful robot within hours. As your needs expand, it’s extremely easy to grow your AMR fleet – simply deploy new units.

Overlapping Safety Mechanisms

Safety considerations are critical for an autonomous mobile robot, particularly when the unit will be working in environments shared with people. A MiR robot can be deployed without special training for your co-workers. Starting with your facility map: you can designate zones for preferred travel, as well as no-go or go-slow zones. The AMR’s array of sensors and powerful onboard software will always stay attentive to the local environment, as the robot optimizes or alters its planned path if obstacles are detected.

Function-Enabling AMR Add-Ons (‘Top Units’)

The core MiR autonomous mobile robot products are combined with one of many types of ‘top units’. These are functional add-ons which integrate with the robot to enable particular functionality – such pallet lifts or a collaborative robot arm. MiR offers a catalog of top units created by itself as well as 3rd parties. This creates a broader set of solutions, and allows you to assign different tasks to your autonomous robot over time as your needs change.

Powerful MiR Fleet Software

Each MiR robot has on-board AI and motion control software which enables you to configure and control the unit. However, if you will use multiple robots in the same facility, MiR Fleet software brings an increased ability to coordinate and optimize the actions of the mobile industrial robot fleet.

• Prioritize which autonomous robot handles given automation tasks based on position and availability
• Plans and coordinates the use of different top modules
• Connects to your WMS, ERP, and PLC’s. Integrate with other software through REST API.
• Can handle a fleet of up to 100 robots

Schedule Your MiR Robot Introduction

You can learn more by visiting our dedicated Mobile Industrial Robots (Mir) page. The team at CSSI is ready to discuss the use of MiRs autonomous robots to improve your internal logistics and material handling productivity. Please contact us to schedule your in-person robotics demo today.

Warehouse Growth – A Steam Train With No End In Sight

According to Forbes, warehousing is a “steam train with no end in sight”. Driven by massive surges in ecommerce activity, which was only accelerated by the pandemic, warehouse absorption reached 250 million square feet in 2021, up sharply over the previous 5-year average of 211 million square feet.

Fulfillment operations struggle to keep up with rising demand, larger facilities… and operations hamstrung by a tight labor market and rapid employee turnover. All this at the same time that customer expectations for shipment speed and supply chain accuracy reach new highs, the ‘acceptable performance’ bar for responsiveness and inventory management having been raised by leading players such as Amazon.

But technology has answers, with warehouse automation technology such as the inventory retrieval system, the autonomous mobile robot, the automated guided vehicle, and automated storage… all improving inventory control and warehouse efficiency.

Warehouse Robotics To The Rescue

State of the art warehouse operations have for years increasingly adopted and refined warehouse automation technology such as autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for material handling and order fulfillment. In 2022, it could be said that these technologies are now not only accessible to the rest of the market… they are increasingly becoming table stakes for anyone hoping to run a top-performing operation. There will rapidly come a day when warehouse automation systems and a solid warehouse execution system will be required just to maintain basic supply chain competitiveness.

Warehouse automation both mitigates the need for the same quantity of hard-to-attract workers and dramatically improves the productivity of each warehouse worker on staff. Output gains of 2X and 3X are routinely seen in projects which deliver positive ROI for the firm.

Surging Warehouse Robotics Adoption

The warehouse management industry is getting the message, and adoption of robotics in the supply chain is surging.

According to Statista, there are strong warehouse automation trends: The warehousing robotics market is expected to grow 137% from 2021 to 2030 (from $14.7 billion to $6.2 billion). Today, approximately 5% of warehouse space is automated. In a Freight Waves article, Rick Faulk, the CEO of Locus Robotics, says “I don’t think there is a ceiling. There will be another 6 or 7 billion square feet of warehouse space built over the next several years and that all needs to be automated.” Of course, that would not even include the massive square footage of existing warehouses, which almost must be modernized.

It’s an exciting time to be in warehousing!

Read the whole article to learn more about warehouse automation and robotics:

Warehouse robotics CEO: ‘I don’t think there is a ceiling’

Ready to explore warehouse automation with robotics in your facility?

Curious about the primary benefits of autonomous mobile robots? If you think that autonomous robots may be a fit for your warehouse or distribution center, now is a great time to kick off your project. CSSI’s team of warehouse management and AMR experts can review your workflows (picking, putaway, shipping, etc.) to identify automation opportunities which will transform your productivity. Consult with CSSI to discuss a warehouse automation solution. Contact CSSI to start the conversation.

Manufacturing Advisory Council Publishes Guide To Greater Pennsylvania Manufacturing Competitiveness

September, 2022 – The Pennsylvania Manufacturing Advisory Council has just published an insightful new guide, the Pennsylvania Manufacturing Competitiveness Playbook. This is a must-read for all participants in the PA manufacturing economy. This guide was created after detailed discussion and research by the Council with 500 state manufacturers. It aspires to provide insights and direction for continued economic development, innovation, and growth in the state’s sizable manufacturing base.

Manufacturing Is Significant to Pennsylvania Economic Development

Pennsylvania is a significant US domestic manufacturing power. The manufacturing sector is the state’s largest (13% of output), and manufacturing employment is significant, accounting for 9.5% of state workers. Also important: Pennsylvania manufacturers employ workers earning 33% more than average. Further, manufacturing jobs support 2.5 other workers on average, further amplifying the impact.

Smart Adoption of Technology Can Play a Role in Competitiveness

PA manufacturers face a number of challenges today. Among these are rising production volumes, customer expectations for ever-faster delivery, and hiring and employee retention challenges which complicate the days of operations managers everywhere. Smart adoption of the right manufacturing technology has the potential to solve all of these problems. PA Manufacturers agree: 90% are hiring, and 90% are also looking to technologies such as automation:

Automation is particularly attractive because it acts as a force-multiplier, allowing the firm to maximize the impact of each employee, even as it improves worker safety and job satisfaction. Consider the benefits of picking or line-side delivery via warehouse robot. The worker’s productive time is maximized, and wasted travel is reduced.

Forward-thinking companies are exploring opportunities to achieve significant ROI through technology, even while reducing hiring, training, and retention headaches.

Download the Pennsylvania Manufacturing Competitiveness Playbook Here:

How CSSI Can Help Manufacturing Companies

CSSI Technologies, based in Lewisburg, PA, provides a range of hardware and software solutions which support Pennsylvania manufacturers in improving worker productivity, raising accuracy and visibility, and improving customer service – in manufacturing, warehousing, supply chain, shipping, and more.

• Handheld computers and tablet PCs
• Autonomous mobile robots improve worker productivity and reduce hiring pressure
• Thermal printers
• WMS and other custom software solutions

Further, CSSI provides services such as Device Lifecycle Management and Mobile Device Management (MDM) which reduce the burden of managing, securing, and configuring mobile devices.

With years of experience supporting manufacturing and warehousing customers, CSSI brings to your team an industry perspective and technology expertise which can rocket your business forward.

Contact CSSI To Boost Manufacturing Competitiveness

To discuss improvement of your manufacturing competitiveness, contact CSSI to start a conversation. We look forward to speaking you about your operation!

Need additional state assistance with your manufacturing operation? Contact PA’s network of industrial resource centers for connection with support and resources.

Interested in more reading? Check out Zebra’s insightful Manufacturing Vision Study , for a detailed perspective on where global and American manufacturing leaders plan to invest for competitive advancement:

CSSI Offers Mobile Computers for Public Safety and First Responders

CSSI is pleased to offer the latest rugged tablets for police, fire, and rescue. Zebra Technologies offers a complete line of tough-and-ready tablets, including the new ET80/ET85 enterprise tablet.

Zebra Tablets Are Tough, & Tailored for Public Safety

PA COSTARS

CSSI participates in the Pennsylvania COSTARS program. To discuss a project, please contact us.

Zebra Fetch AMRs Now Available In PA Via CSSI

June 15, 2022, Lewisburg, PA – Pennsylvania-based CSSI Technologies introduces Zebra’s line of Fetch autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) to its product offering. Long known for expertise in mobile computing and automated data capture, now CSSI introduces autonomous mobile robots in PA.

As companies face labor shortages and rising expenses, even in the face of growing business demands, the maturation of autonomous mobile robots comes at the perfect time for manufacturers, warehouses, and distribution centers. “We are pleased to offer autonomous mobile robots to companies in Pennsylvania and throughout the mid-Atlantic US”, said Joe Tosolt, president of CSSI. “Robotics presents a solution for companies faced with rising volumes and struggling to attract and train staff during a labor shortage. Fetch AMRs eliminate wasted employee travel, boosting the speed and efficiency of your material movements.”

Warehouse robots reduce a company’s reliance on manned forklifts and pallet jacks, and allow the firm to direct those resources to higher value activities. Productivity can surge as valuable human resources spend less time escorting materials around the facility and more time adding value to those materials. AMRs augment and empower human staff, allowing a company’s people to get more done with less effort.

Zebra Technologies Purchase of Fetch Robotics

In August of 2021, Zebra Technologies completed its acquisition of Fetch Robotics , which was notable because Fetch has been a pioneer in mobile robotics technology and on-demand automation, and has developed a wide range of effective and easy-to-implement mobile robots powered by AI. As the industry leader in supply chain technology, Zebra’s purchase of Fetch Robotics enables it to add leading-edge material handling capabilities to its product line. CSSI is a Pennsylvania-based Zebra Premier Solutions Partner, and ready to work with you on implementing autonomous mobile robots in your warehouse and manufacturing facilities.

Key Benefits of AMRs

Autonomous mobile robots can be transformative for the productivity of your warehouse, distribution center or manufacturing facility – improving performance for your customers. The benefits of mobile robot technology are far-reaching and include:

• Reduce reliance on manned forklifts and pallet jacks
• Significantly reduce the amount of time employees spend in transit
• Support 2- and 3-shift operations
• Reliable and dependable – autonomous mobile robots don’t get sick or take time off, offering 24/7 mobility
• Improve safety – Zebra’s Fetch AMRs are designed with safe operation in mind with cameras and sensors, and reduce opportunities for accidents which results from human-driven forklifts
• Zebra’s Fetch AMRs can be easily trained for a task, and can be retrained for a new task when your business needs change. (This is a major different of AMRs versus the less flexible AGV, automated guided vehicle).

Attractive Workflows to Handle With Autonomous Mobile Robots

As you think about implementing warehouse robots, think from the perspective of specific workflows. What is the definable, repeatable task which can be assigned to your AMR in order to improve overall productivity? You are likely to find the highest ROI by identifying the most well-defined and frequently executed tasks. Businesses differ, but some likely examples might include:

• Support for picking operations with movement of eaches, totes, or cases
• Transport of pallets within facility
• Transport of rolling carts – supporting case picking, replenishment, and raw material delivery
• Creation of a virtual conveyor system, moving items from one line to the next
• Removal of waste material and recycling
• Automated RFID scanning of facility for cycle counting and asset tracking

How To Get Started With Autonomous Mobile Robots in PA

To get started with AMRs in Pennsylvania and the entire mid-Atlantic region, contact CSSI Technologies to discuss your needs. Our warehouse and mobile robot experts will work with you to determine the most attractive way to implement mobile robots in your facility.

CSSI Promoted to Zebra Premier Solutions Partner

CSSI Technologies is pleased to announce that it has been promoted by Zebra Technologies to Premier Solutions Partner status!. This is an elite level of the partner program which recognizes the success and expertise which CSSI has built in the Zebra product line.

Zebra Technologies is a global leader in handheld computers, rugged tablet PC’s, thermal printers, and data capture technologies, as well as a broad ecosystem of software solutions and tools.

As a Zebra Premier Solutions Partner, CSSI is now even better positioned to apply our expertise in Zebra products to successful implementations in your business!

Let’s talk about your next warehouse, logistics, or operations technology upgrade!

An Innovative New Guest Check-In Software Offering

CSSI is excited to announce the addition of a front desk guest check-in product its offerings. Verkada Guest is a powerful yet easy-to-install visitor management software package which improves security, enables visitor reporting, and supports your company brand image from the moment a guest enters your facility.

If your business utilizes a paper form or an out-of-date, inflexible digital check-in process, you will benefit from Verkada Guest. Imagine greeting visitors with a brand-appropriate and seamless check-in experience at your front desk, while capturing necessary information (even signing NDA’s and capturing driver’s licenses).

Verkada Guest Strengthens Security While Simplifying Visitor Management

Verkada Guest is offered by Verkada, a world leader in innovative physical security solutions such as video surveillance and access control. This newest offering extends to the front desk, and integrates tightly with other Verkada products you may have in place. All are managed from an easy-to-use web interface, providing one pane of glass to control and capture reports on all activities which impact your security and access.

Verkada Guest may also be used as a stand-alone product. It is fast and easy to setup, yet can be customized to suit your unique check-in requirements and brand image needs.

Learn More About Verkada Guest

As a Verkada business partner, CSSI is pleased to offer a no-risk 30 day demo of Verkada Guest! Try it out yourself to experience this groundbreaking new security product. Learn more about Verkada Guest by clicking here, or contact CSSI to arrange a personal demo today.

Join CSSI at the 2021 Manufacturing Best Practices Summit & Expo, held on Manufacturing Day 2021. Sponsored by NEPIRC (NE PA Industrial Resource Center), this event brings together manufacturers with thought leaders and leading suppliers such as CSSI Technologies. CSSI will be demonstrating the latest data capture and mobile computing technologies available to improve warehouse and manufacturing productivity.

When: Friday 10/1. 8am-5pm.
Where: Mohegan Sun Pocono Convention Center

Click to learn more about the 2021 Manufacturing Day Expo….