All warehouses have fire risks, ranging in severity. Facilities flammable loads like paper, aerosols, liquors or fiber are at higher risk than others, but any load on wood or plastic pallets can catch fire.  For instance, manufacturing facilities with airborne debris are at more risk than those storing ceramics or steel components. While storage racks are not among leading causes of warehouse fires, (or even a cause, except for their loads) they can play an important part in reducing spread and damage.

Read the rest of this entry »

Most warehouses use bins, cartons or containers as bulk product shipments are broken into “eaches” or smaller quantities for putaway, storage and eventual picking. This is also largely true of assembly and manufacturing lines where components are transported between workstations and work is progressively done. While they don’t exactly break the bank given their costs, specifying the wrong container can result in a less efficient, less ergonomic operation.

Read the rest of this entry »

Cisco-Eagle recently won a first-place national award for Communications Excellence for Printed Materials for 2020 according to the ESOP Association. These awards were established to identify companies that excel at communicating with employee-owners and the larger community about ESOPs. We were runners-up for this award in 2017.

Read the rest of this entry »

When you need exceptionally high-density pallet storage, drive-in racks deliver space savings by eliminating forklift access lanes. They’re last-in, first-out storage ideal for stock that doesn’t need active inventory rotation and will be picked and used in a relatively fast manner. There are challenges to any storage system, of course. This guide should help you find ways to reduce the problems and operate your drive-in rack system more efficiently and safely.

Read the rest of this entry »

Above: workers in a distribution center putaway aisle with flow and bulk storage accessibility. Picking aisles are left clear as the system is replenished. Photo credit: Unex Manufacturing.

Putaway, which is the methods and processes that occur between receiving inventory and that inventory resting in storage positions in a warehouse, may have more impact on the performance of order fulfillment or warehousing operation than most anything else.

Read the rest of this entry »

Every year, we summarize and publish the results of our ongoing customer satisfaction survey. The survey is short, but allows plenty of room for customer comments, complaints and compliments. 2020 is perhaps the most “different” year in my 31 years at Cisco-Eagle, but we have been blessed with great customers who have been willing to spend some of their valuable time providing feedback for us. This is the 2020 summary.

Read the rest of this entry »

Dock boards and dock plates are built to transition forklifts, pallet jacks, carts, people and other transportation methods between trailers and your warehouse dock area or staging floor. How can you be sure the transition between truck trailers and your dock is safe?

Read the rest of this entry »

As we’ve discussed automating anything as complex as a large scale material handling process has risks, but there are ways understand the outcome better in advance and reduce any risks. It’s always good to have more data, and simulation plays into that scenario by giving you a view of what key systems, technology and process will interact in your system, with your loads.

Read the rest of this entry »

Cisco-Eagle was founded in November, 1970 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Warren Gandall. November 1, 2020 marks our 50th year of operation. It’s a good time to reflect on what’s happened since that first year and where we are headed as an organization.

Read the rest of this entry »

Cisco-Eagle holds an annual poster contest to celebrate our employee ownership culture. It’s even more special because we became 100% employee-0wned during 2020. This is part of our effort to help us embrace the partnership culture that lets us deliver exceptional service. This year, Joy Hunsinger designed the winning poster.

Read the rest of this entry »