You placed your order and the freight truck just drove up to the dock. As you watch, workers unload the new equipment while the truck driver waits, clipboard in hand, for you to sign off on the delivery.
Stop. Don’t sign the bill of lading just yet.
Freight Claims: What to do, When to do it
October 6, 2014
by Scott Stone
Tags: damage claim, freight deliveries, freight claims, shipping policies, damaged goods
Posted in Docks & Shipping|
Are We Automating Jobs Away?
October 3, 2014
by Scott Stone
In the last 200 years 70% of jobs done by American workers have been replaced by automation – and during the next century we will see another automation revolution that replaces 70% of American jobs–again.
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Tags: Automation, ergonomics, Safety & Ergonomics, Robotics, workers force
Posted in Automation, Labor & Efficiency|
Pick Light vs. Voice-Directed vs. RF Picking Systems
October 1, 2014
by Scott Stone
These systems are at their best for open case picking systems. When you’re picking full pallets and cases, they’re less useful, although that depends on the situation. You can mix these systems in a single facility of pick pod area for maximum effect with inventory slotted to match the necessary profile. Each has a role, depending on what you’re picking, how your facility is set up, and the nature of your picking methodology. What might be best for a given situation?
Tags: pick to light, voice directed picking, RF systems
Posted in Automation, Labor & Efficiency|
Conveyor Costs: The Critical Information You’re Overlooking
September 30, 2014
by Scott Stone
A conveyor system is an investment that you don’t take lightly—you want the best equipment you can buy for your money. The most obvious cost of that equipment will be the cost on the initial invoice, but there’s more to consider when purchasing a conveyor…far more. That’s why you should consider the Total Cost of Ownership for your system, and what you can do to decrease it in the long-term. What are the total costs, and how can you reduce them?
Tags: ROI
Posted in Conveyor Optimization|
What’s the Best Pallet Rack for Your Application?
September 15, 2014
by Scott Stone
When approaching pallet rack choices, cost, storage density and construction elements all play a role in making a choice. While cost is always a prime concern, be mindful that cost is often tied to storage density. Cheaper pallet rack tends to not have as much storage density as more expensive rack. But before you consider cost, you must decide what applications you will use the pallet rack for.
Tags: gravity flow rack, selective pallet rack, structural, seismic, mobilized
Posted in Pallet & Warehouse Racks|
Ways to Safely and Efficiently Transport Pallets Without a Forklift
September 5, 2014
by Scott Stone
Forklifts are ubiquitous in warehousing and other industrial operations, but aren’t necessary in many other applications, such as small assembly shops, retailers, auto dealerships, and others that require materials movement but do not need a forklift, with its maintenance costs, safety issues, driver requirements and its footprint in a smaller facility. What methods can you use instead?
Tags: Material Handling, stackers, lift transporters, powered lift hand truck, portable stacker, counterweight, non-forklift
Posted in Safety & Ergonomics|
Long Item Storage: Comparing Traditional and Crank-Out Cantilever Racks
August 29, 2014
by Scott Stone
If you’ve got conduit, tubing, rebar, pipe or bar stock, you need cantilever rack – period. Get it off the floor, off of standard shelving and pallet rack, and put it somewhere you don’t have to fight with it each time you need some. If you’re really smart, you’ll put it where overhead lift equipment can get to it – because once you get it stored right, you’ll wonder what the heck you were thinking earlier.
Tags: ergonomic, heavy duty cantilever rack, Safety & Ergonomics, cantilever rack, crank out shelving
Posted in Pallet & Warehouse Racks|
Tool & Die Storage Done Right
August 29, 2014
by Scott Stone
We all know what happens to tooling and die when it’s stored haphazardly. Bumped and scratched, a chip here, a nick there, and suddenly your machining just isn’t what it used to be. The quality has slipped, maybe more products are being returned, there’s an increase in customer complaints. It’s too valuable and too expensive to risk. What are your options?
Tags: sheet metal storage, tool & die rack, tooling, machining, CNC, lathe, cutter
Posted in Pallet & Warehouse Racks|
Additions to Improve Your Pallet Storage
August 22, 2014
by Scott Stone
People store all kinds of things on pallet rack – from truck engines to fine jewelry. How do you protect valuable goods from being accessed by unauthorized personnel? What about inventory toppling off the back of the rack into an aisle where workers are?
Tags: Pallet Rack, warehouse safety, Pallet Rack Safety Netting, Rack Security Cages
Posted in Pallet & Warehouse Racks|
How to Measure and Improve Industrial Storage Space Efficiency
August 18, 2014
by Scott Stone
All too often, companies struggle because the size of their warehouse is considered in the planning stage, but not the efficient use of that space.
A facility is purchased or leased with the desired set of characteristics, and then work begins. There are significant opportunities in many operations to size up the business mix, order trends, product slotting and facility layout in a way that helps improve everything from storage density to pick rates to error rates to labor costs. But first we must know the total storage potential of the facility, and work backwards from there.
Tags: warehouse storage, storage space, facility layout
Posted in Space Optimization & Planning|