When conducting storage and picking operations the use of carton flow rack not only saves space and makes picking faster, but it also reduces wasted motion. People don’t need to walk as much between pick positions, so they spend more time doing productive work like picking and packing.

There are many options and configurations for carton flow, and to help you navigate those choices, we’ve published a guide to carton flow rack.

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Above: flow storage installed on pallet rack beams in a distribution center

To increase warehouse productivity, reducing the time it takes for people to execute a task is always going to pay off. One way to do that is to concentrate on picking areas so that people are able to get what they need faster and more efficiently. A common gravity flow application is to mount shelves of flow storage on pallet rack so you can mix & match gravity flow and bulk pallet storage in the same structure for both existing and new rack systems.

Whether you’re adding flow storage to an existing rack system or building it from new, this guide should help you get started.

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Above: a distribution center pallet flow application enforces FIFO picking protocol

In the age of eCommerce, fast shipping and obsolescence, first-in/first-out (FIFO) storage strategies are critical tools. Some products fit the mold (food, perishables, some electronics, medicines and many other retail goods), while other types of inventory are more about storage density and efficiency. The question is, what type of storage strategy works best for you? And what types of storage systems should you use?

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During the Covid-19 crisis, many office workers are sheltering in place. They’re working through conference calls, web meetings and mobile technology. They are also ordering groceries and other staples and having it delivered to their doors to help prevent the spread of the virus. They’re hitting retail stores. All of this is helping reduce future cases of the virus.

It’s also straining the retail and eCommerce supply chains, and someone has to fill those orders: The warehouse worker.

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We don’t know what the next month holds, much less the rest of 2020 and beyond when it comes to Covid-19, but we know changes are coming. However, several things are known in the current situation.

1. The supply chain must function. Food and medical chains are the priority, but all types of other products must still reach Americans.
2. This work can’t be done remotely. People must staff warehouses and factories.
3. Like other facilities, the warehouse requires social distance to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and make their workers safe.
4. The supply chain must be safe for its workers and its consumers.

We’ve put together some ideas that may help you as the situation evolves.

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Belt and roller powered conveyors are specified for a variety of reasons within a given conveyor system. The reasons almost always come down to load characteristics and functionality. Both can be used in transportation, sortation, and accumulation applications. This article delves into the differences and the specific advantages each conveyor type offers.

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Conveyors–as we’ve discussed–have two major costs:

1. The cost of conveyor hardware, which should include installation.
2. The cost of operations, which should include maintenance, repair and energy consumption.

When you invest in capital equipment, you should be as focused on operational costs as purchase price. Part of that is extending the life of your conveyor system. How can you make sure you get the most out of your conveyors?

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Cisco-Eagle designed and implemented a modern order fulfillment system for Educational Development Corporation that dramatically increased order picking speed, reduced errors and allowed the company to expand. In this video, EDC’s Randall White, Jimmy Cleveland and Craig White explain why partnership with Cisco-Eagle and Hytrol was so critical to the project’s success.

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Once an afterthought in the warehouse, vertical carousels are being reborn in the omnichannel age as a fulfillment finish line product. Retailers are eyeing carousels to help them aid in customer retrieval of picked orders shipped to a retail location, which is giving the carousel a “moment” as a new last-mile darling. Whether located in the back of the store for employees to use, or at the front for customers to pick up themselves, vertical carousels are showing to be a good fit for this new age of sales. But don’t sleep on their value in industrial settings or distribution channels.

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The advantages of pick-to-light for order fulfillment are well-documented: you can pick faster and more accurately without the burden of tickets or voice-activated systems. Your workforce can be trained in a fraction of the time, in a “fast food” type experience. It’s a technology that has found broader applications in many distribution centers simply because it’s a fast, easy way to improve.

Light-directed systems may have a more positive impact on assembly than they do on order picking.

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