In our latest Shoptalk installment, employee-owner Amanda of our Systems Integration Group discusses how EDC upgraded and expanded its pick module operations.
Shoptalk: EDC Pick Module Expansion
March 14, 2023
Tags: Order Picking & Fulfillment, ecommerce, Shoptalk, warehousing, order fulfillment, Mezzanines
Posted in Order Picking & Fulfillment|
When is an ASRS System a Good Fit?
November 18, 2021
by Scott Stone
Automated storage and retrieval systems are becoming more commonly deployed in today’s modern distribution, manufacturing and warehousing facilities because they make more sense than ever in an age of escalating demand and declining labor availability. Is space tight? What are the error rates throughout fulfillment? What kind of space issues do you see moving forward? What are the safety and ergonomic concerns?
Tags: ROI, Order Picking & Fulfillment, ecommerce
Posted in Automation, Labor & Efficiency|
Smarter Space in the E-Commerce Landscape
January 18, 2018
Online sales will account for 17% of all U.S. retail sales by 2022, up from a projected 12.7% in 2017. As you might imagine, warehouses are suffering from a major capacity crunch. Whereas previously warehouses were organized to handle large volumes of each product, E-commerce orders are characterized by a low quantity of many items or just a singular item. In an e-commerce oriented warehouse, huge quantities of SKUs exist, each needing their own specific storage slots.
Warehouse managers know that inventory levels can fluctuate anytime within a sales season, especially during a holiday when inventory levels are typically at their peak, often double or triple normal levels. Plus, because of the Amazon-effect, consumers are demanding more products with faster and better service, putting additional strain on warehouse space. Because of this growth, many businesses are looking for additional space to distribute and store products, but warehouse real estate is hard to find.
What is a retailer to do? The answer for additional space can be found within the four walls of your current operation.
Tags: warehouse, e-commerce, Order Picking & Fulfillment
Posted in Space Optimization & Planning|
Improving Ergonomics in the Warehouse
November 28, 2017
With the rising costs of workers’ compensation insurance and global pressures to increase productivity, warehouse and distribution center managers are taking a much closer look at improving ergonomics. With as many as 65% of worker’s compensation claims associated with manual materials handling, insurance companies are raising their rates—or mandating ergonomic improvements for continued coverage.
Equipment suppliers are responding to the need, engineering and designing features into their products to help workers minimize the strains associated with lifting, reaching, twisting, pulling and pushing. These new product features can also help address the demand for increased productivity as well.
Tags: Material Handling, order fulfillment, warehouse safety, ergonomics, plant safety, Order Picking & Fulfillment, Safety & Ergonomics
Posted in Safety & Ergonomics|
10 Tips: Pick-to-Light Systems for Order Fulfillment
March 16, 2017
by Scott Stone
Light-directed picking is the heavyweight champion when it comes to productivity gains, order picking speed, increased accuracy, and ease of operator development.
Because it’s 100% hands-free and requires no headpiece, it’s also highly flexible for many challenging fulfillment operations. We’ve compiled ten ways to analyze your operation to determine if these systems would be a fit for you. Obviously, more specific information will be needed, but this should get you started.
We spoke with Lightning Pick’s Dave Broadfoot about the best ways to ensure you are making a good pick-to-light decision.
Tags: 10 tips, ROI, Order Picking & Fulfillment, pick to light
Posted in Automation, Labor & Efficiency|
Innovations in High Density Storage
June 13, 2014
by Scott Stone
Ever find yourself wondering how you can get more out of your pallet rack? Do you have goods that take up very little space, but your pick operations don’t call for entire pallets full of the product? Then you might need to look at ways to achieve more density in your storage, and we’ve recently found a gem of a product that can help you out. It’s called Dynamic High Density Storage and it’s made by SpeedCell.
Tags: order fulfillment, warehouse storage, space savings, storage, industrial storage, distribution center, Order Picking & Fulfillment, Warehouse Management, warehousing, Pallet Rack
Posted in Pallet & Warehouse Racks|
Tactics to Reduce Small Parts Order Picking Errors
December 3, 2013
by Scott Stone
Small parts are more difficult to count, measure and handle. They tend to cause more errors than case picking or larger component orders. If you are having errors, you should try to define the causes — and the suspects abound. Can you find out what’s causing the errors? Once you do, what happens next? Here are some common causes and solutions to this issue.
Tags: lean warehousing, Order Picking & Fulfillment, 5S principles, error reduction
Posted in Order Picking & Fulfillment|
How to Improve Order Picking without Automation
November 20, 2009
by Scott Stone
Cliff Holste at Supply Chain Digest (opens in a new window) has a good piece on ways to improve picking productivity.
Distribution centers will benefit from emerging automated case picking technologies, but those don’t fit for every operation, at every level. They’re also expensive upgrades, so your ROI has to be considered as well.
Tags: Order Picking & Fulfillment, Warehouse Management, warehousing, order fulfillment, distribution center, ROI
Posted in Order Picking & Fulfillment|
How to Quadruple the Number of Pick Faces in Carton Flow
December 26, 2008
by Scott Stone
When your load is case-picked, relatively light, and smooth, column flow racks allow you to create storage density and increase the number of pick faces.
Tags: distribution center, Carton flow rack, gravity flow systems, Order Picking & Fulfillment, warehousing, Material Handling
Posted in Order Picking & Fulfillment|