Time to automate your DC?
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One potential application is the concept of zone picking in a pick-and-pack environment that simulates an assembly line. Fulfillment operations with 5,000 or more orders per day with five or more SKUs per order, and five or more full time employees in the picking function, are good candidates for a pick-to-light application.
Total costs — hardware, software and implementation — can range from $350 to $450 per light (with one light per SKU/item). Production rates of 350 units per hour are doable vs. conventional pick rates of 100 to 150 units per hour; some applications reach 500 units per hour.
Most pick-to-light applications result in reduced picking labor, improved service, faster order turnaround times, and increased accuracy levels. They can also be helpful in multilingual environments.
Many applications are tied to other technologies, such as carousels, voice-cart picking or package sorters. The concept is somewhat flexible and scalable if properly designed during the initial planning phases. With the right applications, a 12-month ROI should be possible.
- Voice-directed picking
Activities directed by headset and voice directions are relatively new to the pick/pack fulfillment world. Instructions are given via voice to warehouse workers who perform a variety of tasks and, through different methods of confirmation, complete the assignment tracking process. The concept can be economical for an operation with:
- Large SKU base
- High-volume of orders
- Large facilities
- An operation that's heavily paper dependent
The advantages of eliminating paper-based activities are clear, and there are several other benefits of the voice-directed concept:
- Hands free operation improves productivity and safety
- Training times are generally quicker
- Real-time updates are possible
- Paperwork is minimized or eliminated
- Errors are reduced dramatically through a forced confirmation process
Cost is usually driven by the number of operators using the system. Budget costs of about $100,000 for a five- to seven-user system are available, with additional users added for $5,000 to 7,000 each. It is flexible and scalable and has multilingual capabilities.
- Carousels
The use of carousels in the pick/pack world is relatively small, but where they fit, the savings can be dramatic. High-volume, slow-moving, small parts is an ideal situation for a carousel concept. A carousel application is a good fit if you have:
- Large order volume
- Low to moderate SKUs per order
- Low to moderate picks per SKU per order
- Slower moving products of smaller size and weight
The advantages of carousels are reduced walk time for pickers for slower selling items, a smaller footprint in the warehouse, and increased visibility and control by supervisors. Most carousel installations are horizontal types with multiple pods or sections.
Carousels are usually combined with some other technology, such as light-directed instructions, to improve efficiency. One requirement is to have a relatively large order queue to maximize the efficiency of the carousel software providing directions to the system.
Production rates of 300 to 600 lines per hour are possible with carousels. Investments for the technology generally run upward from $50,000.
Automation can help your operation become more competitive, provided you do your homework when evaluating opportunities to automate. The path to selecting and implementing effective systems can be troublesome, but also well worth it.
Curt Barry (cbarry@fcbco.com) is president of F. Curtis Barry & Co., a multichannel operations and fulfillment consultancy.
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