Summer is almost over. If you are in the business of distributing to consumers, you are probably thinking about the upcoming busy season and what can you do to get ready for the impending onslaught or orders. How can you be sure to keep your service commitments even on your heaviest shipping days?
This series investigates what might happen if you think outside of the warehouse box and consider how changes made outside your distribution center may end up benefiting your operation and saving you money. Here are three tips to improve receiving.
As your operation grows, the type of order selection vehicles that will work best for you may change. Growth often means increasing numbers of SKUs, and larger on-hand quantities. It is not uncommon for shelving storage requirements to grow to cases on pallet rack shelving, and then to full pallet loads of a single SKU. In a business where items are constantly added and changing, you may find that SKUs will proliferate. All of these factors can combine to create extra travel that can place a growing burden on your order picking staff. Fortunately, there are some powered vehicle options that can help.
“Data analysis” is a name given to the process of evaluating and interpreting historical electronic data. In distribution environments, we most commonly look at historical product and order data, to look for patterns and opportunities that are not apparent from observation alone. This month I look at a specific type of analysis which can be done for operations that have a small number of SKUs common to many orders.
Don’t know your racking from your shelving? Here’s a primer:
There’s a new twist out there on the automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS). Mini-AGV (automatic guided vehicle) systems are an alternative to mini-load AS/RS
This is the second in a series on how to pack and fill parcels before shipping them.
Are you thinking about adding to your existing pallet storage? If you have large numbers of pallets for a single SKU, there are a number of alternatives to traditional selective pallet rack that you may want to consider
Many different types of fill and void fill equipment have been introduced over the past 20 years. Let’s take a look at some of the systems that have been around the longest, and proceeding to the most modern systems commonly available.
A brightly lit facility not only helps reduce fatigue and errors, but it also helps foster a friendlier and more orderly work environment. Early distribution