Robert J Perhaps the most important element of a warehouse operation is worker safety. After all, it is the employees that actually pick, transport, and pack goods for shipping that are the backbone of the business. Without them there is no business. Moreover, injuries to warehouse employees can affect a company’s bottom line in so many ways. … Read more
What is so interesting about the warehouse industry is that there are so many methods of operation designed specifically to enhance efficiency and productivity based on the industries the warehouse serves. For example, there is a logistics procedure used by many warehouses called “cross docking.” Simply put, it is a procedure in which suppliers or … Read more
Every warehouse owner or manager has pondered the question of how to improve warehouse logistics. The better the logistics, the better the overall operations. Some in the field focus on five elements when considering the issue. • Warehouse Maintenance • Worker Incentives • Fair Benchmarks for employees to strive for • Training • Investment Fine … Read more
Effectively labeling your distribution center with safety signage can prevent injuries and is an OSHA demand. Not only can it prevent or at least minimize injury to personnel, it can minimize downtime and workers’ compensation claims and fines. Making your facility injury free starts with a safety inspection and evaluation of all operations, equipment and … Read more
In previous articles we have described the Pick to Light and Pick to Voice systems. One company, Wynright Corporation, a provider of material handling systems with corporate headquarters in Elk Grove, Illinois, has come up with a Hybrid Picking System that combines Pick to Light and Pick to Voice. The company claims that the system … Read more
Wearable products are becoming the rage in consumer electronics. These devices include watches that measure heartbeat as the wearer jogs; devices that help parents track the location of their children or assist people with better posture, etc. Wearables have been used for decades to assist warehouse personnel receive and pass on information. These devices include … Read more
In a previous blog, we discussed the advantages and disadvantages of a Pick to Light System. In this article we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a Pick to Voice or Voice-Directed Picking System. A Pick to Voice a.k.a. Voice Directed Picking System relies on verbal communication between a Warehouse Management System to and … Read more
The most important part of a warehouse operation is to pick orders and send them out as quickly as possible. Many systems have been used to achieve this goal. These solutions include: · Pick to Light · Voice Directed · Hybrid (a combination of light and voice) · Carousels · Mini-Load AS/RS · Unit Load … Read more
Warehouses or distribution and fulfillment centers use a variety of methods to pick stock from shelves and get it to the shipping department. One such method is called Pick Module. A Pick Module features order pickers who pick products from full cases or individual items from broken or split cases and place them in a … Read more
In Part I of the series on Initiating A Successful Next-Day Delivery Program I noted that creating a successful next-day delivery service depends on 9 steps. 1. Assessing your order history 2. Dynamic Order versus Wave Management 3. The proper software to use 4. An accurate inventory 5. Labor management 6. Storage 7. Picking 8. … Read more
