Mobile powered workstations (MPWs) are like portable desks that can be wheeled from area to area within a warehouse or manufacturing facility. They eliminate the downtime created by multiple trips back and forth to stationary offices or work stations.
MPWs can include computers, printers and even such things as bar code scanners and scales. They can maintain communications with other processing and communications equipment via WiFi.
Increased “Floor Time”
The biggest benefit of MPWs is that they don’t require users to return to a desk or central office whenever data needs to be inputted or a label or report needs to be printed. Thanks to their portability, users can perform these functions on-site, reducing the foot traffic and paperwork that can cause unproductive downtime.
Brad Voorhes, supervisor at Care-A-Lot Pet Supplies, said when the warehouse he works at installed MPWs, the change in productivity was immediate.
“It saved time,” Voorhes said. “(We could) print out a label while standing in front of it instead of walking across the warehouse to a desk, printing it out, and walking back.”
Care-A-Lot management reported that thanks to the use of MPWs, productivity at its warehouse has increased 40%.
Cutting the Cord
A growing number of companies are looking at ways to “cut the cord” that ties workers to desks or offices. MPWs allow clerical and other workers to spend more time on the warehouse or factory floor without any impact on their ability to log information into a database, print labels or orders or other data entry or clerical responsibilities.
Because network access is always available, MPWs facilitate continual, paperless, real-time access to warehouse management systems, enterprise resource planning, or automated data collection software from anywhere.
MPWs can take many different forms. Some are essentially movable desks that include shelves, drawers and other spaces workers can use to perform the functions of their job while on the go. Others can be something as simple as a tablet device onto which information can be inputted, bar codes can scanned, and printing orders can be directed to a remote printer for later retrieval.
Multiple Applications
As more companies become familiar with the benefits of MPWs, their applications are becoming wider. In addition to their use in warehouse and manufacturing facilities, MPWs are now being used in hospitals, restaurants, retail operations, and even transporation centers such as airports, bus depots and train stations.
John Larrabee, IT manager at Hol-Mac, a manufacturer or parts for hydraulic cylinders and tanks, said that since his company installed 18 MPWs, accuracy and efficiency in dramatically increased.
“We’ve eliminated a lot of footsteps,” Larrabee said. “We’re now able to bring our thin clients and other equipment directly to the job anywhers within our four facilities.”
Another benefit of MPWs is improved employee morale. Workers generally feel better about their jobs when they feel they are being most productive. MPWs allow workers to be more physically active and engage energetically with others in a productive and positive manner. Many MPWs have ergonomically friendly design that reduces stress and fatigue, compared to stationary desks and traditional offices.