Material Handling Information - Smaller, More Frequent Orders
Productivity
Smaller, More Frequent Orders
Excel's new distribution
facility gives it the flexibility to ship box as well as pallet
orders.
KSK Pharmaceuticals'
most frequently picked products are stored in flow racks with
a pick-to-light system to ensure accuracy.
Problem
Order profiles are changing from a few large orders with many lines and large quantities to many orders with few lines and smaller quantities.
Pallet picking has changed to carton picking or item picking requiring more effort and time to fulfill.
Solution
Profile your part numbers history and layout your facility to accommodate the 20% of the part numbers that are creating the 80% of the activity.
Place cartons of product in shelving or racking flow lanes that are replenished from the back and picked from the front.
Place a takeaway conveyor
between two facing rows of flow rack to speed process from
picking to shipping.
Use a pick-to-light system on each shelf to direct the operator where to pick and what quantity, increasing picking speed and accuracy.
Place fast moving part numbers in middle flow rack shelves and slower moving parts bottom and top shelves for better ergonomics.
Use automated material handling systems such as mini load, unit load, or high-speed box buffers to reduce the amount of labor required to pick and replenish material while providing high-density storage and fast throughput.
