UNEX Adds Sales Veteran as Western Regional Sales Manager

Lakewood, NJ – December 18, 2017 – UNEX Manufacturing, Inc., the trusted industry leader in providing innovative order picking solutions, announces sales veteran, Jerry Cabello, as the Western Regional Sales Manager. Jerry will be focused on strategic growth in the Western USA, Mexico and Latin America. Cabello has over a decade of experience in distributor and technical sales and customer service with proven success in increasing sales, both in the US and internationally.

In a strategic move, Chuck Doty will transition from UNEX Western Regional Sales Manager to become UNEX’s Span-Track® Product Manager. Doty has over 24 years working in UNEX sales and management functions. As Span-Track Product Manager, Chuck will provide engineering leadership for continuous development and growth of the Span-Track product line, working closely with engineering, sales, marketing and client support to ensure revenue and customer satisfaction goals are achieved.

“UNEX Manufacturing is pleased to add Jerry Cabello as our new Western Regional Sales Manager and to make Chuck Doty, a long-time UNEX employee, Product Manager of our patented Span-Track carton flow systems,” said Brian C. Neuwirth, VP of Marketing & Sales, UNEX Manufacturing. “Both bring years of expert experience in material handling and industrial product sales and support, with meticulous leadership skills for solving customers’ problems within their warehouses, distribution centers or assembly plants. With Chuck and Jerry in these management positions, our customers will gain faster fulfillment, increase productivity and lower costs with our innovative order picking solutions.”

Previously, Jerry Cabello worked as the Sales Manager for Bisco Industries, tasked with account management, sales and support within Latin America and European territory. Prior to that he was a Sales Engineer at I-Source Technical Services, Inc. where he was responsible for global accounts. He is a U.S. veteran and graduated from Fullerton College with an Associate’s Degree in Business Law and the University of Phoenix with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management.

As Product Manager for Span-Track, Chuck Doty is responsible for defining the product strategy and roadmap for the complete Span-Track product line. Doty understands the material handling market – the key players, issues and challenges that customers face, and how to deploy UNEX systems to create successful implementations. He has decades of experience in the industry and has installed over 10,000 successful projects with UNEX.

UNEX Span-Track provides conveyor-like carton flow that doubles capacity. UNEX carton flow can be integrated into any structure, ranging from shelving to specialized pick modules. UNEX also designs and manufactures a full line of gravity conveyor products tailored to the order picking process. UNEX Flow Cells can be used as durable, modular and portable workstations for the manufacturing floor, boosting productivity and improving ergonomics.

 

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source http://www.unex.com/western-regional-sales-manager/

E-Commerce Order Picking in a Tight Labor Market

The results are in, and nearly half the industry now identifies the inability to attract and retain hourly workers as its top pain point. According to the 2017 Warehouse and Distribution Center (DC) Operations Survey, 49% of respondents said finding and keeping quality workers is their greatest challenge, up from 41% last year. Interestingly, 25% of respondents also cite lack of ability to find and retain quality supervisory staff as a challenge, a significant increase from the mere 11% who felt that way last year. The competition for good workers is stiff, and the demands of handling the growing number of small orders that e-commerce generates means the labor scramble is unlikely to abate any time soon. So, what to do?

As is often the case, it’s helpful to step back and take a look at the big picture from a different perspective. Let’s take another, broader look at the survey results:

The number two issue respondents identified is insufficient space, a problem for 40% (and last year’s number one complaint). Tied for third place (33%) is “outdated storage, picking, or material handling equipment.”

Are you starting to pick up on the possibility of an inverse relationship between labor and space?

When you have fewer workers on the line, it’s important to optimize the productivity of each individual worker in order to optimize the productivity of the overall process. Boosting worker productivity means eliminating operational inefficiencies, including wasted time, travel and effort, as well as mispicks and rework.  To cut idle time – anything that does not contribute to productively performing fulfillment tasks – the most logical way to start is by improving space utilization.

Why? Even if your warehouse happened to have unlimited space available for storage and staging (a thing that will never, ever happen), worker speed and accuracy would still depend on proper storage, picking, packing and shipping patterns. Giving workers easy, ergonomic access to inventory, along with visual item confirmation, helps them pick orders quickly and correctly. In the same way, proper inventory location, storage and retrieval processes optimize flow rates by improving proximity and accelerating lineside replenishment.

UNEX designs flexible, agile picking solutions that help you balance your workspace to your labor pool to optimize your capacity and productivity. As the industry leader, UNEX provides innovative education and equipment tailored to meet your unique e-commerce fulfillment challenges.

UNEX Manufacturing helps e-commerce businesses get their warehouses and distribution processes ready for increased demand from online orders, especially during the holidays. As the Pickability experts, UNEX brings order picking solutions to your business to speed fulfillment and improve storage usability.

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source http://www.unex.com/e-commerce-order-picking/

UNEX Wins Green Supply Chain Award For Third Consecutive Year

UNEX Manufacturing, Inc., the trusted industry leader in providing innovative order picking solutions, announces that the company has won the Supply & Demand Chain Executive Green Supply Chain Award for 2017. UNEX was selected for providing clients with cost-effective, flexible solutions that help their distribution operations meet green initiatives while keeping products flowing through fulfillment. Implementing environmentally friendly equipment can include no-noise, non-powered products, which lack any use of electricity, thus saving energy costs.

“Using green supply chain technologies within distribution operations helps to lower energy costs and decrease the carbon footprint to address consumer concerns about sustainability, while saving costs,” said Brian C. Neuwirth, VP Sales and Marketing, UNEX Manufacturing. “UNEX solutions utilize gravity to keep products flowing and add zero emissions to an operation’s carbon footprint. We also help companies optimize space in their freezer areas to keep their energy consumption and emissions minimized. We are pleased to be given this prestigious award for the third consecutive year.”

“Honorees for this year’s award demonstrate that corporate social responsibility is a business imperative that transcends the company and extends throughout the supply chain, involving suppliers and customers,” says John R. Yuva, editor for Supply & Demand Chain Executive. “The number of entries only increase year over year, demonstrating how critical sustainability initiatives are within companies.”

The Green Supply Chain Award recognizes companies making green or sustainability a core part of their supply chain strategy, and are working to achieve measurable sustainability goals within their own operations and supply chains. The awards also recognize providers of supply chain solutions and services assisting their customers in achieving measurable sustainability goals.

UNEX clients can double productivity, improve ergonomics and gain a quick return on investment while improving visibility and accessibility at pick points. Flexible racks, creative aisle designs and flexible carton flow options maximize space for new and existing SKUs and ensure reliable product flow. Clients better utilize existing space by using the best storage medium for each product; some clients have eliminated entire pick lines while others have been able to take on a 50% increase in volume. UNEX boosts storage capacity and accessibility to storage areas, allowing companies to keep their same footprint, which reduces energy consumption.

“We congratulate this year’s honorees for their commitment to sustainability and recognize their tremendous achievements,” Yuva adds. “Our honorees serve as role models for supply chains globally to expand their CSR reach and impact.”

About Supply & Demand Chain Executive

Supply & Demand Chain Executive is the executive’s user manual for successful supply and demand chain transformation, utilizing hard-hitting analysis, viewpoints, and unbiased case studies to steer executives and supply management professionals through the complicated, yet critical, world of supply and demand chain enablement to gain competitive advantage.

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source http://www.unex.com/unex-green-supply-chain-3rd-year/

UNEX Wins Most Valuable Supplier Award

UNEX Manufacturing, Inc., the trusted industry leader in providing innovative order picking solutions, announces the company has earned the prestigious Most Valuable Supplier Award for 2018 from the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA) for the third consecutive year.

To qualify for the Most Valuable Supplier Award, UNEX was required to meet a series of criteria in a number of areas important to the distributor companies who do business with them.  In addition to confirming an on-going commitment to safety and documenting a program that “gives back,” MVS Award winners have demonstrated an overall commitment to business excellence by documenting programs in the following areas:

• Industry Advocacy
• Distributor Advocacy
• Business Networking
• Continuing Education
• Business Best Practices

“UNEX is very pleased to once again win the Most Valuable Supplier Award from MHEDA for demonstrating our commitment to our dealer network, employees and community,” said Brian C. Neuwirth, VP of Sales and Marketing at UNEX Manufacturing. “This win is based on the hard work of the UNEX employees who assist our distributors and clients with the highest integrity, superior services and innovative solutions for improved order picking speeds and space utilization.”

“MHEDA’s Most Valuable Supplier Award winners represent a commitment to excellence in managing their business and in providing outstanding support to the distributor,” said Buddy Smith, MHEDA’s 2017 Chairman of the Board and CEO of CMH Services in Columbia, SC.  “MHEDA is proud of all the MVS winners.”

UNEX Manufacturing offers a full range of order picking solutions, including the patented carton flow solution Span-Track, which provides conveyor-like carton flow that doubles capacity. UNEX carton flow can be integrated into any structure, ranging from shelving to specialized pick modules. UNEX also designs and manufactures a full line of gravity conveyor products tailored to the order picking process. UNEX Flow Cells can be used as durable, modular and portable workstations for the manufacturing floor, boosting productivity and improving ergonomics.

About MHEDA
The Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA) is the only national trade association dedicated solely to improving the proficiency of the independent material handling distributor.  MHEDA represents close 650 companies in the material handling equipment business.  Located in suburban Chicago, the association provides services to companies seeking to improve their business through education, networking, benchmarking and best practices.  For more information, visit www.mheda.org.

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source http://www.unex.com/most-valuable-supplier-award-unex/

Thanksgiving Retail Sets Records

Retailers are pleased with consumer shopping so far this holiday season, with many achieving record breaking numbers for sales and order quantities.  The strong start strengthens predictions that this holiday season will generate over $6.6 billion in sales on Cyber Monday and e-commerce sales will rise by 16.6 percent.

Plus, many retailers are extending their traditional “Black Friday” discounts to other times than the Friday after Thanksgiving. Many retailers started discounting products earlier in November.

Some other interesting stats from the Thanksgiving retail spree:

• Orders exceeded 10,000 a minute on Black Friday—far surpassing the 2,800 orders per minute during the Thanksgiving holiday at its peak, according to Shopify. Shoppers purchased more than 600,000 apparel items, 360,000 accessories and 210,000 houseware products from Shopify merchants in a single day.
• Consumers spent more than $5 billion on Black Friday, 16.9% more than on that day in 2016, and a new record, according to Adobe Analytics.
• ICSC reported that retailers with a brick-and-mortar presence captured 75% of all spending over the Thanksgiving retail holiday.
• Thanksgiving Day online sales reached $2.87 billion.
• 42% of Black Friday orders were placed via mobile devices.
• Brick-and-mortar stores were visited by 145 million adults spending an average of $377.50.
• Big box retailers are impacting sales of niche, vertical retailers as consumers choose one-stop shopping over visiting multiple stores.
• Many retailers have pared down inventory levels for the holiday season resulting in less of a need to discount items.

With the rise in retail sales, warehouses have had to increase staff and streamline processes to keep up with orders. As more and more consumers order online, seasonal workers have been part of a hiring frenzy at warehouses around the country. Amazon said it would hire 120,000 seasonal workers in over 30 states this year.

To improve efficiencies and speed fulfillment, warehouse management should focus on improving order picking operations with carton flow and pallet flow solutions from UNEX Manufacturing. UNEX picking solutions come in a variety of configurations – from slanted shelves to roller racks – speeding the picking operation exponentially so that orders can be fulfilled on time. UNEX solutions are customizable, easy-to-build, movable and sturdy enough to support heavy weights.R

Need help keeping up with the holiday order fulfillment pace? Call your Pickability experts today – UNEX Manufacturing – and we’ll help you get orders from the warehouse to the doorstep.

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source http://www.unex.com/thanksgiving-retail-sets-records/

UNEX President Named to Board of Directors for MHEFI

UNEX Manufacturing, Inc., the trusted industry leader in providing innovative order picking solutions, announces that company president, Brian Neuwirth, has been appointed to the Board of Directors for the Material Handling Education Foundation, Inc. (MHEFI). Brian has been elected to serve as Vice President of the Board.

“UNEX has been very active in workforce development because there is a growing need for talent in the material handling industry,” said Brian Neuwirth, President of UNEX Manufacturing. “We have been supporting MHEFI, the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP) and other organizations with academic scholarships and equipment donations for years. I am honored to take this position on the Board to help promote this beneficial organization and to continue promoting the material handling industry to the leaders of tomorrow.”

The Material Handling Education Foundation offers scholarship award opportunities to students committed to studying material handling, supply chain and logistics during the 2017/2018 academic year. Scholarship awards range from $1,500 to $9,000.

Brian Neuwirth and the others elected with start their term on January 1, 2018. UNEX Manufacturing is a family owned business and trusted industry leader in innovative order picking solutions that maximize space usage, increase pick rates and improve ergonomics at the point of pick.

The Material Handling Education Foundation, Inc. is an independent charitable organization that was established in 1976 with a mission to promote the study of material handling, logistics and supply chains by exposing students and educators to the industry through financial support. Since 1976, more than $2.5 million in scholarships and grants have been awarded to students at colleges and universities located in the United States and Canada.

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source http://www.unex.com/brian-neuwirth-board-directors-mhefi/

Top 10 Warehouse Hazards

Hazards exist in any workplace.  Warehouse hazards, though, create more accidents because of the massive quantities of products of all different sizes, shapes and weights stored on shelves, floors and anyplace else someone can find a place to put a box, pallet or carton. Per the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the biggest warehouse hazards include:

• Overexertion Injuries – these occur when workers lift items that are big and heavy for a long period of time resulting in excessive physical effort. Injuries can occur to joints and ligaments. Also, in the warehouse, workers walk to pick orders. The trip length between picks can be quite long, especially if the warehouse is not organized properly. Properly planned pick paths, SKU rationalization and appropriate slotting of SKUs can help to cut down the length the worker must travel to fill orders.
• Lifting and Handling Materials – Improper handling of boxes, pallets, cartons and items can cause strain and injury to different parts of the body, especially the back. Heavy, big objects should be placed in the “golden zone,” where workers do not have to bend, reach or lift above their shoulders or below their waists.
• Slips, Trips and Falls – Each year, more than 8 million Americans will be treated in emergency rooms due to an accidental fall. If items are store haphazardly within the distribution center, such as sticking out too far from a shelf, or placed in the middle of an aisle, workers can easily injure themselves by tripping over or running into these items. Making sure floors are dry and slip resistant can prevent slips, trips and falls.
• Falling Objects – Items not stored properly can fall and inure someone. If the storage racks do not have end-caps, items can just slide right out onto the floor causing injury. For example, UNEX Keg Flow features side rails to help steady heavy beer kegs, a custom hanger to provide fractional pitch and a high roller stop so that kegs don’t topple off the end.
• Forklifts – Most accidents occur in a warehouse at/with the docks, forklifts, conveyors, storage units and manual lifting/handling. Forklifts can overturn or they can be overloaded, subjecting materials to falling off. Accidents between forklifts of between a forklift and another surface can cause serious injury. Statistics show that 1 in 10 forklifts are involved in an accident each year. Operators need to check hydraulic levels, tire pressure, engines, controls, steering and brakes each day to make sure all are working properly.
• Loud Noise – Tools, equipment and machinery that makes loud noises can cause hearing loss. Ear protection should be work by workers in this environment. The single biggest source of noise and threat to workers’ hearing is often the radio they carry. In order to be heard above the din around them, the radio must be at least three decibels louder. But dB Blockers are designed to integrate with all modes of communication, so workers can communicate and hear clearly at all times while staying protected.
• Unstable Packaging – Packaging is being made more flimsy in an effort to reduce cost and waste. As a result, things like cardboard boxes are being replaced by cardboard slats covered in plastic, which are more unstable when loaded. Workers need to pay particular attention to avoid dropping contents or injuring themselves by lifting flimsy packaging.
• Don’t Overload Carts – Carts help carry products or cartons during picking operations. Make sure that the cart can handle the load and that the items stacked on the cart are not above the picker’s level of vision so you won’t bump into any items, causing the cart to spill.

Ergonomics is important in the warehouse for safety as well as productivity. Products need to be handled correctly in picking and packing operations to reduce the risk of injury from improper handling. That’s why UNEX emphasizes ergonomics in all of its solutions- whether it’s picking from the Golden Zone or keeping tools within easy reach at a packing station, our solutions take into account these warehouse hazards and minimizes them for a safer, healthier, and happier workforce.

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source http://www.unex.com/top-10-warehouse-hazards/

No-Shave November

For the past few years, UNEX has participated in Movember in order to raise awareness around men’s health issues and to raise money for preventative and educational programs. One of these health issues is cancer, a disease that kills 22,000 people worldwide every day- half of which are preventable. While we’re proud of the money we raise (and the mustaches we grow) for Movember, we recognize that there is far more work to do. That’s why UNEX Manufacturing and its employees have decided to take part in No-Shave November.

The goal of No-Shave November is a simple one- to raise awareness and money for cancer research and treatment by embracing our hair and allowing it to grow wild and free. Instead of spending money at the barber shop, stylist, or waxing studio, participants instead donate to No-Shave November to support its funded programs, which include the Prevent Cancer Foundation, Fight Colorectal Cancer, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. These organizations are solely focused on the prevention and early detection of cancer and the development of a cure.

Many- if not all- of our lives at UNEX have been impacted by cancer in one way or another. We have learned from our experiences that no one should be left to take on the disease alone, and that rallying our community around friends and family dealing with the realities of cancer gives more than just financial assistance- it provides hope, strength, and camaraderie. We want to do everything within our power as individuals, as a company, and as a family, to provide that hope and strength to as many as possible.

That’s why UNEX Manufacturing is donating $1,000 through our No-Shave November team page and matching individual donations up to another $1,000!

 

Our fundraising goal for No-Shave November is $2,500, but we hope that our company match (along with your help) will allow us to smash through that goal and make as big an impact as possible. We encourage you all to join us on our No-Shave November journey. Here’s how you can get involved:

1. Head over to the UNEX team page.
2. Click “Make a Donation” on the right hand side of the page- or just follow the link.
3. Donate what you can.
4. Click “Share this Page” on the right hand side, and let your friends and family know how they can participate!

Of course, you can always sign up, start your own team or organization, and begin raising money on your own. But remember- donations through the UNEX team page will be matched!

We’re also encouraging our team members to share their stories about how cancer has impacted their lives. The most important thing we can do this month is show survivors and family and friends of lost loved ones that they are not alone, that we share their struggles, and that we are there for them, ready to provide assistance in any way possible. We will be sharing those stories on one of our social media pages as they come.

We hope that you will join us in this fight.

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source http://www.unex.com/no-shave-november/

UNEX Exhibits Industrial Carts and Flow Cell Solutions at The Assembly Show

UNEX Manufacturing, Inc., the trusted industry leader in providing innovative order picking solutions, will be exhibiting their advanced order picking and lineside storage solutions at The Assembly Show in Booths 1231 and 1331 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL. These solutions help manufacturers improve their assembly lines by better managing materials in these areas, helping to improve productivity, quicken delivery schedules and enhance customer satisfaction.

“Manufacturers need to make sure that when the products arrive at the lineside assembly areas that they are labeled clearly and packaged well so that the contents can be easily identified. The less time it takes the assembler to visually recognize the part needed, select it, pick it and prepare to install it, the less time is wasted having to search for an item. Employees will be less frustrated not having to search for a particular part to finish their assembly,” said Brian C. Neuwirth, VP of Sales and Marketing, UNEX Manufacturing.

Both booths will showcase some of the following equipment, with one booth focusing more on mobile solutions:

UNEX lineside storage solutions improve picking operations within assembly. When customization is high in an assembly operation, having the ability to store additional SKUs in the assembly area means pickers don’t have to travel to find the right part, speeding fulfillment rates. Efficiencies and productivity are increased as well.

UNEX Flow Cell workstations help with subassembly processes by bringing small parts that are to be incorporated into larger manufactured products together, providing a workbench on which to assemble parts. Components are stored in cartons or totes on the workstations, which also can be equipped with overhead toolbars, monitors and work instructions.

UNEX industrial carts are used to move materials, parts, boxes and components from one location to another within assembly operations. Carts are available with open shelving or racks to hold cartons or parts, improving picking operations and boosting productivity. UNEX will display a prototype version of its newest industrial carts to solicit feedback from the Assembly Show audience and to demonstrate the flexibility that makes Flow Cell an industry leading solution.

Other UNEX Flow Cell products will be displayed to show how they can help maximize space, diminish movements with angled shelving, reduce waste with a lean focus and support FIFO methodologies so components never reach their expiration date.

The Assembly Show takes place on October 24 – 26, 2017, in Rosemont, IL. Visit UNEX at Booths 1231 and 1331 to better understand how the company’s solutions increase productivity and reduce manufacturing lead times.

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source http://www.unex.com/unex-industrial-carts/

The Warehouse Slotting Game

In today’s fast-paced world of getting orders into the hands of consumers and businesses seemingly instantaneously, warehouse managers have put a premium on the picking process. No picking technology can handle everything, whether its picking full pallets, partial cases or individual pieces, so it’s important to let the profiles of SKUs and orders lead you to the right solution.

Many modern warehouses use a mix of different solutions for picking orders dictated by product type, product velocity and order type. To make the best selection of picking solutions, a thorough understanding of your customer service requirements blended with SKU profiles can help you pick the best system for the job. Not every warehouse needs automated picking solutions, which may save on labor, but the added cost and maintenance can be prohibitive.

Many warehouses can speed the picking process by slotting SKUs intelligently, which involves reviewing:

• the type of product (weight, size, shape)
• how often the product is touched
• the pick path (the distance an order picker would need to travel to get to the location, and how accessible the location will be once the picker gets there)
• the size of the pick face (ensuring the product will fit into the right location)

Once this information is gathered, many UNEX customers use our powerful warehouse slotting tool, SKUBE that analyzes the product data and movement, then suggests SKU locations. It determines what should go where to maximize efficiency and ensures products move easier and faster in the order picking process.

Proper warehouse slotting can solve the problem of SKU proliferation, which occurs quite often in the food and beverage space, among others. As distributors handle more and more products – from craft beer to international foods – running out of space in the warehouse can be an issue. SKUBE assigns each product to pallets, carton flow or shelving units based on its analysis of movement so that items are stored in the right location for the fastest pick.

Warehouse slotting is a complex exercise that takes skill, knowledge and the right tool to drive warehouse efficiencies, save space and speed order picking. It is not a game of chance.

UNEX’s order picking solutions for piece, case, and/or pallet picking can speed order picking operations for most distributors – and without the maintenance responsibilities of automated systems. UNEX Pickologists work closely with clients to profile their SKUS to help them select the right picking solution for their operation. Then deploy the picking solution to improve productivity and increase accuracy – making your picking operations efficient and productive.

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source http://www.unex.com/warehouse-slotting-game/

What’s Brewing in Beverage Distribution?

There’s no disputing that beer is big business. According to Nielsen, “In the U.S., Americans spent more than $37 billion on beer at Nielsen-measured retail stores in the year-ended Feb. 25, 2017.” From the King of Beers to independent craft brews, the number of brands, styles and flavors of beer continues to proliferate, creating a massive, diverse, high-volume product category. Beer drinkers are spoiled for choice, but still clamor for the new and unfamiliar.  As Beverage Dynamics’ Kyle Swartz described the phenomenon, “Many consumers nowadays never even revisit good beers. That’s an actual trend being reported by brewers: people will drink a beer knowing they’ll never have it again. They only want what’s new to them.”

That puts big pressure on beverage distributors and processors, who must efficiently store, handle and ship this ever-expanding jumble of SKUs, not to mention deal with the mashup of packaging types, materials, sizes and shapes, each of which contains date- and temperature-sensitive pressurized contents.

Whether it’s bottled, canned or kegged, beer is a challenge to handle and distribute. And while processors and wholesalers may face slightly different challenges – in general, processors handle fewer SKUs but in larger volumes, and wholesalers handle a larger number of SKUs, often in lower volumes, or at the case level, or even in individual quantities – both are faced with storing and processing huge amounts of product efficiently within existing warehousing space.

That’s why UNEX creates space-saving beverage storage and handling solutions that ensure accurate inventory management; fast and easy SKU identification; labor efficiency and safety; and robust, economical operation. Here’s how:

• Gravity flow systems are dynamic storage and retrieval systems that are powered by natural gravitational mechanics, decreasing energy usage and lowering operational costs.
• Sloped rows, racks and shelves get stored product off the floor and into organized, accessible, high-density locations, reducing the amount of space, time and labor needed for fulfillment.
• Kegs, cartons or pallets are loaded into the high end of pitched lanes, and product is dispensed from back to front via controlled downward glide to the pick station, an orderly flow that optimizes FIFO inventory turnover and relieves congestion by separating load and pick aisles.
• Dispensed product is ergonomically positioned, highly visible, and easily identifiable, enhancing worker safety and increasing pick speed and accuracy.
• Systems are highly fluid, flexible and configurable, allowing responsive adjustments to accommodate changing product specs, applications or operational demands.

Gravity flow solutions from UNEX comprise a range of robust, durable keg-flow, carton-flow, and pallet-racking systems, including Span-Track, the engineered-to-order keg-flow system that makes easy work of heavy, hard-to-handle kegs.

Want to tap into the latest beer and beverage distribution solutions? See UNEX in Booth 921 at NBWA’s 80th Annual Convention and Trade Show Conference, October 8 – 11, 2017 in Las Vegas NV. Cheers!

The post What’s Brewing in Beverage Distribution? appeared first on Carton Flow and Order Picking Solutions from UNEX.

source http://www.unex.com/beverage-distribution/

UNEX Exhibits Order Picking Solutions at NBWA Show 2017

UNEX Manufacturing, Inc., the trusted industry leader in providing innovative order picking solutions, announces the company will be exhibiting its innovative order picking and material handling solutions in Booth 921 at the upcoming NBWA Annual Convention and Trade Show that takes place October 8 – 11, 2017 in Las Vegas. UNEX solutions help beer distributors make better use of their warehouse space, increase pick rates and speed throughput.

“As the craft beer boom continues, beer wholesalers and distributors must find ways to accommodate a growing number of SKUs in a limited space,” said Brian C. Neuwirth, VP of Sales and Marketing, UNEX Manufacturing. “Fulfilling orders as quickly as possible without damage to the products, whether packaged in cases or in various sizes of kegs, will keep the beer flowing and customers satisfied.”

UNEX Manufacturing will be exhibiting the following equipment designed for the beverage industry in Booth 921 at the NBWA show, showing distributors how to better organize their warehouse to improve visibility, accessibility and pick rates with:

• UNEX Keg Flow – A specially designed version of UNEX’s patented Span-Track that features side rails to help steady the heavy kegs, a custom hanger to provide fractional pitch and a high roller stop so that kegs don’t topple off the end. Angled label holders make product information perfectly visible to order pickers.
• Span-Wheel Bed – A universal bed of carton flow designed with UNEX’s patented Hex Hub wheels that offer maximum flexibility for a rapidly changing inventory of SKUs. Span-Track wheel beds are proven to increase throughput up to 150% to ensure beer and spirits distributors can keep up with ever-increasing demand.

UNEX solutions offer a greater storage density so distributors can handle more SKUs, picking and loading from either side of the rack for improved productivity and heavy-duty construction of racks so heavy products can be kept off the floor for better material handling. We look forward to seeing you at the NBWA show!

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source http://www.unex.com/unex-nbwa-show-2017/

10 Techniques for Order Picking Accuracy

Order picking is a numbers game…

and every second you can shave off throughput cycles, every uptick you can achieve in accuracy levels, every square foot of space you can optimize, and every penny you can save on costs translates into significant increases in efficiency and customer satisfaction.

The trick is to figure out where to find those tiny sources of error and waste and how to address them in ways that build customer confidence and contribute to bottom-line profitability.

The first step is always to assess all facets of your operation – including your processes and your culture – to determine whether there are embedded environmental obstacles that are contributing to systemic inefficiencies:

• Are your processes regularly tested and updated?
• Are there mistakes or gaps in prescribed methods or process documentation? Are workers resorting to work-arounds in an attempt to avoid built-in errors?
• Does your culture discourage questions or dissent?
• Or does honest, open communication flow both up and down?

Holding regular staff meetings (preferably with lunch and/or snacks provided) can encourage workers to share candid information about problems they encounter as well as ideas for improvement. Listen carefully, openly and positively. The folks on the front lines have the knowledge you need. Let them help you.

Here’s where the numbers come into play. To boost order picking accuracy and productivity, try these 10 techniques that can improve your odds:

1. Encourage friendly competition. Just about everyone has a competitive streak, so why not create a game or contest by posting employee throughput levels? Small, even silly prizes can contribute to the fun. Just be sure the competition stays friendly. No gloating or shaming allowed.
2. Embrace baby steps. Most improvements will come incrementally, a result of tweaks in the process, better use of technologies, or upgrades in tools or training. Work with your staff to identify and try innovative adjustments.
3. Weigh in. Implementing a weigh scale and digital verification system is one of the fastest, easiest ways to verify order picking accuracy in a large percentage of your orders.
4. Hands off the documents. Manual document handling and insertion creates significant potential for errors and waste. Using a portable document inserter (or an automated printer and inserter system) instead is a high-speed, low-cost, low-risk solution.
5. Follow the light(s). Pick-to and put-to indicators, used with goods-to-person technologies, provide easy-to-follow visual direction, which maximizes picking speed, improves order picking accuracy and even improves ergonomics.
6. Make a statement. When you’re not use goods-to-person technologies for picking, hands-free voice picking is a good solution. Headset audio directs the picker to the correct location and directs the quantity to be picked. After making the pick, the picker audibly verifies the SKU and quantity. While voice picking typically increases throughput speed only slightly, it significantly increases accuracy.
7. Play the slots. Grouping similar or related inventory items together – slotting – reduces search-and-travel time to increase speed and order picking accuracy.
8. Count on the eye in the sky. Visual scanning technology has down in cost and up in quality. By inspecting SKUs contained in each picked order for accuracy, and diverting questionable order to quality checkers, visual scanning systems reduce labor costs and improve overall accuracy, especially when dealing with small items.
9. Put WES in control. Supplementing your WMS or WCS with WES software can smooth the operational peaks and valleys among your different zones, which can reduce both equipment and labor requirements.
10. SKU maps. Active light grids map SKUs into location-based cells, then preempts errors by using light and audio alarms to alert pickers when they are in the wrong SKU location.

The goal of any picking process is to reduce the number of touches per item, with accurate one-touch picking as the ideal. UNEX offers unique solutions that can help you improve your numbers in your own distribution center. From lines picked per man-hour to order-picking accuracy to warehouse capacity to on-time order shipment, UNEX helps distribution centers improve efficiency for greater customer satisfaction and bottom-line profitability.

The post 10 Techniques for Order Picking Accuracy appeared first on Carton Flow and Order Picking Solutions from UNEX.

source http://www.unex.com/order-picking-accuracy/

Storage in the Omni-Channel World

With the exponential growth of e-commerce orders, distribution centers have had to change their operating procedures. With storefronts closing, DCs that service brick & mortar locations only must change their order fulfillment processes to keep up with the increase of picking greater volumes of individual items. In omni-channel fulfillment, all the resources of the supply chain are focused on transparently serving a single shopper who has placed a single order.

Many traditional warehouse operations are not set up to efficiently accommodate a large range of orders with varying units and lines per order – characteristics typical of multi-channel orders. The omni-channel world needs to have orders picked quickly and accurately. Using multi-level racks for pallets, carton flow or with shelving increases the number of storage locations available for the ever-growing number of SKUs typical of an omni-channel warehouse.

High-density pick modules are often used in omni-channel warehouses. They are multi-level; a combination of mezzanines, conveyors, carton flow racks, pallet racks, static racks and other equipment that delivers goods to pickers at each level. By stacking the racks, less space on the floor is taken while pickers can take less time to pick orders from the rack of SKUs that are close by and easy to reach.

Multi-level pick modules use FIFO (first in, first out) stock rotation by using tilted shelves that uses gravity flow to deliver products to the pick face. With FIFO, order pickers are presented with the product in the right order to be picked or when you want to make sure older products (ones that have been in storage a while) are picked first.

If using carton flow in your omni-channel picking operation, cartons can be replenished from the back of the shelving while picking goes on at the front. Pickers can pick from open boxes or individual items on shelves. Pallet flow systems allow the pallet to flow forward once is has been picked. Conveyors can tie everything together in the picking operation by bringing items to the picker or transporting empty cartons and pallets away so they can be recycled. This combination of material handling solutions allows DC’s to shave valuable seconds off of each order picked and allows them to accommodate the ever-increasing demand of e-commerce channels.

At UNEX, many clients use our Pick Shelves, which are customizable and easy-to-mount, to improve pick rates. These are angled to provide clear visibility and accessibility at the pick point. Angled shelves boost picker productivity by 30% while increasing space utilization up to 50%.

A pick module system is often the best choice for a high-volume, high throughput distribution center operation – the typical omni-channel DC. Let our Pickologists help you improve your picking operations and speed throughput in your omni-channel warehouse so you can keep up with your omni-channel orders.

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source http://www.unex.com/storage-omni-channel-world/

UNEX Chosen as Finalist in Manufacturing Day Award

UNEX Manufacturing, Inc., the trusted industry leader in providing innovative order picking solutions, has been chosen as a finalist for the New Jersey Manufacturing awards in the medium-sized Manufacturer of the Year category. The New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP) and the New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA), in conjunction with New Jersey Business magazine select the winners based on their innovative business strategies and leadership capabilities that bring value to clients and the industry as a whole.

“With the US manufacturing industry supplying over $2.18 trillion to the US economy last year, UNEX Manufacturing is proud to contribute to this growing market and to be recognized as a finalist for this prestigious manufacturing business award,” said Brian C. Neuwirth, VP of Sales and Marketing at UNEX Manufacturing. “UNEX maximizes our customers’ investments with robust, quality solutions manufactured in our state-of-the-art plant in New Jersey.”

UNEX Manufacturing designs, manufactures and installs innovative solutions for order picking, lineside storage and warehouse shelving that are cost-effective and reliable. UNEX solutions improve inventory control with easy access to parts/products, optimize storage and space in the warehouse and speed the order picking process to improve customer service.

Category winners for the New Jersey Manufacturing Awards will be announced at the “Made in New Jersey” event on October 6^th, 2017, at the Bridgewater Marriott. You can register here if you’d like to attend. This coincides with National Manufacturing Day, an annual celebration that brings together over 3000 organizations in the US, Canada and Mexico who meet to educate students, educators, business people, media and politicians about the manufacturing industry in order to improve the public’s perception of the market and to celebrate modern manufacturing.

New Jersey Business magazine has partnered with the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP) to profile the award finalists in the October 2017 issue of New Jersey Business. NJMEP is a not-for-profit company that works with New Jersey’s small to mid-sized manufacturers to help them become more efficient, profitable and globally competitive.

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source http://www.unex.com/manufacturing-day-award/

Speeding Up the Assembly Line

Changing customer demands are transforming the manufacturing industry where organizations must incorporate flexibility and agility into their supply chains to create value and sustainability. As customers want more custom products, quicker, manufacturers must ensure their assembly line is agile enough to meet these needs while keeping costs in check and speeding time to market. In a recent survey conducted by Grant Thorton for the National Association of Manufacturers, 48 percent of respondents say that customer demand drives their supply chain strategy, along with the need for speedy delivery and enhanced customer service.

Today’s manufacturers are measured by their superior products, excellent customer service and quick time to market. Lineside storage systems help manufacturers and assembly operations speed assembly and production to bring products to consumers as quickly and cost efficiently as possible. By storing smaller components in separate containers, workers can quickly and easily grab parts to complete their work on the assembly line.

Lineside storage systems often have sloping racks so that bins holding parts are easily visibility to workers. If the storage systems have sloping shelves containing boxes of parts, once a box is picked, the ones behind it will slide forward, ready for the next worker to pick from it. This simplifies stock replenishment and ensures you are picking the products stored first in, first, in case they have an expiration or use by date.

Manufacturers need to make sure that when the products arrive at the lineside assembly areas that they are labeled clearly and packaged well so that the contents can be easily identified. The less time it takes the assembler to visually recognize the part needed, select it, pick it and prepare to install it, the less time is wasted having to search for an item.

In an automotive assembly line, instead of individual parts delivered to the line, kits housed in totes, are brought to the workstations. These kits give workers the parts and tools necessary to complete the specific components they are building. Assemblies, such as steering wheels, can be delivered to lineside assembly areas to be installed into dashboards.

To transform your manufacturing operations and assembly areas, you need to better manage the materials in those areas – from where they come into the area, move through it and leave – which will improve productivity, quicken delivery schedules and enhance customer satisfaction. Employees will be less frustrated not having to search for a particular part to finish their assembly.

UNEX provides lineside storage solutions that improve your assembly line’s Pickability. When customization is high in your operations, having the ability to store additional SKUs in the assembly area means pickers don’t have to travel to find the right part, speeding fulfillment rates. Efficiencies and productivity are increased as well. Speedier part turnover means speedier lines and happier customers.

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source http://www.unex.com/speeding-assembly-line/

Shelf Track Wheel Bed: Free Infeed Guides!

UNEX Manufacturing, Inc., the trusted industry leader in providing innovative order picking solutions, announces a promotion for the UNEX Shelf Track solution, a durable carton flow system that drops easily into existing racks and shelves within warehouses, manufacturing plants and distribution centers. Five free infeed “shark fin” guides are included free for each level of Shelf Track wheel bed purchased. UNEX’s Shelf Track is guaranteed to decrease pick times and increase your operation’s efficiency when compared to unreliable plastic wheel rails.

 

“Our infeed guides provide a unique, easy to use solution to a very common storage problem,” said Brian C. Neuwirth, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at UNEX Manufacturing. “Each guide easily snaps in place along the width of the panels, providing a visual indicator for an SKU’s location, keeping inventory organized in its designated lane.  The guides prevent hang-ups in neighboring lanes from off-center products, allowing cartons and products to smoothly flow forward for faster order picking.”

Now through September 30, 2017, the UNEX Shelf Track promotion will include five infeed guide accessories added for no cost for each level of wheel bed purchased.

 

UNEX Shelf Track offers wheel beds with its patented Hex Hub wheel design to increase flexibility for slotting, providing 90% left to right bay usage. The wheel beds allow cartons to flow forward when the carton in front is removed, preventing the worker from having to reach into the rack to pull it forward, which can cause stress on the worker’s back. UNEX Shelf Track works well with seasonal merchandise when you get odd-sized boxes that you typically don’t store.

“If companies are using plastic wheel rails in their order picking operations, they’re familiar with wheel failures, rails bowing from being loaded over their capacity, and poor restart from imprinting,” said Neuwirth. “Our Shelf Track wheel beds, combined with the infeed guides, provides these companies with a superior solution that can stand up to the stresses of their storage environment.”

UNEX Shelf Track’s sturdy track is more durable for order picking operations than plastic wheel rails used by competitors. Often, the weight of cartons imprint onto cartons making dimples so that the product can’t flow forward.  As carton flow systems are used in many order picking processes, workers expect the pick face to always have product there. Plus, when working with products that have expiration dates, Shelf Track for carton flow facilitates first in/first out (FIFO) movements so that products are stored and picked in the right sequence.

To get more details or request a quote, click the button below!

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source http://www.unex.com/shelf-track-free-infeed-guides/

Material Handling Innovation- Just a Buzzword?

Every year, the material handling industry goes through a plethora of words designed as marketing speak to describe some aspect of the industry. Last year’s word (or phrase) was “game changer.” Before that, the words of the day were sustainability, disruptive and complexity. Today the word is “innovation” or “innovative.”

Every vendor thinks they are innovative or have created the greatest innovation of the decade. We are all looking for the next great thing that will change the market forever. In Clayton Christensen’s book, The Innovator’s Dilemma, he distinguishes between two types of innovation: sustaining and disruptive. Sustaining innovations make products better through additional features; disruptive innovations “change the product by redefining the value proposition.”

James B. Rice of MIT wrote in a column in Supply Chain Management Review that “most supply chain innovations—and we suspect most materials handling innovations—aren’t truly revolutionary. Rather, they’re a clever combination of some existing technologies that have been applied in such a way that it has an impact on how things get done. What’s more, the innovation is brought to scale.”

The real opportunity for innovation in material handling is not just in new products, but in new processes that are more efficient, helping workers become more productive and cutting costs.

 

But do you really need the latest, innovative, automated system in your warehouse for picking orders?

Consider the return-on-investment (ROI). In an article in Logistics Viewpoints, industry analyst Steve Banker discusses the ROI of material handling equipment, saying, “If it currently costs us $7.32 to perform all the activities associated with receiving, put-away, picking, and loading pallets onto trucks, would extensive material handling allow us to drive that cost down to $5.17?” Banker goes on to discuss the risks of warehouse automation and that building a multi-million warehouse may not solve your problem of slow sales.

When upgrading or optimizing your picking operations in your warehouse, make sure you balance the risks with rewards. Can you work with suppliers to reduce lead times instead of adding some type of automation? Can you decrease the number of warehouses you have by making better use of space, cutting costs that way? Can you rationalize SKUs within the warehouse to lessen picking options and lower space utilization? Can you successfuly introduce sustaining innovation into your operation? You can, and you can start by contacting UNEX.

UNEX’s Pickologists offer order picking solutions like our patented Span-Track carton flow system that makes the best use of storage, increases pick rates and drop in easily to make installation a breeze. Span-Track is real game-changer! Oops, I mean innovation!

The post Material Handling Innovation- Just a Buzzword? appeared first on Carton Flow and Order Picking Solutions from UNEX.

source http://www.unex.com/material-handling-innovation-just-buzzword/

Replenishment- The Sticking Point in Order Fulfillment

Is there anything sadder than an empty-handed picker? Order picking – the most labor-intensive component of the order fulfillment process – can grind to a halt when product is unavailable to meet picking station demand. Getting caught short creates a cascade of scheduling problems at the picking station, and the obstacles accelerate further down the line. Costs go up, productivity goes down, and employee morale and momentum suffer.

On the other hand, getting too far ahead of pick demand without the right equipment just gets in the way and causes its own set of issues, including dangerous and disorganized work areas, awkward and unsafe retrieval motions, and wasted travel time and effort.

Why is the replenishment function so often the sticking point in order fulfillment’s product flow?

The process of moving product from storage locations to pick points requires a delicate balance of quantity, frequency and efficiency. Weak replenishment models increase labor costs and reduce productivity. An objective analysis can help you establish SKU-specific minimum/maximum rules that allow you to:

• Stay ahead of demand.
• Minimize the number of replenishments (commonly called touches) needed.
• Optimize the size and placement of pick faces.
• Streamline replenishment processes to ensure seamless active picking and inventory management, including compliance with FIFO and LIFO requirements.

The goal is to identify and implement slotting systems that support a logical, yet flexible, balance of replenishment methods. The ideal solution will suit the rhythm of your operation, including seasonal variations, as well as anticipate the requirements of future demand.

Finding and maintaining replenishment equilibrium takes real-time data, careful analysis and adaptable technology and equipment. UNEX can design a customized solution for you that boosts your storage density while keeping products at the point of pick, reducing the number of touches required to replenish each pick face and allowing pickers and stockers to work simultaneously without interruption. Our solutions allow you to stay ahead of demand without increasing dangerous and wasteful clutter in your work areas.

The post Replenishment- The Sticking Point in Order Fulfillment appeared first on Carton Flow and Order Picking Solutions from UNEX.

source http://www.unex.com/replenishment-order-fulfillment/

Lean Assembly & Work Cells

The secret to a lean assembly work cell is the ability to eliminate waste from extra motion required to move materials to and from different locations and departments and wasted time due to inefficient communications, rework and collaboration.

 

In a traditional assembly shop, the floor is divided into multiple departments with groups of similar machinery or processes. This type of work cell design does not align with the lean assembly mantra; instead manufacturers and assemblers create work cells where parts are assembled, then moved down the assembly line when the part is complete.

Let’s say we are building doors for automobiles. Within each work cell, a particular piece, such as the door handle or window would be assembled. Each finished product travels through a series of workstations until the entire piece is complete. The process enables single-piece flow; therefore, there’s minimal movement of product and fewer redundant activities from cell to cell, eliminating wasted time and movement. Benefits include the reduction of staging and waiting between departments and elimination of unnecessary transportation, which both shorten the time between processes.

To create a lean assembly workstation in your assembly operations:

• Optimize each workstation for a particular group of parts that the cell will manufacture by minimizing the variety of SKUs used. Limit requirements for changeover to ensure only value-added elements are included in the process. This minimizes wastes within the operation from overproduction to excess inventory to over processing, defects and motion.
• Ensure workload is balanced and cell not overrun with equipment and people. Develop a plan for the physical layout of the cell by modeling people, parts and machines, then create the best strategy for the work to be done. Consider lean methodologies when creating the physical layout taking into account movement, redundancies, trash and other things. Make sure that the work completed by one cell flows easily to another cell in a timely and efficient manner that supports lean operations. Keeping workers, parts and machinery within close proximity of makes the process easier to monitor and manage.
• Train workers to work on all of the equipment and perform all the activities in the cells. This builds in agility and flexibility into the process and ensures continued production should a worker be out for the day. When workers are cross-trained, communication is clearer so that defects can be identified quickly and the root cause identified and removed.

The goal of lean work cells is to minimize transit time, which improves productivity; simplified workflow, putting the workstations close to each other so work flows in a linear manner from one place to another; and eliminated wait time with each assembled piece moving quickly and efficiently throughout the entire assembly operation. These wastes, left unchecked, can be costly to your operation.

One more thought, and one that is probably extremely important to your business – being agile in your assembly operations means your operation will be more adaptable, allowing your business to make quick changes based on customer and market demands.

UNEX provides lineside assembly racks used to hold parts for assembly operations that improve efficiencies and increase productivity.

UNEX Flow Cells are ideal lineside storage solutions, allowing users to consolidate storage on the line and reduce the footprint of lineside storage.

The post Lean Assembly & Work Cells appeared first on Carton Flow and Order Picking Solutions from UNEX.

source http://www.unex.com/lean-assembly-work-cells/

UNEX Wins SDCE 100 Award for 2nd Consecutive Year

UNEX Manufacturing, Inc., the trusted industry leader in providing innovative order picking solutions, announces the company has won the prestigious SDCE 100 Award from Supply & Demand Chain Executive Magazine. The SDCE 100 is an annual list of 100 great supply chain projects. UNEX Manufacturing was chosen for improving order picking operations by increasing pick efficiencies for Thermo Fisher.

“We are pleased to be recognized for our space-saving solutions that help customers better manage picking organization, optimize space utilization and reduce the amount of reaching and bending required to pick certain items,” said Brian C. Neuwirth, VP Sales and Marketing at UNEX Manufacturing. “As an SDCE100 winner, clients recognize our customizable solutions maximize productivity, speed fulfillment and make the best use of limited warehouse space.”

“Our goal with 2017’s Top 100 is to shine the spotlight on successful and innovative transformation projects that deliver bottom-line value to small, medium and large enterprises across the supply chain,” says Ronnie Garrett, editor of Supply & Demand Chain Executive. “The selected projects can serve as a roadmap for supply chain executives looking for new opportunities to drive improvement in their own operations. We congratulate all of our winners for a job well done!”

Thermo Fisher helps its customers accelerate life sciences research, solve complex analytical challenges, improve patient diagnostics and increase laboratory productivity. At one of the company’s manufacturing and distribution centers, workers fulfill customers’ orders by picking from thousands of unique SKUs, including many that must be kept in cooler or freezer areas to preserve the product. The cooler and freezer areas were redesigned to create an ideal carton flow and order picking scenario at the plant using UNEX Span-Track to house the plant’s fasting moving, temperature-sensitive SKUs. Span-Track maximizes flexibility for slotting SKUs of many different sizes and provides full visibility of products to support a 0% mis-pick rate. Span-Track offered condensed, organized storage, allowing the plant to improve pick efficiencies by more than 45%.

The SDCE 100 projects can serve as a map for supply chain executives who are looking for new opportunities to drive improvement in their own operations. These projects show how supply chain solution and service providers help their customers and clients achieve supply chain excellence and prepare their supply chains for success. The SDCE 100 will appear in the June 2017 print issue of the magazine and in their digital issue hosted on their website.

About Supply & Demand Chain Executive

Supply & Demand Chain Executive is the executive’s user manual for successful supply and demand chain transformation, utilizing hard-hitting analysis, viewpoints and unbiased case studies to steer executives and supply management professionals through the complicated, yet critical, world of supply and demand chain enablement to gain competitive advantage.

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source http://www.unex.com/unex-wins-sdce-100-award-2nd-consecutive-year/

Carton Flow Shelving: Problems and Solutions

Stop us if you’ve seen this before: an order picker is leaning all the way into a bay of carton flow shelving with a shepherd’s hook. After a brief struggle (and maybe a few choice four-letter words from the order picker), they re-emerge from the rack, box in hand. The bottom of the box is dented and badly warped.  The order picker places the carton on a conveyor and moves to their next pick, only to face the same problem moments later.

For many distribution operations utilizing carton flow shelving, this is a scenario that replays itself over and over in their distribution centers. Many carton flow shelving manufacturers ship their racks with plastic wheel rails- a carton flow track solution featuring small inline wheels mounted in steel channels. For companies storing and picking lightweight products in high quality cartons, these flow tracks are a perfectly adequate solution for their needs. However, for operations prioritizing maximum storage density with heavier products, plastic wheel rail solutions simply can’t cut the mustard. How can you tell if your existing carton flow isn’t up to the task at hand, and how can you make sure you get your hands on a solution that is?

First, you need to take is to step back and understand the scope of the problem. What percentage of your cartons are getting hung up on your flow tracks? Are your order pickers resorting to shepherd’s hooks, or even brooms to dislodge a stuck carton? How much does this hang-up slow down your picks? While one or two hang-ups may not be very consequential to your operation, if the problem is persistent and widespread, you will begin to see the wasted seconds (and the wasted dollars) ticking away.

Second, understand how the problems related to these flow tracks are currently being solved. If a flow track is showing signs of being a persistent problem, is that track replaced immediately? Do you wait until the end of the month to fix larger problem areas of your order picking operation? How much of your budget is invested in these replacements and repairs? How much downtime is required to get that problem area in working order?

For many distributors, these observations lead to a simple conclusion: plastic wheel flow tracks simply cannot meet the demands of their operation. But what does the ideal solution look like? It must be able to do these six things:

• Reduce product hang-ups.
• Provide great flow and restart.
• Lower your maintenance budget.
• Reduce the labor involved in replacement.
• Increase picking efficiency.
• Allow more orders picked per shift for higher profits.

UNEX manufactures Shelf Track, a line of carton flow shelving solutions specifically designed to bring all these benefits to your operation by retrofitting into your existing carton flow shelving. Shelf Track is a carton flow track available in roller or wheel options that provides more surface area underneath your cartons, reducing imprinting and eliminating hang-ups. It eliminates the need to replace damaged or inefficient flow tracks, and can be dropped into your existing carton flow shelving to minimize maintenance and labor costs. It allows for double and triple stacking of cartons to ensure maximum storage density. Finally, Shelf Track is backed by our 7-year Platinum Warranty, guaranteeing that this replacement for your carton flow tracks will stand the test of time.

So you’ve reached the conclusion that your plastic wheel carton flow tracks need to be replaced, and you think Shelf Track might be right for you. What’s next? We prove that Shelf Track is right for you by installing a test level of tracks in your existing rack for evaluation, free of charge.

Here’s everything you need to know to get a free Shelf Track sample that fits your existing carton flow shelving:

• Who is the manufacturer of the rack?
• What is the width of the bay?
• What is the inside dimension of the shelf?
• What is the length of the plastic wheel flow track?
• How deep are the front and rear ledges of the shelf?
• How far apart are the intermediate supports?
• What are the dimensions of the cartons?
  • Average size
  • Minimum size
  • Maximum size
  • Average weight

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source http://www.unex.com/carton-flow-shelving-problems

UNEX Named Top Green Supply Chain Provider for 2nd Consecutive Year

UNEX Manufacturing, Inc., the trusted industry leader in providing innovative order picking solutions, announces the company has been named to Food Logistics Top 100 Green Supply Chain Provider Awards for 2017. This is UNEX Manufacturing’s second appearance on this prestigious list. UNEX was chosen for helping clients lower energy usage and costs, while improving efficiencies and speeding fulfillment.

“UNEX solutions do not require any energy to use them, which saves a tremendous amount of costs, while improving visibility and accessibility at pick points for faster picking operations,” said Brian C. Neuwirth, VP of Sales and Marketing at UNEX Manufacturing. “Flexible rack configurations with carton flow maximizes space for new and existing SKUs, eliminating the need for more warehouse space and reducing pick paths. This space optimization can lead to green savings. We are pleased to be recognized once again for our outstanding ability to reduce energy usage within client operations.”

“The future viability of the world’s food supply chain is dependent upon our ability to integrate sustainability from farm to fork,” says Lara L. Sowinski, editorial director. “Transportation and logistics comprise a significant part of that supply chain, and we commend those companies in our industry that embrace their role as environmental stewards, while raising the sustainability bar for their peers.”

Implementing environmentally friendly material handling equipment can include no-noise, non-powered products, which lack any use of electricity, thus saving energy costs. UNEX gravity-powered conveyor moves products smoothly and quickly without being motorized. UNEX also offers flow racks that can be used in return lanes to send cartons back through the warehouse for reuse, saving on packaging materials and boxes. Well-designed pick lines that minimize product handling, reduce search and lower picking time also help UNEX customers to reduce errors and ensure reliable flow.

For grocers, UNEX optimizes space in the freezer cooler area with Span-Track, instead of requiring companies to have to expand that section of their operation. This helps them avoid dramatically increasing energy consumption that comes along with larger freezer cooler areas.

Food Logistics’ annual Top Green Providers recognizes companies whose products, services, or exemplary leadership is enhancing sustainability within the food and beverage industry. Each year, the criteria for earning a spot on the list become more stringent for applicants. For example, the editorial staff evaluates a company’s participation in such programs as the EPA’s SmartWay and other recognized sustainability programs; facilities that are LEED-certified, and/or feature solar panels, LED lighting and other energy saving installations and retrofits that produce measure reductions in GHG emissions, to name a few.

This year’s Top Green Providers list includes grocers, 3PLs, cold storage providers, pallet and packaging manufacturers, software and technology companies and others whose products and services are elevating sustainability to a competitive advantage. The Food Logistics 2017 Top Green Providers will be showcased in the June issue, as well as online.

About Food Logistics

Food Logistics is published by AC Business Media, a business-to-business media company that provides targeted content and comprehensive, integrated advertising and promotion opportunities for some of the world’s most recognized B2B brands. Its diverse portfolio serves the construction, logistics, supply chain and other industries with print, digital and custom products, events and social media.

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source http://www.unex.com/unex-green-supply-chain-2nd-year

FIFO vs. FEFO- What’s the Difference?

FIFO, First-In, First-Out, is important for companies that distribute products with expiration dates, such as pharmaceuticals, food and beverage. It is a safe practice that ensures your products will not expire or go bad. With FIFO, the oldest products are used or picked first, ensuring product quality and safety. When products are picked for an order, newer arrived products slide forward from the back to replace the just-picked item. Replenishment occurs from the back of the shelves.

FEFO, First Expired, First-Out, is similar to FIFO in that items closest to the expiration will be shipped first. The “E” refers to the expiration date of the product. The APICS Dictionary defines FEFO as “a picking methodology assuring that the usage shelf life of items is optimized.”

In order for the FEFO methodology to be used, items must have serial or lot numbers on them and the item has to be posted to inventory with an expiration date. The serial or lot-numbered items to be picked are sorted with the FEFO methodology, i.e. the items are listed in the order of expiration, so items closest to expiration are picked first. This is useful for pharmaceuticals and medical products that can expire quickly, but can cause significant issues if shipped past the expiration date.

 

FIFO works for items in any type of packaging, whether it’s a can, bottle or bag. FIFO can be used for fresh, frozen or canned items as well. When used correctly, the FIFO rotation method ensures companies are serving safe products and reducing spoilage. When adding new items to storage units, push them to the back of the shelf or load shelves from the rear so that older items will be moved forward and used first. With the FIFO methodology, workers won’t have to continually check expiration dates, saving them time in picking operations, because they know to use older items first.

Labels placed on storage shelves serve as a visual aid in assisting workers to rotate products, maintain quality items and minimize waste. Shipping a product that has expired to a customer can lead to big problems, especially if products are regulated by the government or industry group. Expired products, such as food on a grocery shelf, can affect a brand’s image, not to mention potential consequences from regulators.

Let the UNEX Pickologists help you pick the best storage products and methodology for your needs. Contact us today.

The post FIFO vs. FEFO- What’s the Difference? appeared first on Unex.

source http://www.unex.com/fifo-vs-fefo-whats-the-difference/

Just-In-Time Manufacturing & UNEX

Just-in-time manufacturing originated at the British Motor Corporation in Sydney, Australia in the mid-1950’s, was later adopted in Japan, and became more prominent in the US in the 1970s when Toyota adopted the methodology. Just-in-time manufacturing, or JIT for short, was renamed lean manufacturing in the 90’s, and is still called this today.

Just-in-time manufacturing, also known as just-in-time production or the Toyota production system (TPS), is a methodology aimed primarily at reducing flow times within production as well as response times from suppliers and to customers. Items are manufactured to meet demand, not in advance. In other words, manufacturers make only what is needed, when it is needed and in the amount that is needed. Other names for just-in-time manufacturing include the Kanban System or the Supermarket Method.

 

The  concept was described by Henry Ford in his 1923 book, My Life and Work: “We have found in buying materials that it is not worthwhile to buy for other than immediate needs. We buy only enough to fit into the plan of production, taking into consideration the state of transportation at the time. If transportation were perfect and an even flow of materials could be assured, it would not be necessary to carry any stock whatsoever. The carloads of raw materials would arrive on schedule and in the planned order and amounts, and go from the railway cars into production. That would save a great deal of money, for it would give a very rapid turnover and thus decrease the amount of money tied up in materials.”

But the concept really took off with Toyota and remains foremost in the minds of many manufacturing businesses as a way to eliminate waste, which is the main concept of lean manufacturing, while streamlining operations, lowering operating costs and improving customer service.

Toyota has six rules to describe how this works:

• Later process picks up the number of items indicated by the kanban at the earlier process.
• Earlier process produces items in the quantity and sequence indicated by the kanban.
• No items are made or transported without a kanban.
• Always attach a kanban to the goods.
• Defective products are not sent on to the subsequent process. The result is 100% defect-free goods.
• Reducing the number of kanban increases the sensitivity.

UNEX manufactures lineside storage solutions which can store and flow products from the initial demand point bin. UNEX also makes manufacturing supermarkets which can store and flow products from the inventory control point bin. UNEX’s manufacturing supermarkets provide lineside shelving where workers pull components from as needed for manufacturing. Miniature stock locations are located close to the assembly line, allowing the lines to be replenished quickly and easily.

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source http://www.unex.com/just-in-time-manufacturing-unex/