Warehouse Operations & Trends

In September 2017, the Peerless Research Group surveyed roughly three hundred DC professionals on behalf of Logistics Management and Modern Materials Handling magazine. Responses were then compared to previous surveys conducted in 2014, 2015 and 2016. The results, released in October and titled, “An Evaluation of Warehouse Operations & Trends,” offer some interesting insights into the kinds and paces of changes occurring in the DC industry. Here are some of the results:

Number of Buildings in Network
While the percentage of networks with 2-3 buildings has remained relatively stable, the number with just one building has increased to 40% from 33-35 percent in previous years, and the number with three or more buildings has decreased to 31%, lower than in any previous survey years.

Total Network Square Footage
Although the average amount of total DC network square footage is on a downward trend, from 502,325 in 2014 to just 473,400 this year, the sweet spot for growth remains in the +/- 50,000 sq. ft. range, a category that has increased from 24% in 2014 to 29% in 2017.

Facility Height
After slight increases in 2015-16 to +/- 30 feet, the average clear height of DC buildings now more closely approximates 2014 levels, in the high 20s.

Average Annual Inventory Turns
The number of annual inventory turns in warehouse operations decreased to an average of 8.5 in 2017, from 8.6, 9.1, and 9.2 in 2014-16, respectively, a trend that may indicate DCs are holding more inventory for longer than is optimal.

SKUs Stocked
On average, the number of SKUs stocked is decreasing, from a high of 14,036 in 2015 to 13,130 in 2017, although significantly fewer of those SKUs are suitable for conveyable or robotic handling.

Expansion Plans
Seventy-one percent of DC operators plan to expand (or consider expansion) in 2018, the largest number since 2014. The greatest percentage (36%) plan to increase the number of employees, and 29% plan to increase the number of SKUs. In contrast, less than a quarter plan to increase inventory turns, overall square footage or service areas.

Material Handling Systems
A significant majority of DCs are using conventional material handling systems for receiving (84%), picking (70%), and replenishment (62%) operations. While that number has remained fairly stable in receiving and replenishing, the percentage of DCs using conventional cart or lift truck picking has actually increased over the survey period.

Picking Technologies
While 62% of DCs still use paper-based picking systems, nearly half of operations include RF-assisted/scan verification technologies. Parts-to-person, pick-to-light/scan verification and pick-to-voice (with and without scan verification) technologies are used in just 7-12% of operations in 2017, although those levels are a significant increase over the previous three years.

Order Filling Techniques
Order-picking techniques in common use in 2017 include single-order picking (79%), batch picking (43%), cross-docking (30%) zone picking (27%), put-to-order (20%), and put-wall systems (4%), a distribution that has fluctuated little over the survey period.

Major Issues
Inability to attract and retain a qualified hourly workforce is respondents most consistently cited issue again in 2017, followed by insufficient space (40%), which has typically occupied the number two spot across survey years.

Experiencing these major issues yourself? UNEX can help you optimize your storage systems to free up extra space in your facility, and reduce workforce requirements by making picks faster and safer. Our Pickologists have the experience and know-how to help you to take your warehouse operations to the next level.

The post Warehouse Operations & Trends appeared first on Carton Flow and Order Picking Solutions from UNEX.

source http://www.unex.com/warehouse-operations-trends/

Pick Plank- Shoes for the Cobbler’s Children

Have you ever heard the expression “The cobbler’s son wears no shoes?” How about “A plumber’s house always has a dripping tap?” Whatever version of the proverb you’re familiar with, the message remains the same: craftsmen simply do not enjoy the benefits of their own craft at home or in their workplace.

At UNEX, we’re all about efficiency. Making sure workers minimize risky movements, especially those that leave one vulnerable to repetitive stress injuries (RSIs), is our bread and butter. According to a recent Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index, overexertion is the number one most disabling workplace injury in the United States. That’s why all of our solutions are focused on reducing or completely eliminating overexertion in order picking, packing, shipping, and assembly processes- just to name a few.

However, in some aspects of our own operation, it seemed as though the “cobbler’s children”- in this case, our own workforce- were wearing no shoes. Take, for example, the way our assembly workers were being fed hardware during their daily activities. We have approximately 150 SKUs of heavy-duty hardware, weighing in between 20 and 50 pounds, that are hand stacked on pallets about 48 inches off the floor. Assembly workers pick hardware from the closest box, discard the empty, pull the next box forward, pick from that box, and so on. While the raised height of the hardware made it a breeze for material handlers to replenish the shelves, it was a nightmare for assemblers to pull boxes forward from the rear of a 42 inch deep rack for picking. The pick was a very awkward full arm extension to grab and retrieve an item up to 50 pounds. In short, these picks were a recipe for RSIs. It was clear the cobbler needed to craft a pair of shoes for his children, and to do it sooner than later.

Enter Pick Plank. Pick Plank is a drop-in shelf for use with pallet rack with the ability to slide the top plank of the solution forward. Pick Plank provides an effortless pull of just 3% of the total weight of the SKUs sitting on the plank, which maxes out at 22 pounds of pull. Translation: instead of reaching into the rack, grabbing a 50 pound box of hardware, and pulling it forward manually, you can instead pop open the Pick Plank’s lock and slide the whole top of the device forward with ease. Pick Plank is designed to fit any 42 inch deep bulk and pallet rack system, making it great for operations that already have row after row of pallet rack- like ours!

During early prototype versions of Pick Plank, our assembly workers gained an intimate knowledge of how the product worked and the benefits they could provide. These workers were also intimately familiar with the stress and exertion caused by some portions of our part picking processes. Shortly before the design of Pick Plank was finalized, an employee by the name of Woody approached management and requested several units for the rack where their hardware was stored. Of course, management agreed- what better way to gauge a product’s benefit than to provide it to your own workers and see how it impacts their productivity (and downtime due to injury)? The entire 48 inch level of the rack in our assembly area was outfitted with our brand new Pick Plank, and the heavy boxes were once again hand stacked and ready to be picked.

The results of Woody’s request completely validated the philosophy behind the solution’s design. With Pick Plank, assembly workers were able to easily pull new boxes of hardware forward to the point of pick without requiring a full arm extension and a 50 pound lift well outside the Golden Zone. Pick Plank helped to completely eliminate the risk of an RSI during the assembly workers’ picks, increased the speed of their picks, and reduced the vertical space required for the same number of SKUs by eliminating the need for a pallet underneath them. The cobbler’s children were finally wearing shoes!

The post Pick Plank- Shoes for the Cobbler’s Children appeared first on Carton Flow and Order Picking Solutions from UNEX.

source http://www.unex.com/unex-pick-plank-cobbler/

UNEX Manufacturing Posts Second Consecutive Year of Record Growth

UNEX Manufacturing, Inc., the trusted industry leader in innovative order picking solutions, celebrates its second consecutive year of record business growth in 2017, adding dozens of new products and solution patents, major industry awards and global sales throughout North America, Central America, Europe and Asia. UNEX now employs over 100 people, making the company one of the largest employers in Ocean County in New Jersey.

“UNEX is a family owned and operated business since 1964, yet we have established ourselves as the worldwide leader in innovative order picking solutions that maximize space usage, increase pick rates and improve ergonomics at the point of pick,” said Brian C. Neuwirth, VP of Sales and Marketing, UNEX Manufacturing. “Our growth can be attributed to our hard-working people who work closely with clients to determine the best solutions we offer to improve processes and speed fulfillment. Another year of strong growth is a testament to our team’s dedication to serving our customers above and beyond their expectations.”

In 2017, UNEX was awarded several prestigious industry awards, including:

• 2018 Most Valuable Supplier Award from MHEDA for 3^rd consecutive year
• Food Logistics FL100+ for 3rd consecutive year
• SDCE 2017 Provider Pros to Know Award
• Food Logistics Top 100 Green Supply Chain Provider Awards
• Chosen as Finalist in New Jersey Manufacturing’s MJMEP 2017 Manufacturer of the Year Award
• SDCE Green Supply Chain Award for 3^rd consecutive
• UNEX President Named to Board of Directors for MHEFI

UNEX has invented dozens of products and solutions in response to customer needs, for which the company has been awarded patents. UNEX is the pioneer of Span-Track®, a universal flow track system that easily drops into any supporting frame or pallet rack. UNEX continues to define the current gravity conveyor marketplace with additional modules and features for Span-Track, making it one of the most durable, flexible, made-to-order picking solution available. UNEX Flow Cell®, Roller Rack®, Shelf Track®, Pallet Track®, Pick Shelves and Gravity Conveyor are made of durable steel materials that eliminate hang-ups on tracks and carry more weight and products than competitors. UNEX products speed throughput up to 150%, carry a 7-year warranty and increase space utilization by up to 50%.

One recent invention includes the UNEX Pick-Plank, a mechanical order picking device that affixes to a pallet and converts each pick slot from a static to a dynamic storage position, allowing all items on a pallet to be accessible from the aisle. It is suitable for case picking less than full pallet from a man aboard order picker, eliminating the need for the picker to have to reach or crawl into the storage position. UNEX Manufacturing introduced industrial carts recently as well, 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 Manufacturing helps manufacturers and assemblers boost productivity, improve ergonomics, eliminate waste and maximize space with their lean, modular workstations. Our 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.

 

The post UNEX Manufacturing Posts Second Consecutive Year of Record Growth appeared first on Carton Flow and Order Picking Solutions from UNEX.

source http://www.unex.com/unex-manufacturing-record-growth/