Why Go With Carton Flow?

Streamlining product flow is an ongoing challenge in most fulfillment facilities. It’s more than simply having the right product on hand to fill orders, although that is certainly an overriding goal. Product flow affects inventory availability and accessibility, product rotation, replenishment and storage processes, travel time, handling and ergonomics, and picking speed and accuracy. For fulfillment operations that handle large volumes of fast-moving inventory consisting of a wide variety of SKUs, the proven turnaround solution is a well-designed carton flow rack system.

Why carton flow? In today’s e-commerce environment, distributors are less likely to be handling full pallets; instead inventory is moved to the pick area in individual cartons, where pickers pull items to fulfill the more typical smaller, multi-SKU order. In this type of application, using carton flow racks can increase operational efficiency by as much as 75%, often immediately. How?

Carton flow rack systems are shelving units consisting of multiple levels of pitched tracks, complete with either wheel beds or rollers. Cartons are loaded from the rear at the apex of the rack, where gravity propels the carton forward on the rollers toward the picker, in the same sequence in which it was loaded. If there is already a carton in the queue, the newly added carton simply falls in line until it is needed.



This first-in/first-out (FIFO) design not only ensures efficient inventory rotation, but also allows picking and replenishing operations to take place simultaneously from opposite sides of the rack. Ongoing replenishment means the correct carton always on hand, within reach and in clear view. Freed from the need to wait or travel, workers are able to pick more quickly, accurately and efficiently. For optimized turnaround, carton flow rack systems are the tool of choice.

At the same time, it’s important to choose the best carton flow system for your distinct application and product mix. A robust carton flow rack system will minimize product hang-up, which can result in operational delays, damaged inventory, risk to workers and costly maintenance issues. Matching the carton flow system’s size and capabilities to your operational needs is important to achieving optimum space utilization and pick productivity. The best systems are modular, portable, adjustable, customizable, attractive and guaranteed by warranty.

Your ideal solution will provide flexibility, durability and smooth product flow. We predict you’ll see a dramatic turnabout.

UNEX Manufacturing offers a variety of carton flow systems designed to suit your warehouse application. For example, UNEX Shelf Track is 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. For all your flow needs, contact your UNEX Pickologist today.

The post Why Go With Carton Flow? appeared first on Carton Flow and Order Picking Solutions from UNEX.

source https://www.unex.com/why-carton-flow/

The Perks of a SpeedCell Solution

E-commerce retailers and businesses offering apparel, shoes, outdoor equipment, arts & craft supplies, or even furniture use SpeedCell Storage Solutions to improve storage and order picking operations. The unique, patented design of SpeedCell offers high density storage for slow to medium-speed items within crowded warehouses, helping to increase storage capabilities up to 60 percent.

One furniture, bedding and home goods retailer uses our SpeedCell solution to hold everything from linens to kitchenware to furniture components. Instead of storing open, full cases, items are removed from boxes and stored per SKU in SpeedCell, keeping the warehouse clean and orderly. The company’s WMS directs order pickers to the proper location, whether in the SpeedCell area or in the full case area.

• SpeedCell provides high density, scalable storage that uses every inch of potential storage space within your pallet racks.

• SpeedCell columns come in a variety of sizes, with standardized cells of (sizes). Customized columns and cells are also available.

• SpeedCell Storage Solutions are made from high-strength industrial textiles that are fire, flame, mold and static resistant. Each cell holds up to 35 pounds; each column holds up to 240 pounds.

• SpeedCell cuts labor costs by 40% on average with less travel and greater efficiencies.

• ROI of typically less than 1 year.

One arts & craft retailer ran out of space in the DC and couldn’t add more room in the building because they were landlocked. Buying a new building was too costly. Instead the retailer put SpeedCell within their DC and now holds 77% of their SKUs in 17% of the building. Initially the retailer installed 4 columns and found it would hold 20 bays of products. The firm uses SpeedCell to house open boxes for e-commerce orders, which equates to thousands and thousands of SKUs.

Besides dense storage, SpeedCell improves picking efficiencies. Columns can move left or right in racks, allowing order pickers access to rows behind. As a result, order pickers speed their order picking rates because they don’t have to walk around. They just step next to a column, push it aside to reach the one in the back and select the correct SKU. No longer do workers have to travel up and down rows to fill orders.

UNEX SpeedCartt uses SpeedCell columns installed in a wire cart to improve the picking of orders or restocking of shelves or cells. SpeedCartt was introduced after SpeedCell’s engineers watched how several companies were picking orders from cut-out cardboard boxes set in racks. The pickers used shopping carts to sort orders as they walked up and down aisles to gather items to fulfill orders. Often orders would get mixed up in the shopping carts. With the SpeedCartt, which offers up to 50 cell locations per cart, order pickers have better order accuracy and restocking is much easier.

If you need greater efficiency and productivity in your order picking of slow to medium-speed products, want to cut labor costs by 40% on average or decrease travel in your warehouse, then look at SpeedCell from UNEX Manufacturing.

The post The Perks of a SpeedCell Solution appeared first on Carton Flow and Order Picking Solutions from UNEX.

source https://www.unex.com/perks-speedcell-solution/

Planning Ahead for the Rapid-Fire Seasonal Surge

Sure, it’s plus-90˚ outside, but operators inside the DC are gearing up for Holiday 2018 seasonal surge: watching product trends, stocking up on inventory, planning picking and packing operations, and making sure every aspect of the distribution channel is operating like a well-oiled machine.

At least that’s what’s on every logistics pro’s wish list.

Each year, as SKU variety and volumes increase, inventories grow larger, delivery requirements get shorter, and omni-channel sales continue to skyrocket, warehouse space and cost pressures seem to ratchet up. Throw in the emergence of the season’s latest must-have toy or other “it” gift, along with the panic buying of last-minute shoppers, and there go the best-laid plans….

Or not.



Realistically, the timeline is already getting tight- but there’s still time to engage the strategic tools and make the operational tweaks that can streamline your throughput and optimize your functional capacity. Here are a couple of solutions that can help make holiday 2018 a more fulfilling season:

• Use slotting software to analyze and optimize inventory movement. There’s no such thing as a “standard” product path in warehouse operations. To achieve maximum productivity and profitability, inventory movement must be tailored to your specific warehouse layout. SKUBE, the unique slotting software from UNEX, examines your total operation and generates a custom 3D model that strategically maps optimal SKU flow, defines the ideal storage location and media for your specific product mix, and maximizes storage density and space utilization. SKUBE analysis helps reduce footsteps, decrease search and travel, improve ergonomics and safety, and increase overall order picking productivity.

• Fine tune order picking processes to accelerate speed and accuracy. Making the correct product visible and accessible is key to picking precision. UNEX pick solutions are durable, flexible and dynamic, so you can be sure the right product is presented at the right pick point at the right time. From angled metal pick shelves that save space and boost efficiency, to innovative Flow Cell carton flow solutions that organize the workflow, ensure FIFO inventory rotation and facilitate line and process changes, UNEX solutions make picking fast and easy.

UNEX helps reduce the stress of accommodating seasonal surge demand by keeping distribution processes and profits flowing. That’s a smart move any time of year.

UNEX Manufacturing helps retailers and distributors plan for rapid-fire seasonality by rationalizing SKUs, fine-tuning order picking processes, and speeding fulfillment with state-of-the-art material handling solutions. Trying to get ready for the holidays? Contact your UNEX Pickologist today.

The post Planning Ahead for the Rapid-Fire Seasonal Surge appeared first on Carton Flow and Order Picking Solutions from UNEX.

source https://www.unex.com/planning-ahead-for-the-rapid-fire-seasonal-surge/

Back-to-School Supply Chain: Is It Doing Its Homework?

Now that the bulk of the summer has come and gone, the heat is on! We’re not just talking about the weather (although that’s pretty hot, too); we mean the stampede toward back-to-school (BTS) sales and savings, a family spending spree that’s made back to school – along with back-to-college (BTC) – the second-largest annual sales event in the country. Although the season still ends around Labor Day, each year BTS seems to start a little earlier, especially when you factor in online research, product comparisons and review, and purchase planning.



And unlike most recent retail trends, school supply shoppers are a little more old-school, tending to prefer brick-and-mortar shopping and spending about $288 USD in store, on average, compared to $103 online, according to Deloitte’s 10th annual back-to-school survey (in 2017). Not all retailers enjoy an equal increase in BTS foot traffic or sales, however. Deloitte found, “Mass merchants and off-price retailers are becoming the go-to venues while traditional department stores and specialty clothing retailers take a back seat.”

Specifically, of the survey’s respondents:

• 81% planned to shop mass merchants, a 24% increase over 2016

• 28% planned to shop at off-price stores, up from 10% in 2016

• 28% will ship traditional department stores, down from 54% in 2016

• 8% will shop specialty clothing stores, a huge drop from 2016’s 25%.

So what are the parents and students who make up these 29 million households buying for back-to-school? Deloitte reports, “Clothing and accessories are expected to account for 55 percent of families’ spending – up 10 percentage points from last year. Meanwhile, computers and hardware will take up just 14 percent of the spending; this is four percent lower than last year.”

Of course, online sales are still a strong and steady BTS channel, especially for education basics like computers and tech gadgets, calculators and backpacks. According to NRF’s figures, 44% of BTS shoppers plan to spend online, roughly the same percentage as the previous year.

Deloitte found that 71% of sales occur between early July and late August. But as it turns out, the earlier shoppers – those who start BTS shopping before August – spend about 16% more than those who start in August or later, so retailers who have BTS items available online or on shelves earlier in the summer have the opportunity to generate higher sales.

All those statistics add up to one universal lesson: Online or in-store, BTS shoppers are looking for the best deals – on products, promotions, prices, and delivery – and seamless shopping experiences. Does that ring a bell? Regardless of channel, the pass/fail ratio depends on the supply chain.

UNEX Manufacturing works with top retail organizations to create efficient and effective fulfillment processes to ensure products are on retailers’ shelves at the right time with the right quantities of inventory. With increased demand for certain school-related products, it is imperative that retailers and distributors have their warehouses in top working condition to speed products out the door. Contact your UNEX Pickologist today to learn how.

The post Back-to-School Supply Chain: Is It Doing Its Homework? appeared first on Carton Flow and Order Picking Solutions from UNEX.

source https://www.unex.com/back-to-school-supply-chain-is-it-doing-its-homework/