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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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