Put-away, Directed vs. Suggested
In recent months we outlined several advantages of using a warehouse management system (WMS) to direct product putaway to minimize operator decision making requirements. We pointed out the potential improvements in compliance, operator productivity, and overall space utilization. But as the saying goes, there is no such thing as a free lunch. In this example […]
Directed Put-away – No Location Found
In the December 2021 post we outlined the potential need for operators to override the system directed put-away instructions and the need for having a “trouble” location. In both these examples the primary objective is to keep operators moving and processing productive tasks, in this case putting product away and moving to the next task. […]
Directed Put-away – No Location Found
In recent posts we discussed taking advantage of technology to help with product put-away. Directed put-away removes the routine and tedious decision making tasks from operators allowing them to be more productive. A good warehouse management system (WMS) should allow management to define various put-away rules the computer will use when determining the best put-away […]
Reasons for System Directed Put-away
Last month we discussed the use of boom rooms in the warehouse and the idea of using system directed putaway to keep flammable product in a safe space. There are many other reasons you might want to use your warehouse management system to help determine where product should be stored. Product picked together Labor consumes […]
Boom Room. Sometimes being lean simply means being simple.
On a tour of the home improvement company distribution center, I observed a simple, and generally low-cost solutions to improving warehouse performance and safety. Many warehouses have flammable type products requiring special handling and storage in a controlled environment. Generally, the area will have an early suppression fast response (ESFR) system and will be easily […]
Lean and Safety – Stop, Look & Point
Safety and Lean can and should go hand in hand. I recently did a lean tour of a large distribution center. Along with seeing many lean process ideas I learned they had a strong focus on employee safety. For instance, one thing everyone did (and we received training pre-tour) was the practice of Stop, Look […]
Storing Small Items – Part 2
Last month we introduced a few ways to store small items including custom made dividers, plastic dividers on small beam racking, traditional small bin shelving and rotabins. This month we provide a few more small items storage ideas and end with a general comparison. Straw/pencil dispensers are a very out of the box concept but […]
Storing Small Items – Part 1
On a recent facility tour I observed a unique approach to storing individual cigars. This neat diamond rack configuration was designed to easily store various types and sizes of cigars in a small area. During a discussion with the rack designer we mentioned the pro’s and con’s of the design: Pro’s: Good density, ease of […]
The Golden Zone
In August 2020, we discussed the concept of slotting using ABC profiling to help improve productivity in the warehouse (Know Your ABCs). The example provided focused on reducing pick travel distance and time by keeping the fast moving “A” items near the shipping dock, “B” items in the middle of the building, and “C” items […]
What is Carrying Cost?
As a warehouse manager you might see many storage locations full of the same product. From your experience you know it might take months to sell that much inventory. But you don’t have much input. Your job is to get product checked in, keep it safe while in your stead and get it picked and […]