Warehouse Control Systems Forum: Recent Posts

Warehouse Control Systems Forum: Recent Posts http://www.scotttechllc.com/forum/ Just another bbPress community en Thu, 09 Sep 2010 09:50:57 +0000 prizzo on "Bucket Brigade Order Picking" http://www.scotttechllc.com/forum/topic.php?id=4#post-7 Sat, 13 Feb 2010 12:13:09 +0000 prizzo 7@http://www.scotttechllc.com/forum/ Can someone tell me about bucket brigade picking and pick to voice? admin on "Bucket Brigade Order Picking" http://www.scotttechllc.com/forum/topic.php?id=4#post-6 Thu, 09 Apr 2009 12:02:09 +0000 admin 6@http://www.scotttechllc.com/forum/ Order Picking is one of the most labor intensive (and costly) processes in a Distribution Center. Even small increases in pick rates can have a dramatic effect on the bottom line for a company. Implementing a “Bucket Brigade” style of picking when possible is therefore one of the easiest ways for a company to save money. What is “Bucket Brigade”? I’ve found the easiest way to explain it is by asking you to think about ordering a submarine sandwich at a Subway. The first person in the brigade asks what sandwich you want and the type of bread you want it on. They do not stop there (usually). They cut the bread and begin assembling the sandwich until the second person is bumped down to take over asking which toppings/condiments you would like. At that point the first person starts over with the next customer in line. Why is this better than each person assembling from start to finish? Why not have people assigned only certain tasks on every sandwich? The answer is in the word ORGANIZATION. A “Bucket Brigade” style adds efficiency to the system by keeping people sequentially ordered and always working. You are not waiting for the person next to you to finish putting extra mayo on a sandwich while your customer wants jalapenos on the other side of that person. You are also not waiting because five customers in a row wanted extra bacon and the person in charge of that task is suddenly overwhelmed. The rules of Bucket Brigades lend structure to the system without a word even spoken. Many Order Picking applications inside of a warehouse have proven “fertile soil” to implementing the structure of Bucket Brigades. Efficiencies have been noted to increase from 10 to 40 percent. Even order accuracy has been documented to increase because the straight-line methodology keeps totes/boxes ordered instead of cluttered. Bucket Brigades in a forward Pick Zones works as follows: The first worker begins by starting a batch of orders and completing picks until he/she is bumped off the batch by the second person. The second person is handed off the batch by the first person and starts completing where that person left off. The first person then proceeds to start a new batch of orders. The second person can be bumped down by the third person, and the third by the fourth, etc… The workers should be organized from the slowest pick rate in the first position to the fastest “all-star” picker. This will lend to the “Six Sigma” principle that product is to be pulled through a system and not pushed through. Under standard picking methods where workers pick orders all the way through, the workers will have to leap frog one another frequently. This can be time consuming if let’s say the worker’s batch of 12 totes are on roller conveyor and he/she must leapfrog all 12 of them past another’s totes on the line. You can see where this can cause inefficiency and even where totes might get mixed up causing picks being put into the wrong tote. Bucket Brigade is a Zone-less method of picking. Zone picking eliminates Leap Frogging but is too rigid in that the if one picker has a large number of picks in his/her zone the person in the next zone ends up waiting for totes. Even adding/subtracting workers to the system is done easily and without having to make adjustments to the software or explain to the group their newly adjusted responsibilities now that a person is being added. The system keeps flowing as normal. Bucket Brigade picking can be utilized with several manual picking technologies. RF Bar Code Terminals, Pick-to-Voice, and Pick-To-Light all lend themselves to the use of bucket brigades to organize the picking process. admin on "Should I use Voice-Picking technology?" http://www.scotttechllc.com/forum/topic.php?id=3#post-4 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:07:06 +0000 admin 4@http://www.scotttechllc.com/forum/ Pick to Voice is one of the many recommended methods used in Forward Pick Zones in Distribution Centers. This technology often takes the place of paper pick lists and sometimes even RF Bar Code Terminals. The main advantage of using voice is that it keeps the Picking operation hands free. This is especially important given the nature of handling large boxes or counting out smaller items. Both paper lists and Bar Code terminals are easily misplaced and dropped. The time taken to put a Bar Code Terminal in a holster and grab it back out can add significant time to each Pick. Voice is the ideal solution for picking in a freezer where the pickers' hands are usually gloved. Where does Voice fit in with other Forward Picking Technologies such as Pick-To-Light, AS/RS, Carousels, etc…? It is great when dealing with Full Cases being sent direct to shipping or picking large items onto a pallet. In other scenarios (with smaller and/or high-velocity items), voice is adequate but not as good as some other choices. It is sort of like the jack-of-all-trades-master-of- …(well, see above) Certain industries, especially grocery distribution, voice is ideal for up to 90% of their operation. Both the software and hardware for voice has significantly improved over the last thirty years. Background noise, language recognition, and the common cold are much smaller obstacles than they were in years past. Standard Sequence of Operation (SOP) User logs on to software using the headset The software either knows where that user is assigned or asks the user where they will be picking and for what order(s) The headset instructs the picker to the first location User reads off the Check Digit for that location and after the software verifies it gives the User the Quantity to Pick User verifies the Quantity or performs a Special function (Short Pick, Close Box, etc…) The software moves on to the next Pick In a nutshell, Pick to Voice provides improvements in accuracy and efficiency without a large investment. It has its place alongside the other technologies ScottTech helps its customers deploy to cut the big-budget operating cost of labor inside the warehouse. admin on "Towards a Green Sustainable Supply Chain" http://www.scotttechllc.com/forum/topic.php?id=2#post-3 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:02:23 +0000 admin 3@http://www.scotttechllc.com/forum/ This post is an attempt at providing a condensed explanation of what a “Green” Supply Chain is, and how a Warehouse Control System (WCS) can help your business attain sustainability. President Obama has taken a lead role in sustainable processes not only in government operations but also within the private sector. The guiding document is Executive Order 13423 which can be found at: <a href="http://www.ofee.gov/eo/eo13423_main.asp" rel="nofollow">http://www.ofee.gov/eo/eo13423_main.asp</a> Every business has a supply chain. Simply stated; Input --> Transformation --> Output. A sustainable supply chain is friendly as possible to the environment as it attempts to uses materials and processes that reduce waste. All supply chains cost money; raw materials, energy, material handling, transportation, etc. The movement towards a sustainable green supply chain will lead businesses to discovering new opportunities to decrease costs. There generally are two methods to “greening” a supply chain; Move existing processes towards a green supply chain model Design and implement new processes under that model Goals of a Green Sustainable Supply Chain Reduce Costs and Help the Environment Lower Energy Consumption Use less Natural Resources Consumption Less Environmentally Unfriendly Chemicals Some excellent resources on this subject are "Green Supply Chain Network" and "Greenprofs". A WCS utilizes very innovative technologies within the warehouse or distribution center that reduces the floor space needed and uses less human and/or natural resources. One technology that is used is Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS) such as horizontal or vertical carousels. Below is a presentation from Remstar on Sustainable High Performance Storage & Retrieval Systems: Companies must focus on three core areas when greening the supply chain: organization, process, and technology. However, most companies do not have an organizational structure, or have processes in place that enable an "end-to-end" view of their carbon footprint or environmental impact of their supply chain. Technology follows the organizational and procedural changes put in place. Taking on any technology investments without first understanding the alignment of the overall strategies is obviously not a good idea. admin on "Welcome to ScottTech's Warehouse Control Systems Forum" http://www.scotttechllc.com/forum/topic.php?id=1#post-2 Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:43:18 +0000 admin 2@http://www.scotttechllc.com/forum/ We look forward to sharing all things Warehouse Control with our community! Join today and learn and grow with us!