Warehouse Control Systems – A Tool For Sustainability
Submitted by ajdesalvo on April 28, 2009 – 10:41 amNo Comment
So, how can a WCS help attain green and sustainable processes in a warehouse or distribution center?
Let’s take a brief look at why a WCS can assist in attaining a green, sustainable warehouse:
- No pick/put away sheets, packing slips and order manifests are printed once at a packing or shipping workstation
- Data analysis and reporting are digitally generated and can be available readily throughout an organization
- Reduced material movement or material moved by conveyor = less energy used by fork trucks
- Smaller staffing requirements = less cars
Political Correctness Alert! Yeah, I know, people need jobs. However, there is a great need technology experts, let’s retrain the displaced workers for filling high-tech positions within the organization.
- More items in a shipping container = less packing material used and then displosed of by the customer
- Change is the only constant; a business model that works today may not work in the near future. The ability to be agile when it comes to modifying your systems will distance you from the competition.
- less returns = less packing material to dispose
- Time and energy resources are reduced having less items to re-stock
- In summary, a warehouse control system will;
- Generate more inventory turns
- Increase the functional and operational capacity of your business
- Reduce total labor costs
- Consume less energy and resources
- Improve picking and shipping accuracy
- Quicken process cycle times
- Provide greater customer satisfaction
