ScottTech Integrated Solutions today announced it will launch a new version of its application, PickPro WCS™, which works with Microsoft Windows® 7, Microsoft SQL Server® 2008, and Microsoft Windows Server® 2008 R2 to offer customers enhanced security, as well as innovative user interface features and reliability improvements.

PickPro WCS™ is a powerful yet easy to use warehouse control system for stockroom and distribution center environments.

PickPro WCS™ is available in either single or multiple workstation versions, operating standalone or networked depending on the customer’s needs.

PickPro WCS™ can control multiple automated horizontal or vertical carousel pods, flow rack, Pick to Light shelving and many other bulk storage locations. It maintains and manages all inventory items in locations, and controls all of the picking, put away, and cycle count processes.

The PickPro WCS™ mobile computer module works with or without voice on Motorola/Symbol, Intermec, and other handheld wireless devices.

“Our ISV community is alive with innovation, and we’re committed to helping our partners drive the next generation of software experiences,” said Ross Brown, Vice President of ISV and Solutions Partners for the Worldwide Partner Group at Microsoft.

“Adding compatibility for the latest Microsoft operating systems helps ISVs to stay ahead of the competition and give their customers access to cutting-edge technologies.”

“ScottTech Integrated Solutions is excited to launch this new version of PickPro WCS™,” said Anthony DeSalvo, Software Development Manager at ScottTech Integrated Solutions.

“Making our application compatible with Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 helps us offer our customers compelling benefits, including intuitive user interfaces such as multi-touch, improved security and reliability features, tools to keep them connected to data stored on the Web, advanced graphic hardware acceleration, full support for multi-core processing, sophisticated management features, intelligent power management, and flexible access administration to improve mobile working.”

ScottTech provides clients with innovative solutions using the best technology to improve production. We are committed to exceeding our client’s expectations and delivering complete automation and data management solutions.

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Products or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.

For more information, press only:
Anthony DeSalvo
Software Development Manager
ScottTech, LLC
6847 Ellicott Drive
East Syracuse, NY 13057
315.413.4871
adesalvo@scotttechllc.com
www.scotttechllc.com

By indicating that an item being received into the warehouse or distribution center is a “Return”, all other stocking algorithms are ignored and FIFO logic is used. This will allow the warehouse control software to choose this item next when satisfying an order.

The induction process directs an operator to place the item in a forward pick location and then assigns that item to the next order requesting that item.

Many times orders are shipped short when there is stock located in the receiving area awaiting disposition and return to stock. PickPro WCS™ has cross dock capability which will send these returned items directly to pack and ship operations. This saves time and money by not having the items placed into stock, and then later picking it for an order.

The return management feature in PickPro WCS™ assists you in maintaining a sustainable supply chain by reducing the time and energy required to manage the inherently problematic returns business process.

Now what? The phone is starting to ring for you hopefully. Are you ready to ramp up quickly to meet the new demand? Do you have a warehouse control system in place? Is your inventory control really in control?

Automating your processes and investing in new technology will help to keep you ahead of your competition. A good choice for identifying what is possible for creating a sustainable business model would be hiring a systems integrator to assess your current system(s).

Now is a great time to have an automation systems expert review your business operations and suggest ways for you to meet your requirements without adding labor resources.

By automating your inventory and warehouse control processes you can keep your labor costs flat through the ebb and tide of your product demand.

Areas that are likely suspects in re-engineering your processes are:

• Inventory Storage
• Order Processing
• Kitting operations
• Order Picking
• Replenishment Processes

Most reputable companies will assess your needs for little or no cost. This effort would be a great investment for your company’s well being now, and into the future.

Sustainability is about addressing and balancing the economic, environmental and social aspects of businesses, their operations and outputs. Many businesses consider sustainability as one of their core strategic values but find it hard to implement in their existing business setting.

Sustainable management of businesses is the roadmap to achieving the present needs of society without compromising the opportunities of future generations (Bruntland, 1987).

A Green Sustainable Supply Chain can be defined as “the process of using environmentally friendly inputs and transforming these inputs through change agents – whose byproducts can improve or be recycled within the existing environment. This process develops outputs that can be reclaimed and re-used at the end of their life-cycle thus, creating a sustainable supply chain.”

YIKES!!!

The whole idea of a sustainable supply chain is to reduce costs while helping the environment.

1. Integrate material handling and warehouse management systems to move and touch products fewer times and reduce forklift usage.

2. Streamline warehouse processes for higher levels of cross docking and minimize inventory and increase product turns. More flow-through means smaller distribution centers.

3. Create a more efficient transportation network to reduce empty hauls and dead ends in the movement of goods.

4. Best-of-breed planning, forecasting and replenishment will drive more efficiency in manufacturing and distribution.

5. Using cartonization in warehouse management systems will let you allocate the right units to pick and then select the correct size and rigidity of the container to use, significantly reducing the use of cardboard.

6. RFID and voice-based technologies improve warehouse efficiency and reduce paper consumption.

To understand the role of a system integration company and the benefits it brings to a customer you need to clearly understand the responsibility of the system integrator and how their development process differs from manufacturers, system companies, or engineering firms.

Development Phase:
The true integrator faces each project with a clean slate. They take a completely non-proprietary approach to the development of the best solution for the customer. Their primary design interest is to understand the goals of the project along with the customer’s vision and timeline to accomplish it. Once properly defined this “Design Criteria” is used as the foundation for the system solution.

It is their commitment to this non-proprietary design approach that differentiates the integrator from the manufacturer or the system-company. The integrator does not have to specify any particular hardware, or software, to generate revenue or to make their company more competitive on a project. Since the integrator can supply any hardware, or software, its only interest is to develop the best solution for the customer.

Design/ Proposal Phase:
When the system solution has been developed the integrator creates the individual bid packages for the hardware and service resources needed. RFQs, (Requests for Quote), are sent to multiple suppliers for each part of the project. These solicitations request proposals based on the RFQ and ask each potential supplier to also offer recommendations to improve the system.

The integrator reviews all proposals for compliance with the “Design Criteria” and the RFQ. The integrator then chooses the best supplier and incorporates any recommended changes proved beneficial to the customer. The integrator then presents the completed design and proposal package to the customer for their review and approval.

This “Collaborative Development Process”, using multiple proposals from suppliers for each part of the project, maintains competitive bids while fostering innovation from the experts in their individual fields.

Implementation Phase:
Following the review and approval of the proposal the customer awards a turnkey purchase order to the integrator to implement the system as designed. Using “Lean Implementation” practices, borrowed in concept from the latest manufacturing technology, the integrator schedules all the service resources required to complete the system. Detailed engineering from each supplier is coordinated and integrated into a complete cohesive system.

Software functionality is finalized and aligned with the system description of operation to ensure compatibility. Performance details are completed with the mechanical and electrical contractors. A highly defined project schedule is created, and purchase orders are issued to the suppliers.

The integrator assigns a project manager to oversee the progress and to administer the contracts. Each supplier names a contact person within their organization responsible for their performance on their part of the project. Regular project meetings are held to maintain schedules and coordinate the efforts of all involved.

A project engineer reviews and approves drawing submittals from each supplier for compliance to the system specifications.

The integrator assigns a site supervision team to control all jobsite activities and to provide the system engineering capacity to answer technical questions that arise during the installation phase. Based on the size and complexity of the system this resource can vary from a full time requirement to periodic visits to monitor performance.

Additional duties performed by the integrator during this phase, and coordinated by the project manager are system acceptance testing, delivery of technical system documentation, and training both operational and maintenance.

It is the use of these lean implementation practices; the ability to use required external resources appropriately scheduled during the implementation phase that ensures that the value added of each supplier is realized. Further, this focus on keeping each supplier doing what it does best helps to reduce the system cost.

Summary of Customer Benefits:
” Clean slate, non-proprietary design.
” Designs are more innovative – not restricted to particular hardware or software products.
” Continuity of design and responsibility from development through implementation.
” Lower cost – competitive bidding and “Lean Implementation” practices.
” Sole source responsibility – reducing customer interface requirements and vendor list.

Conclusion:
Today’s automation systems must be designed with the flexibility and adaptability required to meet the changes of tomorrow. The design phase cannot be encumbered with the limitations of a product line and implementation must maximize the use of critical resources in the most efficient way, hallmarks of the System Integrator.

Why? Well as a kid I was a big fan of Space Ghost and I kind like the idea of pointing my hand at a bar code label / evil space alien and blasting it with my laser. I know you young kids think Space Ghost is a Talk Show host on the Cartoon Network, but in my day he was a full-fledged Super Hero!

Symbol WT4000 Series Wearable PDT

Besides my desire to pretend I’m still a kid with super powers, the WT4090 wearable computer is exactly what is prescribed for data transactions in the warehouse. Other terminals have to be holstered or placed down while the person counts out the number of Salt Water Taffy boxes to send to the Cracker Barrel in Pooler, GA.

Holstering a device takes unnecessary time per transaction. When a person sets a non-tethered terminal down, it is sometimes sucked into the same vortex that many of my socks have entered when I put them into my clothes dryer.

The WT4090 is always on the ready. Patiently waiting on your arm as you thoughtlessly use an Exacto knife to cut the top off of a new carton of “I’m with Stupid” t-shirts. It lightweight and has an easy to read color display. The WT4090 has come a long way from its predecessors which had small monochrome screens and weighed as much as a VW Beetle.

Click here to see Symbol’s WT4000 in action.

You always knew when you walked into a warehouse that used the old wearables because some of the women had large forearms and squinty eyes. They kind of looked a little like Popeye after a while!

RS507 Hands-Free Corded/Cordless Imager

The only things I have not liked on the WT4000 Series is the lack of a Touch Screen and the fact there is a cord running along the back of your hand connecting the scanner to the CPU (could be a safety issue).

Both of these shortcomings are now available options on the wearable device. Kudos to the project manager at Motorola for listening to those of us who believe that whining incessantly is a good thing.

SCOPE is the supply chain industry’s freshest and fastest growing conference seeing a massive 19% growth in attendance on the last event at a time when many are 30-40% down. The event delivers a unique mixture of cutting edge educational content, research appointments with leading vendors and excellent peer networking opportunities.

To qualify you should be a senior level executive involved in supply chain management, logistics or materials handling. Offer is not valid for suppliers of solutions. Register today for a complimentary VIP pass, use Invitation Number: “SCT1819” (<< click to view web page).

Peer Driven Education

The speaker faculty is made up of senior level supply chain executives from leading manufacturers, retailers and distributors sharing their insights from supply chain triumphs and challenges. Speakers from the last SCOPE event included:

• Vice President Logistics & Distribution, Luxottica Group
• Director, Manufacturing, Planning & Logistics, Proctor & Gamble
• Vice President Logistics & Distribution, David’s Bridal
• Vice President, Procurement and Logistics, Alltel Wireless
• Director Logistics & Environmental Supply Chain, Sharp
• Vice President Supply Chain Management, Cox Communications
• Vice President Supply Chain Fulfillment, Cargill
• Director Worldwide Logistics and Lean Operations, Navistar
• Vice President Supply Chain, Interface, Inc.
• Senior Director Global Supply Chain, Nypro Inc
• SVP Supply Chain, Dine Equity (Applebee’s & IHOP)
• Director Global Manufacturing Excellence, Molson Coors
• Senior Vice President Value Chain, AMR Research

Your VIP Conference pass includes:
• Conference Pass with full access to all the Educational Tracks.
• Overnight Hotel accommodation at the Red Rock Resort Casino & Spa on the night of August 20th.
• Gourmet Lunches available on the 2nd and 3rd.
• Welcome Cocktail Reception on the 1st.
• VIP Networking Drinks Reception on evening of the 2nd.
• Industry Gala Dinner on evening of the 2nd.
• Breakfast on the morning of the 2nd and 3rd.
• Full Access to the Exhibit Halls.
• Use of the VIP Meeting System on either or both 2nd and 3rd.

Spaces are limited so to lock up you space register today.

Joe Beneduce
Business Development Manager
908.879.3948
jbeneduce@scotttechllc.com

Mike Yezzi
Sales Manager
607.669.4786
myezzi@scotttechllc.com

In our effort to continue the development of the PickPro™ WCS (Warehouse Control System) family of products, ScottTech has released an enhancement that allows the operator to replenish forward picking zones during the picking process.

These zones can be comprised of carousel pods, horizontal carousels, shuttles, vertical carousels, mini storage systems, and other ASRS devices.

Description of Functionality

Opportunity replenishment allows the operator to choose when to put away incoming parts or to replenish forward stocking locations during the picking operation. The function can be configured to operate as a standard put away or replenishment, or intermingled with picking to optimize the operation of the carousel system.

Flow racking within a carousel pod creates what is called a Universal Pod. Flow rack traditionally has been used to store items that require more cube than what currently is available in a carousel bin, or for items that will require replenishment during the picking process

The flow racking is outfitted with lights for each lane and the PickPro™ software system directs the operator to the location of an item. At the same time the carousels are spinning to the next picking location. This allows the operator to be busy during the wait time that occurs while the carousel/ASRS positions the bins for the orders being processed.

The Opportunity Put Away and Replenishment Module take this functionality one step further by giving the operator the ability to fill the location during the picking operation. The concept uses the same technology in the Universal Pod, during design of a system ScottTech includes 2 bays (or more) of flow racking in the Universal Pod. The first bay is used for storing items, the traditional Universal Pod concept; the second bay is used as put away or replenishment lanes.

When a picker starts a batch they are prompted to scan in the first items in each lane of flow racking, the system assigns that items to a light and adds the items to the spin sort list in the PickPro™ software. From there the system automatically starts the batch for picking, directing the operator to the right pick location in either the picking zones from flow racking, or from the carousels in the pod. The system uses lights to direct the operator to the right location for picking.

When the system detects that it is in a location that has an item for put away/replenishment, it automatically changes all light functions and directs the operator to take an item from the put away/ replenishment flow racking lane and place it into the correct carousel bin location. These put away transactions are intermingled with picks so the carousel operator need not reset or restart a new batch to perform the put away/replenishment.

This feature is employed along with the BulkPro™ RF (with or without Voice integration) to allow the system to direct the off-carousel operator to fill the carton flow zones being used for put away or replenishment transactions.

The PickPro™ system knows if the items are required if the forward carousel picking zone and directs the off-carousel operator to place the items in a flow lane. PickPro™ directs that off-carousel operator to scan a bar code lane identifier on the back of the flow racking thus linking the item to a location.

Benefits

• Reduces batch setup spin time
• Reduces the number of carousel spins
• Reduces electricity associated with moving a carousel bin
• Increases operator performance
• Reduces operator wait time
• Reduces wear and tear on motors, gears, tracks, and other mechanical parts
• Increases equipment life

Using the PickPro™ Opportunity Put Away and Replenishment Module allows systems integrators the ability to utilize an efficient carousel picking system where one may not have been applicable due to the size of items being stored, the total amount of cube space required, and the number of replenishment cycles that may be needed to maintain pick levels.

Case Study: Music Industry Supply

ScottTech deployed this technology to a musical instrument string manufacturer. The customer is utilizing the following PickPro™ modules to operate their worldwide distribution center in New York. The PickPro™ WCS system is configured as:

• PickPro™ ICS Version 8.0 (inventory control)
• BatchPro CCS Version 2.1 (automated picking system)
• Bucket Brigade (radio frequency data collection type)
• BulkPro RF Bulk Picking System (radio frequency data collection)
• Conveyor Tote Routing System (conveyor control and tote tracking)
• Administration Manager (supervisor and management system)
• Consolidation Pack Verify Manager (shipping and pack verify)
• Induction Manager (receiving)

Using traditional carousel technology in their DC, the operators could not keep enough inventories in a carousel location to sustain the picking for a single shift, requiring multiple replenishment cycles during the day, constant stock shortages, and short orders being sent to customers. This caused too many items that should have been stocked in forward picking locations to be put away in a less efficient bulk storage location.

ScottTech was contracted to designing the new World Fulfillment Center. During the design process ScottTech preformed a study of parts activity. ScottTech designed into the carousel picking zones the universal pod along with the opportunity replenishment. This concept would allow the operator to keep the order fulfillment rate high by keeping the replenishment inventory for the carousels available in flow racking for opportunity replenishment. We also utilized the standard Universal Pod concept for those items that were being picked for every order, readily available in the flow racking zone.

By introducing the opportunity put away and replenishment along with the RF Bulk for off-carousel we were able to keep items in the pod and available for picking. Utilizing the carton flow universal pod with opportunity replenishment we were able to keep the operators busy during batch set up and spin up times, directly impacting the overall performance of the system. Once the system was installed, the customer decided to move additional items from dedicated carton flow zones into the carousel zones.

The total system included; automated tote induction, conveyor line balancing, RF bulk picking, automated tote return, automated carousels picking zones, and flow racking with bucket brigade type picking. Using all of these technologies this customer was able to process 35% more orders a day with a 20% reduction in operators.

Overall system design included:

• WMS and WCS Software (ScottTech)
• Engineering and Project Management (ScottTech)
• Conveyor System (Ermanco)
• Horizontal Carousels (White System)
• Pallet Racking (Ridge U Rack)
• Turret and Order Picking Trucks (Crown)
• Carton Flow Racking (Unex)
• Push Back Racking (Unarco)
• PLC Controls (AEI)
• Mechanical Installation (GMY Inc)
• Electrical Installation (All Phase Electric)
• RF Data Terminals (Symbol)

Let’s take a brief look at why a WCS can assist in attaining a green, sustainable warehouse:

• 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

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: http://www.ofee.gov/eo/eo13423_main.asp

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.