Conveyors can be one of the biggest contributors to improved productivity or one of the biggest problems in a warehouse. It all depends on...
System Overview
Features & Benefits provided:
- Product line placement maximizes cube and enhances productivity
- Mechanization allows coneyor to "do the walking"
- Efficient flow speeds product into and our of the system
The Final Result
Separating conveyables from non-conveyables, concentrating work activities within zones, allowing workers in the zones to specialize, and applying a streamlined product flow - all combined to create an efficient, dynamic DC.
The Challenge
From humble roots as an independent auto parts store, this Philadelphia area distributor has grown into a major East Coast auto parts supplier.
To maintain their growth, EAPW needed to move operations into a more efficient and expanded facility. A new material-handling system had to be mechanized to allow for growth and lower unit operating costs.
The Siggins Team was hired to help select and modify an existing facility, and create a material-handling system to fit like a glove within the new DC.
The Solution
Data from a thorough inventory cube and velocity study was used to apply Best Practices principles of separation, concentration, and specialization to a new system design.
Study results were also used to employ the most efficient storage media by product line, and to categorize product placement based off of inventory cube, conveyability, and individual SKU sales.
A design focus was maximizing the flow of product. An elevated sorter was applied to enhance the flow of inbound receipts from receiving and of outbound orders from picking zones.