For small parts, the ability to pick in batches has proven especially useful. A single employee is now able to pick more than 40 percent of the total line count for smaller items—a 200 percent productivity improvement.
The WMS can manage items that Horsman has traditionally found difficult to keep track of in the DC: it gives lot numbers to wire cuts, for example, and assigns serial numbers to products with expiration issues (like electrical reels).
The system also allows staff to prioritize orders without disrupting the regular workflow. This occurs whenever a rush order comes through from a branch. Those orders are not sent into the batch scan queue—they are downloaded immediately into the WMS, which sends a message to the RF reader of the operator closest to the ordered product. The reader beeps and the operator is instructed to immediately pick the product. The item is picked, a carrier is called and the order is shipped as soon as possible.
“The software allows the operator to get out of the task they’re doing, do the pick, put it out for shipping and then get right back to the previous task,” Bragg explains.
Since Horsman receives 20 to 30 such orders each day, the ability to complete rush transactions quickly and without disruption is very valuable.
The numbers prove it
The new technology has allowed Horsman to make better use of its assets and staff. Since batch picks and cycle counts are co-ordinated automatically, workers are free to get a lot more done in a shift. The numbers prove it: before the new software was installed, the absolute maximum Horsman could ship out in a day—using nine people—was 800 lines. “And that took us about 16 hours to process,” Bragg admits.
Today, with a staff of 13, the DC can send out as many as 3,800 lines and accept as many as 500. On average, pick productivity is up 192 percent.
Moreover, accuracy is through the roof. Currently, the DC experiences less than one error in every 1,300 line items. And when an error does occur, the company is able to trace it back to the location and picker. This, Bragg says, is an excellent way to keep staff motivated to get it right.
“There’s a direct correlation between quality of work and pay,” he says. “Yes, people have ups and do
wns, but nobody is hired full time unless they’ve at least achieved that level [less than one error in 1,300] for a time in the probationary period. It’s our number one core competency.”
The technology is also helping the company improve the budding retail side of its business. Customers can now come to the DC, and, using the ERP/WMS combo, build an order in real-time.
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