Big Picture: Little things that make a big difference in your operation

This article was originally posted in Modern Materials Handling.

Automation, technology and software promise new levels of efficiency and productivity along with the capability to execute complex order fulfillment strategies. That’s the good news. The bad news: just as a supply chain is only as efficient as its weakest link, a sophisticated materials handling system is only as efficient as the bottlenecks in a distribution center. A high-speed order fulfillment engine won’t hit its numbers if inventory doesn’t get off the receiving dock or orders can’t get through manual packing stations to meet shipping cut-off times.

As a result, these new systems are highlighting the big difference that little things can have on operations. Seven examples to consider for your facility include:

1. Receiving, inspection and quality control with powered mobile workstations
2. Capture cube and weight information now for packaging later
3. Integrate workstations with the materials handling system
4. Lean out the labeling process
5. Optimize and automate the packaging process
6. Don’t overlook the dock
7. Automation doesn’t stop at the dock door

Read the full article here to learn more about how to impact your performance.