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CTDI Case Study

SI Systems: Pioneering in Near-Touchless Pick Technology Operations

The Client & Objective

Our client was a full service, global engineering, and logistics company serving the communication industry.

SI was commissioned by the company’s technical supply chain division to provide a solution to perfect their existing order fulfillment supply chain and handle the future growth of the business while minimizing the pressures of labor procurement and warehouse space constraints.

Two phone holders with flexible arms.

The Challenges

  • Our client has approximately 100 global distribution facilities and a rapidly expanding clientele base in the U.S.
  • To meet its growing order volumes, it embarked on a strategic plan to update its picking processes to meet its growth projections.
  • In addition, the company needed piece-picking technology to manage its expanding distribution networks, perfect labor needs, and meet order deadlines.
  • Although our client had an existing automation system, it was limited in ability in that it dispensed just a single line of products per order. It was, however, imperative that a modern system capable of scaling its rate of growth was implemented.
  • Our patented and portable Mobile Matic A-Frame technology was the winning solution. It can be built upon to grow in tandem with a business, and more so it can simultaneously dispense numerous lines and orders at unprecedented speeds and accuracy levels.
Factory conveyor system with yellow bins.
Warehouse conveyor system with blue machinery.

The Solution

Mobile-Matic portable a frame automatic dispenser animated representation in a warehouse The Mobile-Matic frames are shipped fully assembled and are easily arranged in a facility. The control unit is embedded in the primary portable frame and the software controls seven secondary frames.

Once the frames arrived, SI configured the control unit, marrying its files with those of the client’s. We created a relationship between the dispenser channels with a flow-rack location and labeled proper barcodes, based on lot information, on both the rack and dispensers.

When the system is turned on, all the married information flows from the client’s host system to the SI control system and the conveyor belt. The SI control unit ensures that each order is fulfilled into a moving carton with the right product lines and quantities.

The Solution Consisted of the Following Components

SI exclusive Pick-to-Tote (PTT)
portable A-Frame

  • 50” long frame
  • 2 primary units @ with 16 dispensers = 32 dispensers
  • 6 primary units @ with 16 dispensers = 96 dispensers

SI Systems WCS (Warehouse Controls Software) Software Suite

  • PC Windows 10 operating system
  • Use SI’s standard File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to interface with Buyer’s Host
  • Database management packages for data collection, file management and reports

The Results

The results speak for themselves: in a little over one year, the client has expanded its order fulfillment footprint by over 200% to meet future growth at attractive long-term ROI’s.

The Mobile-Matic high-speed Pick-to-Tote system has become the hub of the client’s order fulfillment operations. By adding upon its modular pick system, the client’s pick capability is estimated to grow by 500%.

The client continues to capitalize on the benefits of SI’s exclusive Pick-to-Tote A-Frame technology:

  • Throughput as high as 2,000 orders per hour
  • Accuracy levels exceeding 99%
  • Plug and play” scalability as further Mobile Matics can easily be moved or added with minimal future capital investment.

"SI Systems has been immensely helpful from the beginning of our concept testing to our later systems planning and installation. The engineers are innovative and always support us whenever we want to try different pick ideas or products. They are prompt with their aftermarket support and I couldn’t recommend them more for the automation of your pick projects.” K. Whittemore | General Manager Automation.

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