SI System’s Guide to Selecting Broken Case Picking Systems -10 Key Factors to Project Success
Effective split case order picking is rapidly becoming a staple in direct-to-consumer eCommerce warehouse productivity. With warehouse fulfillment becoming increasingly complex, selecting the right technology is critical to achieving fulfillment efficiency.
In this educational post, we will examine key factors that will bring you long-term split case picking success, from project planning, implementation to maintenance, and significantly improve your throughput.
- Order Volume and Complexity: The first and most crucial consideration is the volume and complexity of your order profile. Relatively smaller order volumes, delicate or high-end SKUs are best suited for manual picking or semi-manual picking such as the pick to light, while “eaches” order picking with high throughput requirements are best suited for systems such as the A-Frame pick to tote dispensers. The nature of your products and metrics such as orders/day, orders/line, and units per order also play a vital role in the selection of your next pick technology.
- Cost: Don’t be hung up on promises of immediate monetary returns, aka ROI, as they tend to be short-lived, and that is if they live up to the hype. Just remember that you are automating warehouse efficiency and that, in addition to your existing resources, should be your prime focus.
- Accuracy and Speed: The accuracy and speed of your “eaches” order pick technology is critical to your customers’ success and retention in the current next-day delivery trend. Automated picking systems like the carousels, and AS/RS can increase speed and accuracy while reducing labor costs; however, the Pick-to-Tote A-Frames remain the fastest and most accurate pick technology in the industry today.
- Space Availability: Automated picking systems like AS/RS often require tons of space while manual or A-Frame dispensers tend to be spatially friendly. If your ground space is limited, talk to your integrator or vendor about designing a multistory facility to accommodate your new system.
- Training and Maintenance: Operational training and maintenance are huge budget guzzlers thus talk to your vendors or your vendors’ customers to get a sense of such costs before you commit your money. The lesson here is not to bite more than you can chew.
- Range: Less than full case pick systems with multi-functional features and the capability to fulfill a wide range of SKUs will certainly streamline your operations and save you money. For example, a self-contained system with pick, pack, quality control and shipping capabilities is preferable to disparate systems due to the efficiencies of software control and space utilization. Furthermore, the ability to process a wide range of SKUs can allow you to expand your product offerings without having to invest in new systems or equipment.
- Flexibility, modularity, and scalability: Modularity presents you the unique advantage of growing out your automation at the same pace as your business growth. It also provides you with the ability to rapidly respond to sudden changes in your order volume and SKU set.
- Software & Technical support: Software is the heart and soul of your operations and must function seamlessly. The best way to learn if your vendors have operational excellence is to chat with their existing clients. Application experience, engineering capabilities, availability of standard spare parts and local support presence are also factors to consider.
- Single-Source or Best-of-Breed? When looking for pick technologies, you have a choice to work with an integrator or a niche vendor. What you need to know is that Best-of-Breed verticals are highly specialized and excel in their specific areas. They are nimble and adapt easily to internal and external changes and respond quickly to maintenance requests. While they offer a range of top-notch technologies, you may have limited bargaining power due to their narrow focus. Single-source providers offer the convenience of system control and coordination as well as the benefits of a one-stop-shop. Their larger scale allows for greater bargaining power, but this comes at the cost of losing the freedom to choose and being locked into their terms.
- Vendor: A trustworthy vendor adopts a consultative approach, aiming to comprehend your pain points and recommending tailored solutions to enhance your competitiveness. They utilize scientific techniques to evaluate the suitability of a technology for your project and willingly recommend you to a trusted partner if needed. Opt for vendors who can demonstrate their engineering capabilities, have a reputable portfolio of customers with whom they maintain a great partnership.
In conclusion, selecting the right broken case pick technology is the second phase towards automation; yet the most crucial step. Consider partnering with an experienced provider such as SI Systems, a global vendor of split case picking and the exclusive Pick to Tote A-Frame picking system, they provide services such as engineering designs to guide your project planning and implementation.