Smooth running retail

Automated handling of fast moving
items is challenging for retailers and
wholesalers but systems integrator
Witron has come up with a solution





It is becoming increasingly attractive for retailers and
wholesalers to stage fast-moving articles, goods from specific
merchandise groups and items for special promotions directly
into the store outlets by the quarter or half pallet.




Transferring these dispatch units smoothly and rapidly from
the manufacturer via the distribution centre straight to the store
means that no picking of single cases is needed. The value to the
customer is obvious - and even today, many retailers are handling
a considerable proportion of their volume using quarter and half
pallets.




However, the process does not deliver benefits all the way - it
causes headaches for logistics managers at the distribution centres.




Handling these logistical units often leads to time-intensive, labourintensive
and un-ergonomic operations and space problems. The
constantly growing number of items staged on quarter and half
pallets and the resulting ever-increasing dispatch volumes are also
confronting warehouse operators with constant new challenges.




There is an enormous amount of catching up to be done in
optimising these processes but we believe we have an answer.




Display Pallet Picking (DPP) offers a fully automatic concept
for the formation of customer orders consisting of different
quarter and half pallets.With DPP, orders can be picked onto
both pallets and roll containers. The automation covers all
operations - from placing loose incoming quarter and half pallets
on a slave pallet in the Goods Receipt to storage, order picking,
intermediate buffering, consolidation and securing for
transportation to staging in Goods Issue.




The end product can consist of:
Two different half pallets on one dispatch pallet;
Four different quarter pallets on one dispatch pallet;
Two different quarter pallets and a half pallet on one dispatch
pallet;
Equivalent logistical units can also be formed on roll
containers. The system can deal with both Euro and standard
UK pallet sizes.




After delivery to the distribution centre, the single-product
quarter and half pallets, delivered without an under-pallet, are
bundled and placed on a slave pallet. They are then stored in a
conventional pallet HBW. The HBW is also used for storage and
replenishment for other order picking areas. Fully automatic
order picking of the quarter and half pallets is carried out with
the system option DPP-HBW or DPP-Module depending on the
makeup of the order. After picking, the completed orders are then
delivered to Goods Issue. Order picking and staging in Goods
Issue can be done at different times.




We believe DPP offers users a wealth of benefits:
Automatic storing/staging of full pallets, half pallets and
quarter pallets;
Order picking and consolidation of full, half and quarter pallets
in one system;
High cost-efficiency because of the mechanisation of all
processes;
Minimised un-ergonomic manual operations;
Optimum, error-free order picking quality;
Generation of stable dispatch units;
Customer orders picked onto either dispatch pallets and roll
containers;
Minimum space requirement due to compact storage.




Spanish food retailer Mercadona uses the Module to optimise
full and half pallet order picking for both dry goods and fresh and
deep frozen products.More than 16,000 pallets, corresponding to
around 270,000 trade units, leave the distribution centre in
Madrid this way every day. Because it has been very successful,
Mercadona has already decided to implement the system in other
order picking projects.




The DPP concept is suitable for both new distribution centres
and can be integrated into existing systems and adapted to the
existing infrastructure and
customer requirements.




Ergonomic Tray Picking
Witron has also released Ergonomic Tray Picking (ETP), which is
designed to make sliding rather than bending, lifting and carrying
the norm for warehouse pickers.




The Ergonomic Tray Picking solution comprises a picking cab
guided by WMS which navigates at the touch of a button taking the
operator to picking locations in the most efficient order.




The cab lines up with the storage tray and the display shows the
operator the item to be picked and the quantity. The operator then
slides the items across the bench of the cab on to the pallet. A preprocessed
volume calculation ensures not only family grouping in
the picking process but also very densely stacked and stable pallets.




A beamer indicates the outlines of a case clearly showing where
on to the pallet surface items are to be placed The picking process
involves no manual lifting.




A layer picker combined with miniload cranes handle the
automated replenishment of the picking trays, ensuring availability
of all products in the pickfront.




The customer pallet is fully picked as the complete assortment is
available in one aisle. This is designed to eliminate inefficient
sequencing of customer pallets from one aisle to another. Products
are also picked to fit with the store planogram.




The ETP concept is specially designed for the regional warehouses
of the retail sector which build and supply mixed pallets and ROCOs
to their stores. Up to 4000 SKUs can be picked with a picking
performance of 500 SKUs man/hour, taking up minimal footprint.