Automated Case Picking: The New Frontier in Distribution Center Management - Sponsored Whitepaper

The Next Frontier in Distribution Center Management

Distribution centers continue to be under significant operational pressure – and a frequent target for executives looking to reduce supply chain and logistics costs.

Technology has always played a critical role in distribution center processes and continuous improvement goals, with billions of dollars being spent annually on software (Warehouse Management Systems, Labor Management Systems, Slotting Optimization, etc.), data collection and communication technologies (bar code scanning, RFID, wireless systems), and of course automated material handling systems, ranging from fork trucks to high speed conveyors and much more.

Over the past few years, “full case picking” has received more and more attention as a source of cost and perhaps opportunity for many distribution managers across industry sectors. That’s because for many of them, case picking volumes and costs as a percent of total facility expenses are going up, as many customers order in smaller, more frequent quantities to better manage inventories. SKU proliferation can also play a role here, especially for those in the consumer goods industries, as the expansion in SKU counts often leads to lower volumes (and hence fewer full pallet picks) for some products.

Naturally, then, many companies look to technology to improve the efficiency and reduce the costs of full case picking and multi-SKU pallet building processes in their DCs.