The Exchange’s commitment to innovation and efficiency is front and center at the Dan Daniel Distribution Center (DDDC) with the launch of a goods-to-person automation system.
With the Exchange’s largest DC shipping 11.3 million cases each year from $100 million in inventory, ensuring associates have the best tools at their disposal is a top priority.
The basics
With goods-to-person, shuttles and conveyor systems bring merchandise to associates, saving the extra time needed to physically move throughout the warehouse to gather items for orders. This results in less physical strain and a more optimized workflow.
Along with a “right-sized packaging” machine that customizes box sizes and automatically packs certain online orders, this system allows more orders to be fulfilled in the same amount of time.
DDDC has launched five pick stations with this system with the expectation that more than half of conveyable cases shipped from the DC will flow through one of them.
Increased efficiency
With goods-to-person bringing items directly to pickers, the time needed to fulfill and pack orders is drastically reduced. Without needing to walk to each individual item in the DC for an order, associates can complete more orders in less time and with less risk for errors.
Productivity goals can also be reached easier with the ability to fulfill more orders within the same period.
Impact on associates
As always with automation, there will always be questions: How does this impact associates? How does this impact jobs within the warehouse?
We have been clear since Day One—goods-to-person will not replace positions at distribution centers. Associates’ daily tasks may change, but the system’s main goal is simply to minimize what we call “non-value-add time” for associates.
Associates can be regularly rotated to different areas of the distribution center to keep their work engaging. The goal is for this system to help build a successful and engaging environment for DC associates.
By using goods-to-person, associates’ work in checking inventory, picking, packing and shipping is quicker, safer and more accurate.
With this new system, Team LG’s work in delivering the best tastes of home to the best customers in the world is now easier and more efficient than ever. We look forward to embracing these new innovations with all of Team Exchange.
Thank you for everything you do to support our mission and one another.
Respectfully,
Alan
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