Summer is an interesting time for warehousing, fulfillment centers, and distribution centers (DCs). For some businesses, this is a peak season. For others, now is already time to ramp up for volume during the holidays. Either way, improvements to productivity are always relevant. Here are three things you have to do to accomplish this. Understand… Read more
Take a moment to consider the ease and speed of your picking process. Could it be more efficient? For most, the answer is “yes.” Think about how SKUs are organized. Note the equipment you’re using, where it’s stored, and who can operate it. Estimate how long it takes for pickers to move product. What takes… Read more
According to the successful manufacturing strategies created by Toyota Production System, anything that doesn’t increase value in the eye of the customer is considered waste. Lean manufacturing is a part of Kaizen, or continuous improvement, that strives to eliminate all such waste. In manufacturing, the 8 most common wastes of Lean are described in the… Read more
Autofil is a specialty yarn manufacturer in the United Kingdom that needed to solve some productivity and safety issues. They primarily cater to car seat manufacturers who demand high-quality materials for their products. Autofil is able to stabilize and improve yarn attributes by using autoclaves to apply heat treatments to the yarn. It is in… Read more
Even with the implementation of so many lean techniques, excess inventory is something most manufacturers have to deal with. Improving your operation to reduce overages is a priority, but what do you do with extra SKUs in the meantime? According to Gary C. Smith, who wrote Modern Materials Handling’s “Other Voices: Nine inventory management mistakes,”… Read more
We are all well aware that the purpose of forklifts is to lift. Manufacturers, warehouses, and distribution centers all use them for this exact purpose. However, these machines are so powerful that it seems practical to use them to replace other strenuous manual labor, like pushing. Even when facility managers don’t encourage that practice, drivers… Read more
Are you pulling workers from their jobs to assist with pushing heavy loads throughout production? Spare the time and money with a smart solution. Manufacturers see this issue all the time. Parts or product need to be repeatedly moved from one area to another and the load is so heavy that it requires several people… Read more
Your forklift is not just the metaphorical elephant in the room – the one that sits there consuming valuable resources and causing unnecessary danger to your employees. It, in fact, can be compared to the magnificent giant when you think about how it moves around your facility. Forklifts are big, heavy, and built like tanks…. Read more
The manufacturing industry saw this problem coming long ago. We knew we would hit a time when we had plenty of jobs and few people to fill them. The Baby Boomers are nearing retirement, and we don’t have enough skilled applicants to replace them. The manufacturing workforce is getting older, and if we don’t adjust… Read more
How to effectively and immediately implement changes to manual material handling jobs that will make them safer. Manual material handling (MMH) jobs report more workplace accidents and injuries than any other industry. While some of these jobs have obvious risks, even those that don’t require a lot of strength or movement are physically taxing. Injuries… Read more