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TECHNICAL/JOURNALISM

John Henshell internal communications sample: technical journalism (translating technical information into lay language)

 

AUTOMATED WAREHOUSE SYSTEM COMING

Boyds will have a state-of-the-art automated distribution and materials management system in place by next spring. A 5,604 square foot mezzanine containing an automated batch-pick carousel and conveyor system and 360 square feet of additional office space will be built over the existing loading docks. Bob McCall says the new system will, “maximize the use of the current warehouse facility and eliminate the immediate need for building expansion.” It also allows flexibility for future growth.

Remodeling will start at the beginning of the year. The existing rack structures will remain as they are now except that the shelves will be at different levels to accommodate various pallet sizes. A warehouse slot management system (computer network) with radio frequency (RF) communications will manage all items in the warehouse. It will assign inventory locations, and track those locations, quantities, and dates of receipt. The use of RF handheld terminals to pick orders will organize orders to provide the most efficient (and paper-free) means of picking, eliminate the use of printed lists, allow add-on orders after computer release time, provide immediate inventory updates as items are picked, and allow workers to perform a finished product cycle count as they travel through the warehouse pulling orders. The easily expandable system also provides management reports.

The additional space will produce increases in productivity, accuracy, and efficiency. It will be possible to batch five or more orders at one time. One order filler, instead of as many as 10, will pick all single unit items. A conveyor belt will move those items from the mezzanine to ground level (case items will still be stored in the current warehouse space). The computer program will tell the employee where a product is located. Computer directed picking and packing will almost eliminate errors. Time sensitive paper handling and checking will be eliminated, and the storage area needed for unit pick items will be halved, resulting in less travel time to fill each order.

The order of picking, directed by the computer, will move from heavy, non-crushable items to medium to lightweight items, and like-sized cartons will be combined in groups when it’s conducive to weight requirements. Safety conditions will also be improved.

Bob says, l think there will be even more gains out of the system than we anticipate.

 

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