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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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