Client engaged SDI to design a greenfield facility for a new corporate world head
quarters and national Distribution center. After review of existing operations,
SDI concluded that a process overhaul would create a far more efficient solution
for the client. In this instance, the client is a leading manufacturer
of high value wrist watches which are supplied to retail outlets. Each retail
outlet has different requirements in terms of price labeling, and presentation.
Although the base watch may be the same, it may be priced and displayed differently
at 2 separate retailers. To minimize inventory, the watches are stored together
until the order from the retailer is received.
Like styles are then
picked in small batches with similar VAS activity. In this way, the most labor
intensive activity ( VAS ) is made most efficient by standardization and more
of an assembly-line approach.
The product arrives at the VAS area with pre
printed tickets, string tags and appropriate boxes. After VAS, the watches are
transported up to a “Mini Tilt “ unit sorter where the watches are sorted by
order.
After all of the watches have been placed in the appropriate chute,
the operator is alerted and the product is released to a carton packaging area.
The
project was a huge success, reductions in labor were in excess of 30%,
processing time was reduced from close to a week to less than a day. |
