100-days
100-Days
Most consumers will be cowering with dread, we are now less than 100-days until Santa Claus visits, yes Christmas Day. Kids big and small will be looking at the latest toys and gadgets and sending off their letters promising they have been good over the last year.
Not just Christmas Day, as this is written Diwali is 56-days away and Thanksgiving 65-days. With Black Friday and Halloween thrown in for good measure, this can be make or break for retailers, D2C distribution, 3pl and fulfilment centres, all will be stressed with systems carefully viewed for any issues, preventative or remedial action planning reviewed.
To automate or not to automate
That is the question…
Unfortunately, it is too late for anything but the smallest project to be specified, ordered, built, and installed. In fact, it is probably a very bad time to install new systems or equipment as the ramp up and training could hit throughputs and efficiency at peak demand. To get some components within 100-days could still be a challenge.
It’s not too late
It is not too late to start scoping and discussing the projects to be installed next year. Typically, on a project, one of the long lead time items is getting the scope and specification correct. Now is the time to invite suppliers of materials handling solutions to look at your operations whilst fully operational. Good old-fashioned legwork watching; looking at data; seeing where the hold-ups are, where non-productive handling and movement takes place. All areas that could be resolved to improve the warehouse efficiency.
What is the best solution?
As always, the hard facts are based on the capital investment required and the return on investment (ROI). This white paper from AutoStore gives a basic overview of the sort of automation at different price breaks for materials handling automation.
Labour cost and, more critically, availability are an ongoing concern in manual operations. No labour, or excessive cost of temporary labour, at best will hit your margins, worst case stop you meeting your shipping targets leading to poor reviews and customer dissatisfaction.
Let Axiom GB Ltd view your operation and talk through options to improve your operations. Whether this is in-house UK designed and built sortation, the MK3 ASS-074 Sliding Shoe Sorter gives surprising cost-effective sortation option, or integration of third party AS/RS or AMR solutions.
Flexibility
Any automation should consider operational flexibility and options for future expansion. Why spend a large sum of money and not be able to adapt at later stages as your business grows and morphs. The latest AMR / AGV models, and rapidly expanding offer in the range of models. is greatly helping operators and reduce unnecessary touch points and human requirements to move stuff. But simply substituting the human effort with a motorised version, whilst giving a fixed cost and performance, will not improve the operational efficiency of your logistics.
A properly thought through scope of supply and itemisation of your objectives will help achieve all your goals and help give a measurable return on investment after implementation. This scope does not need to be written in stone, but allow flexing and change as the project progresses, but from a known point.
Don’t panic
As the front cover of a well-known guidebook once stated, don’t panic. Whilst it is, in all reality, too late to make appreciable changes to your operation before the upcoming peak, use this time wisely not to just fire-fight ongoing issues, but collect data, get third parties to view your operations. Only 100-days until the New Year Sales, sorry.
Next year will be better.
Let’s talk….
We’d love to help you solve your materials handling challenges.
Contact Us
+44(0)1827 61212
If you’re looking for a materials handling system and want to talk to a company with all the right credentials, contact Axiom GB for a consultation on 01827 61212 or email sales@axiomgb.com
