Order Picking & Distributing Spare Parts & Car Accessories
An independent third-party logistics provider (3PL) for the distribution of car parts and accessories to automobile dealerships was extending the scope of their delivery and needed more space in addition to the ability to complete overnight delivery services. The warehouse installed a vertical shuttle system with order picking and distribution processes for automobile car accessories and spare parts that integrated into their existing WMS. This reduced their storage space by 75%, improved efficiency, and increased capacity for future storage in very little space. Click here to learn more about automated storage systems.
Order Picking For Overnight Delivery
After extending its scope of delivery, the distributor needed space to store small parts for multiple automotive brands in their warehouse. The structure of their orders also recently changed to smaller ones. The warehouse needed a solution that could handle these changes effectively, save space in their building, and provide customers with an overnight delivery service.
The warehouse installed 14 vertical distribution shuttle lifts and four vertical carousels for smaller car accessories and spare parts, while larger volumes are stored on pallets. Since the shuttles can be used across multiple floors at once, they were integrated into the building and built 8 feet below ground level. Click here to see how multi-floor shuttles work.
The smallest items with high order picking and distribution frequency are stored in the vertical carousels, with mid-sized items stored in the shuttles. Only six people are needed to operate the entire system for replenishment, order picking, and shipment. The operators move easily between machines and pick items in batches using picking trolleys. This also allows picking outside the regular shift in the event of an urgent or overnight order from a dealer. The system has also allowed them room to grow their automobile, car accessories, and spare parts storage with their footprint decreasing from 21,527 ft² to 5,380 ft²—a 75% reduction.
Picking Distribution Shuttle Benefits
The warehouse has since experienced multiple benefits to integrating the automated systems into their work flow, including:
- Increased efficiency
- 50% reduction of working hours needed for order picking
- 75% reduction of floor space
- High capacity (40,000 SKUs)
- High picking efficiency (approximately 2,000 order lines per day)
- Integration with WMS for inventory tracking
Contact Us for Order Picking Distribution Shuttles
Southwest Solutions Group® provides design and installation services for automobile, car accessories, and spare parts order picking and distribution shuttles with WMS integration. We will also provide you with a free consultation to determine your exact needs and specifications before the design process begins. To learn more or to speak with a specialist, call us at 1-800-803-1083 or send us a message today.
Resources
Vertical Lift Module
VLM & Shuttle Storage Systems
Order Picking Solutions
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