How Smart Storage Saves you Time and Money

Our last post was about some simple descriptions of what Smart Storage is, but knowing what it is isn't exactly the same as understanding how you can benefit from it. The next few posts will focus on some simple, but impactful, benefits that you can realize with Smart Storage. Today we're discussing how Smart Storage with Inovaxe can streamline your picking processes, resulting in incredible time and labor savings.

The problem: manual picking and verification processes

Through many years of working directly with electronics manufacturers we've found that it can take anywhere between 4 and 8 minutes to pick an individual line item in a typical stockroom kitting operation with rack-and-bin storage. Extrapolate this to picking for an assembly with with dozens or hundreds of line items, and it's no wonder that manufacturers are frequently spending multiple hours per day pulling a single kit.

Each line item takes so long because of the manual processes involved. An operator must take a pick list and identify which parts to pick, find the right locations to pick from, sort through a storage bin to select the right packages based on manufacturer, FIFO, quantity, etc., and after all that the operator is probably going to manually transact those parts into the ERP system. 

The solution: storage that works for you

Contrast the typical picking operation with a Smart Storage System that automatically selects the right packages and lights them up for the operator instantly. In this system the operator doesn't have to deduce which locations to pick from, they don't have to sort through packages to find the right one, and they don't have to manually transact parts out of the system.

Smart Storage with sensors and LEDs allow your operators to pick parts in under 4 seconds per line item. This means pulling entire kits in the same amount of time it can take to pick a single line item in a traditional rack-and-bin system. The best part is that Smart Storage can automatically transact parts out of your ERP and MES systems, eliminating manual verification steps that introduce more opportunity for human errors. And this is just the tip of the iceberg!

These aren't your every day small efficiency gains; this kind of improvement can revolutionize the way you store and handle your material, allowing you to gain a critical edge in today's increasingly competitive market. Get in touch to learn more about what Smart Storage can do for you - and keep on the look out for more benefits in upcoming posts!