Automated Sortation Series, Part Two: Applications
If you haven’t yet, check out Part One of our Automated Sortation Series, where we provide an overview and list the key benefits of using Automated Sortation in your operation. Stay tuned for Part Three which will cover the different types of Automated Sortation systems and the pros and cons of each. You’ll be able to use this information to make an educated decision about a) whether or not Automated Sortation is right for your operation and b) what the best Sortation system for your throughput needs is.
There are three primary applications for Automated Sortation in the material handling, ecommerce and distribution worlds: Receiving, Picking & Packing and Shipping. We’ll go over each of them here and how Automated Sortation can be leveraged in each situation.
Receiving
Efficiency is key during the receiving process. Automated Sortation can be a huge help in this process by reducing the labor required to complete the task. For instance, if you are able to capture enough data about an inbound return order, Automated Sortation can eliminate the need for human interaction to get that return to the correct location. Expanding on this, putaway can be a breeze by leveraging Automated Sortation to move material to inbound zones. Sort it by SKU and ensure it ends up where it needs to go within your storage system.
Picking & Packing
This is the bread and butter of Automated Sortation, as Picking & Packing are most likely the most expensive and labor-intensive step in the order fulfillment process. The good news is, Automated Sortation solutions can revolutionize the entire process. For example, if an Automated Sortation system can move product effectively around your warehouse without the need for human intervention, those humans are immediately freed up from hauling orders from one section to the next. This lets them focus more on being accurate and efficient in the parts of your system that still need them.
Shipping
There are many different factors that go into what happens to orders once they have been picked and packed. All of them end up with them being shipped in some sort of capacity. Automated Sortation allows for massive efficiency boosts in taking orders “over the finish line” and into the right distribution channel. For instance, an Automated Sortation system can sort orders by weight, size, mail carrier so that you can skip certain logjam sections of your conveyor system where workers may be manually sorting your orders. All in all, this will benefit the customer, cut down on total order cycle time and lower shipping costs because of the increased accuracy and faster order processing capabilities.
Be sure to check out Part One of this Series if you haven't yet. Stay tuned for Part Three of our Sortation Series, covering the different types of Automated Sortation solutions and the pros and cons of each.
Find information about CCS Sortation Solutions here: https://www.cartercontrols.com/conveyor/sortation-transfers.
