Optimize Existing Space
If a fulfillment center stores items on pallets or shelving on the floor, there is likely significant wasted storage and fulfillment space above their heads. In addition, order fulfillment facilities tend to store bulk items, as it is necessary to order in bulk to meet minimum order requirements and achieve economies of scale. Bulk materials storage takes up valuable real estate, even when the material requirements are minimal. There is an opportunity to optimize bulk material storage when it is not needed.
How Unex Can Help
By implementing innovative order fulfillment storage solutions, companies can regain more space within the same footprint. Installing pallet racking in the existing footprint can double, triple, or quadruple the distribution storage space, depending on the ceiling height. That’s just the beginning.
By utilizing a carton flow rack solution, like SpanTrack, for less than full pallet locations, order fulfillment centers often increase space efficiency by 80%, primarily due to the optimization of the pick window.
When an employee is picking orders from a floor position pallet, all locations on the pallet must be manually accessible by the employee. Employees must access all sides of the pallet until it is empty.
SpanTrack requires only one static location for each item, and the rest flow to that location automatically. This feature greatly limits the need for costly open space around pallets and potentially dangerous reaches for far-away products.
SpeedCell takes the storage of slow-movers another step forward by placing the items in smaller, movable cells that can increase storage density in a given bay by up to 400%. SpeedCell accomplishes this by maximizing density at the pick face like SpanTrack, and creating up to 2 additional pick faces in the same bay.
Another great way to free up space in an order fulfillment facility is by incorporating the right-sized storage products and equipment. Reduce your organization’s space requirements by analyzing volumetric throughput and only storing what your organization needs for the next shift, week, or month. As a result, your pick paths are shorter, and the order fulfillment center can improve productivity.
Utilizing SpanTrack in existing pallet rack increases storage efficiency dramatically over pallet positions. It is achievable to fit 32 SKUs in the same space that 4 SKUs previously occupied – an 8x increase in the number of SKUs stored in the same footprint. With SpeedCell, that same bay could hold up to 200 SKUs!
Relegate bulk storage to overhead storage or other less valuable facility areas. The need to access these pallets will be far less with storage optimization in place.
Controlling SKU Proliferation
SKU (stock keeping unit) proliferation is a common problem in multiple industries. Customers are demanding more options. The issue is where to store the increase in SKUs in an accessible way for picking and order fulfillment.
How Unex Can Help
With a dedicated fulfillment storage system, there is a place for everything, and everything has a place. Carton flow solutions like SpanTrack Lane feature dedicated lanes for specific boxes, and SpanTrack Wheel Bed offers universal wheel beds with various labeling and guiding systems. SpeedCell dynamic high-density storage systems offer defined, labeled locations for various SKUs.
A positive side effect of the storage density increase is that SpanTrack and SpeedCell shorten the pick path, drastically reducing the time it takes for order picking due to reduced walking between picks. SpanTrack also creates fixed locations, which helps reduce search time for both pickers and replenishers.
When cartons flow to the front, users don’t have to bend, reach, or struggle to pick items or full containers, resulting in an ergonomically efficient pick. This flow makes their interactions predictable, teachable, and repeatable. Consistency also helps make it easy to train and compare different employees or shifts, further optimizing performance.
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