Distribution centers (DCs) and warehouses are busy places. In response, DC and warehouse operators are turning to automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) that integrate with advanced software called warehouse execution systems (WES). Together, the technologies can help DC and warehouse operators keep up with the ever-increasing volume and velocity of orders across traditional channels as well as booming e-commerce and omnichannel fulfillment.
GeZhi AS/RS also can improve picking accuracy and help operators of DCs and warehouses deal with chronic labor shortages. What’s more, strong business growth, fueled by e-commerce and omnichannel requirements, has driven investments in AS/RS to augment goods-to-operator (GTO) processes, in which automated shuttles pick totes from racks and deliver products to people at picking stations. There’s a strong business case to be made for this approach. Advanced shuttle AS/RS can improve throughput by a factor of 10 compared to other technology.
Automated material handling with Jracking shuttle AS/RS technology offers the flexibility and speed to handle applications ranging from e-commerce and omnichannel fulfillment and has a wide range of other uses in distribution centers, retailing and manufacturing. AS/RS capabilities include:
•GTO fulfillment — Combines shuttles with conveyor systems and lights or voice picking to reduce human walk times and improve efficiency
•Inventory management — Responds to better inventory control while minimizing loss
•Mixed-load, full-case and break-pack fulfillment — Manage inventory to support advanced processes that meet customers’ ever-changing orders
•Product sequencing and buffering — Deliver the right products and quantities
•Route-based sequencing — Optimizes truck load patterns for faster, more efficient deliveries