March 21, 2018
It’s a common request during most software implementation: “I don’t want to hit that button… that’s what I bought the software for. Do it for me. Automate!” Automation is a blanket term that can be thrown at any number of cumbersome manual processes. And why not? The Miriam-Webster definition is just as generic: “the technique of making an apparatus, a process, or a system operate by a self-acting mechanism.” When talking about performing a software process without human intervention, there needs to be a starting point or a trigger. In automation, […]
February 7, 2018
Are you in the process of evaluating a new warehouse management system? At a high-level, warehousing is the business of moving inventory AND data. To be successful, you have to be good at receiving, storing and shipping physical products as well as managing the information related to that inventory. Evaluating and selecting a new warehouse management system (WMS) can be an overwhelming process. Where do you find solution providers? What information do you need? How do you compare systems? What features are important? What other non-product factors are important when […]
January 17, 2018
Background: Winchester Cold Storage provides food grade freezer and temperature controlled storage solutions. At one point in history the company was the “Largest Apple Storage in the World!” As such, the company’s facilities provide an unusually large capacity of controlled atmosphere storage where temperature, humidity, oxygen and other room conditions can be monitored and controlled. The Challenge: Accuracy and automation in the receiving operations was looking for improvements. Winchester’s accuracy numbers were excellent at 99.8%. However there is always room for improvement. The inaccuracies occurred when shipping 5, 10, 20 cases to […]
January 3, 2018
What is Commercial off-the-shelf-software? When searching for a software solution, whether it is to run an entire business, or just fill a single functional need, one must decide whether to search for a commercial off-the-shelf-software (COTS) solution, or use programming services for custom, one-off development. COTS, also referred to as package software, is the more traditional and popular mindset. If you need a word processor, would you build one from scratch, or go find an existing software that meets your needs? Package software will beat out one-off development in nearly […]
December 21, 2017
I’m sure we all heard about the latest news out of Atlanta this past weekend. There was a power outage that lasted close to 12 hours that shut down airport operations and forced an evacuation to clear out the congestion. Travelers were left stranded with no power, no food, and no information from anyone. So you might be thinking, “Why was there no backup power and why did everyone working at the airport seem so unprepared to handle this situation?” The situation occurred because a Georgia Power Substation had a […]
December 20, 2017
Background: Colorado Distribution Group in Denver, Colorado provides small parcel fulfillment services for many of their clients. The products range from police and military clothing to snow and ski recreation equipment. The Challenge: CDG’s main goal is to improve accuracy in packing high-volumes of orders and reduce unnecessary labor efforts for printing labels and shipping documentation. The process for picking and packing orders requires at least 3 warehouse operation staff members per shift.