Only 12 operators run this warehouse. They scan the uniquely coded yellow label on every carton to control all stock movements.

Warehouse automation

This company markets branded garments and workwear that are made to its designs in the Far East.

Growth

In their early days they asked Codeway to provide a Codetrack stock and despatch system for their warehouse. One major issue was the quantities of the garments in the cartons that came out of the containers never quite matched the orders. The company had to inspect and label each carton.

Growth led to the company renting a larger shed to handle orders by carton. They kept the original warehouse to pick by item.

A new distribution centre

When the shed had run out of capacity, it so happened that an agent offered them a fully equipped distribution centre out of the blue. The company asked Codeway for a new system to automate their carton handling operations in the new premises.

Requirements

1. Identify the cartons out of the containers automatically. By now the manufacturers were applying bar coded product labels.
2. Utilise the automated conveyors and manned high bay trucks productively.
3. Execute orders in accordance with business rules.

Codetrack WMS automation

The company IT manager and Codeway worked together to specify new Codetrack WMS system. It would exchange data with Microsoft Dynamics.

In brief the warehouse had an automated conveyor running from the receiving bays to ten palletising areas near the loading bays. There were several points in between for transferring cartons to and from the high bay warehouse. A materials handling company programmed the conveyors and provided an interfaces for Codetrack.

A Codeway automatic labeller applies the yellow

corner labels. A scanner (out of shot) then reads

their unique numbers into the Codetrack system.

Carton identification

The cartons go straight from the shipping container on to the conveyor. An automatic scanner reads the product label on each carton. Operators with handheld scanners deal with any problems.

The cartons travel along the conveyor past an automatic applicator which applies a pre-printed, sequentially coded, yellow label to the leading corner of each one Shortly afterwards and a second automatic scanner reads the number on the yellow label.

Codetrack records the product, shipment number, and time against the yellow label number. It uses these numbers to control all stock movements.

The system updates a large display in the receiving area. This shows the number of cartons in the container, the number scanned, percentage processed, time taken and so on.

The Codeway Bureau Service preprints the yellow labels applied to the leading edge of each carton to give it a unique identity

Stock movements

If the carton is required for a current order Codetrack sends it to the palletising areas. Otherwise it diverts to an unloading point to build a pallet to putaway. Codetrack applies business rules to select the putaway location displayed to drivers on their vehicle mount terminals.

Codetrack directs the high bay truck to the next location where the picker scans the cartons. Image: Still (another warehouse).

Order fulfilment

Codetrack gets order data from Microsoft Dynamics, applies scheduling rules, and allocates the first ten to palletising areas. It then instructs the trucks and any pedestrian pickers to pick cartons for all ten orders minimising overall travel.

When an order is complete Codetrack allocates the next order to its palletsing area. The process continues until all orders are fulfilled.

Codetrack displays the current status of warehouse operations in real time the warehouse manager screen in the office.

Results

1. The 200,000 square foot warehouse operates with only 12 staff.
2. The error rate is neglible by design and in practice.
3. Codetrack and Microsoft Dynamics have capacity for any foreseeable growth in volume.

Bonus: Bonded Goods

To identify goods in bond white "Customs" labels replace the yellow ones and an ink jet coder adds the date and time of receipt

Later on the company decided the distribution centre should become a bonded warehouse. They realised Codetrack and the uniquely numbered carton labels would provide a ready made system to track goods in and out of bond. Codeway made the modifications necessary to satisfy HMRC.