The pressure is always “on” for all businesses to get more efficient.  Recently, on my annual golf trip in Myrtle Beach, S.C.,  the occasional business conversation tended to focus on work and the priority of “tightening belts”. 

An old buddy from Pennsylvania, a chemist, talked about his firm downsizing, folks retiring and not being replaced and especially concerning is the continuous assignment of additional responsibilities to those that remain…..without additional compensation of course.  He shared that quality is suffering, morale is at an all time low and customers are not happy.  Working longer and longer hours has been the standard there for many years so in his opinion that’s not the answer.

Another friend, a supply chain executive, said that his firm is focused on automating as much of his operations as possible.  The old “let’s roll up our sleeves and get it done” just doesn’t work anymore. They are actively looking for ways to invest in automation not to replace FTE’s (full time employees) but to meet and exceed their customers expectations.

Overall, my middle age friends agree, that  today with the current advances in technology, automation and controls having humans do more and more work isn’t the answer.  The answer is investing in technology to increase efficiency, improve accuracy and to keep customers coming back for more.

Posted via email from peaklogix’s posterous

Mr. John Garrett was promoted to Service Manager from Project Manager and is responsible for overseeing all corporate accounts for PeakLogix.  John attended Virginia Commonwealth University prior to joining the PeakLogix team in 2001 and recently celebrated his 10 year anniversary with PeakLogix.  The blog he shares today focuses on a “little Sping cleaning” from the service perspective.  We look forward to hearing your comments!

I have seen a lot in my travels to various client sites as the Service Manager for PeakLogix. All types of material handling equipment from simple transportation conveyors, fully automated systems, robotic palletizing and countless other means of improving efficiency.

Spring time and spring cleaning, what relevance does that have to my travels and observations at all these facilities?

Well, longevity, reliability and continuous return on investment, that’s what. One of the easiest things anyone on staff can do is general upkeep and cleaning of any material handling equipment at most sites. From packing tape, dirt/dust/grime, cardboard and even valuable inventory, I’ve seen it all built up over time. Take the time to clean up equipment now and then a “little spring cleaning” at least every week will keep any of your equipment doing what it does best, being productive and reliable.

Feel free to contact us for any material handling equipment assessments, safety audits or service needs.

John Garrett

Service Manager
PeakLogix
14409 Justice Rd
Midlothian, VA 23113
P: 804.302.1512      F: 804.794.6515

24/7 Service Hotline 866.850.8559
www.PeakLogix.com 

Posted via email from peaklogix’s posterous

I’ve been attending and participating in the ProMat industry tradeshow for many years now and it seems that with each new show there’s a couple of “in things” that are apparent. The theme for the ProMat 2011 show seemed to be focused on driving and increasing efficiency.

Most businesses are constantly pushing to become more efficient internally and to serve their customers more effectively.  This year, the ProMat show revolved around saving space, reducing cycle times, increasing accuracy and improving safety.

There were 5 or 6 displays featuring Mobile Shelving and Mobile Racking which help consolidate and utilize space.  The pricing of these systems have been reduced with the advent of smarter engineering designs, lower controls costs and improved safety innovations. Folks are recognizing that walking or forklift aisles in front of every pick face doesn’t always make sense. Additionally, these systems are a good option to consider to help avoid or delay the pain involved with moving or expanding your building.

Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS) were everywhere at ProMat this year. Operational travel costs are being eliminated within picking operations through the use of carousels, mini-loads, unit loads, VLM’s and robotics.  These folks have figured out how to integrate all types of technologies into a highly efficient material handling system.  Design options include items such as carton flow, pick-to-light, put-to-light, AS/RS, AGV and even racking and shelving enabling a place for everything and everything to be in it’s place.

Overall, many of the attendees to ProMat 2011 that I met were interested in improving their operations but didn’t have a clear “blueprint” of just what to do.  Many of these folks specifically requested that an “expert” contact them to help sort out their best opportunities for driving further efficiencies.  I think material handling consultants will be very busy helping organizations accomplish their goals to do more work with less people in less space.

Robert Giberson
Principal
PeakLogix
14409 Justice Rd
Midlothian, VA 23113
P: 804.302.1504

C: 804.337.2045

F: 804.794.6515
www.PeakLogix.com

Posted via email from peaklogix’s posterous