TriFactor, a Florida Material Handling Systems Integrator, Offers Pick Module Design White Paper

May 25, 2010 - PRLog -- White Paper: “Design a Pick Module to Make Your Distribution Center More Efficient” by TriFactor, of Lakeland, Florida

LAKELAND, Fla. — Your mission: Decrease labor costs, increase throughput rates and use the available floor space in your facility more efficiently.  You also have to accommodate an increase in the number of SKUs (stock  keeping units) and sales volume, all while giving your customers what they want accurately, efficiently, and as fast as possible.  This mission is very possible by using a properly designed pick module in your distribution center.  Designing an efficient pick module requires analyzing SKU information, assessing the building’s characteristics, identifying the proper picking technologies and methodologies, and complying with building codes; all while considering future growth demands.

First things first, so what is a pick module?  Pick modules are made of shelving, pallet rack, pallet flow and carton flow rack to store inventory for picking and order fulfillment.  These rack structures may be multi-level or single level.  The available number of storage locations and SKUs stored in pick modules varies greatly from hundreds to thousands.  It is common in large distribution centers to have entire pick modules or several multi-level pick modules with levels set up to handle certain types of product.

Design Process:
Equally as important as the design process of your pick module, is the design process of your facility.  Before you can start to design an efficient pick module, there are several questions about your business that must be answered.  The design process is a time to gather information such as: the level of service required; order accuracy expected; type of units picked (eaches, cases, pallets); order fulfillment methodology; lead time requirements; number of pickers needed; order picker requirements; number of pick modules needed; and productivity factors (travel time, technology aids, labor).  The answers to these key questions provides vital information specific to each operation.  This information must then be analyzed to provide the best solution for each facility’s picking needs.

To view the full white paper by Richard Gillespie of TriFactor, LLC (www.trifactor.com), please visit http://www.trifactor.com/Material-Handling-White-Papers/E...  Gillespie will be presenting a complimentary seminar on pick module design in Jacksonville and Lakeland, Florida.  For more information please visit http://www.trifactor.com/Seminar-Information-and-Sign-Up

CONTACT: Stefanie Poe, Marketing Coordinator, TriFactor, LLC, +1-863-577-2233, spoe@trifactor.com

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TriFactor, a systems integrator, designs and implements turnkey engineered material handling systems in partnership with leading companies that distribute finished goods. TriFactor is a State of Florida Licensed Professional Engineering Company.