Simon & Schuster, a part of CBS Corporation, is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and audio formats. Thanks to acquisition, growth and change, Simon & Schuster faced ongoing capacity challenges. Additionally, the uncertainty of the impact of e-books on physical distribution requirements coupled with tight capital budgets completely ruled out the option of expanding their distribution center. “Getting a product through the building and out the door accurately and quickly is the whole key to the business,” said Dave Schaeffer, VP, Distribution and Fulfillment at Simon & Schuster. “When something is selling, it’s selling, and when it’s not selling, life is over, so we have to meet a very high standard of excellence.”
After a rigorous bidding and analysis process, Simon & Schuster implemented a solution from AL Systems, comprised of the DynaPro Warehouse Control System (WCS) with Order Management, DynaPick Voice Picking software backed by the Voxware voice engine, Productivity Management and Load Balancing. Shortly after implementation, Simon & Schuster more than doubled their productivity while increasing accuracy to 99.95%. The Productivity Management and Load balancing tools provide insight into the workload required by zone and enable them to assign workers based on individual productivity and accuracy data. Management is now better able to forecast work against deadlines, knowing they can rely upon high pick rates from the solution. “Voice has taken the guesswork out of our daily planning – when we have to ship a certain volume, we know how to organize to get it done, because our performance is now at a predictable level,” said Pat Kelman, Director of Operations, Simon & Schuster.
Overall, the solution enabled Simon & Schuster to consolidate two distribution centers into one operation and completely eliminate 50 temporary positions; all this while achieving ROI in approximately 10 months. They now ship over 150 million units a year from just one distribution center!
About AL Systems
For over 30 years, AL Systems has been helping companies optimize their distribution operations by providing solutions that maximize productivity, throughput, and order accuracy in the distribution center. AL Systems’ market leading Warehouse Control System(WCS) and Order Fulfillment solutions, including modules for Order Management, Pick to Light, Pack and Put to Light, Voice and RF Picking, Conveyor and Sortation Systems Control, Print and Apply, and Shipping and Manifesting, require only a single interface to Warehouse Management and/or corporate ERP systems, and offer Real-time Reporting, Load Balancing, and Productivity Management.
AL Systems’ client successes include such prestigious companies as Armani Exchange, Gymboree, Simon & Schuster, REI, Talbot’s, The Men's Wearhouse, and Urban Outfitters, to name a few. For more information about AL Systems, please visit http://www.alsystems.com.
