Tire and auto parts distributor Les Schwab Inc. already serves about 330 store locations and adds about 20 stores each year. With such booming business, the company needed to upgrade its warehouse and distribution center. The main component of that upgrade consists of a new automated orderpicking system that increased picking rates by a factor of eight.

Les Schwab installed four picking pods, each with four carousels. In each pod, two carousels are stacked on top of two others to minimize floor space and make best use of ceiling height. The carousels hold more than 12,000 SKUs.

Picking tasks begin with operators entering eight-order batches into the computer system. Carousels rotate to the appropriate locations. Then a light comes on, telling the operator part numbers, location and quantity. The orderpicker puts products in the tote and pushes a button, indicating the task is complete and checking inventory status.