Adjustment to automation in the distribution center: Days not weeks

With today's technology and the right management, labor should adjust to a new materials handling system within three days.

By Tom Andel, Editor In Chief -- Modern Materials Handling, 12/3/2007

Glenn Broderick is lucky. During his logistics career he’s been steeped in automated materials handling. That doesn’t mean preparing his employees for automation is always easy, but he’s done it long enough to know success is all in the preparation.

During the taping of Modern’s latest webcast, “How Retailers Cope with Forces Beyond Their Control,” Broderick, director of distribution for retailer J. Jill, said applying the company’s new pick-to-light system required about a week of adjustment for employees.

“You’ll take a productivity hit up front until people are comfortable with the equipment,” he said. Broderick is a big proponent of talking about changes with associates months ahead of any new automation. Even so, he added, expect to take a small productivity hit for about a week. And after that week?

“We were where we wanted to be and productivity has been climbing ever since,” he answered.

His co-presenter, John Seidl, principal with retailing specialists Kurt Salmon Associates, said he sees that learning curve shortening all the time.

“The unit of measure is now days not weeks,” he said. “We’re seeing worldclass retailers not only return to pre-go live performance but starting to build their productivity improvement within 72 hours of when they turn the application on. So the expectation should be much higher around speed to benefit with a new piece of materials handling equipment than in years gone by.”

He added that there are change management and productivity measurement components that need to be adopted, and those elements were further discussed throughout the webcast. Click here to view the program.