2008 Warehouse/Distribution Productivity Award Winner: American Eagle
The retailer's multi-use DC outfits store and direct-to-consumer deliveries for three clothing brands.
-- Modern Materials Handling, 4/1/2008
American Eagle Outfitters has long been a fashion trendsetter. With a new 552,000 square foot multi-use distribution center, opened adjacent to an existing 400,000 square foot facility in Ottawa, Kan., it's something of a distribution trendsetter as well. Read our original article.
That's because American Eagle is taking back control of processes that it once outsourced to a third-party logistics provider (3PL), including American Eagle Direct, the retailer's direct-to-consumer catalog and Web business.
The facility represents a model solution to one of the challenges facing many retailers: How to best stock and replenish retail stores, including crossdock operations, and service consumers who are making purchases through multiple sales channels, including catalog and the Web.
The challenges increase exponentially for a retailer like American Eagle, which has multiple store brands in its portfolio. American Eagle found a way to balance those competing interests in a facility that can handle 15,000 stock keeping units (SKUs) and up to 100,000 items daily.
Three components work together to make this possible under one roof.
- High-speed receiving and shipping sortation systems, including sliding shoe, cross-belt and tilt tray sorters, connect 7 miles of conveyor and route cartons, totes and pieces to the right pallet-building, packaging and shipping areas. A conveyor bridge connects the new DC to the adjacent DC.
- Multiple picking methodologies, including RF-directed, voice-directed and pick-to-light picking technologies, are used in pick modules.
- Integrated warehouse management and warehouse control software systems were designed to manage orders and inventory, control the automated materials handling systems and balance the workload throughout the building. “If you have three items for an order coming from different areas, the system synchronizes the delivery so that all three items arrive at the packing station at the same time,” says Michael Fostyk, senior vice president of logistics.
The DC is not only flexible, it is designed to grow with the brands. “We have the wherewithal to push out the walls in the future,” says Fostyk.
Other Productivity Award Winners: CAMI Automotive | Staples | Timothy Cavanagh
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