Mobile, powered receiving carts streamline receiving

Innotrac Corp., a leading third-party logistics (3PL) provider based in Atlanta, Ga., operates 4.3 million square feet in 11 U.S. facilities. The company provides services to multiple clients in a variety of markets, so to ensure flexibility, accuracy and productivity, it deployed a series of mobile workstations.

The company customizes its offering based on each client’s product and order profiles. One particular online pure-play client offers discounted products to e-commerce customers. The SKUs in this program are so varied that products must constantly be dimensioned and counted upon receipt. The packages differ in size and shape and are almost never uniform or predictable. Frequently, labels are un-scannable, unreadable or inconsistent, creating a labor-intensive environment with a high probability for error.

The new mobile workstations (Newcastle Systems) in receiving consist of ergonomic carts with integrated power systems, PCs and label printers. Accessories include a keyboard tray and holders for a CPU, screen, scanner and notebook. Tests confirmed the cart concept streamlined the inbound receipt of product.

Associates were able to receive the case as it exited the trailer. Instead of manually carrying a box to a receiving table, receivers could stop next to an un-conveyable case to scan or read the label purchase order, and then dimension and weigh the product if necessary. Using this data, receivers can generate a case label with a reserve or active location and apply it on the spot, making the case ready for allocation.

Supervisors say that clerks now have the ability to work independently, and one person can receive a purchase order from start to finish. Clerks can check variances and verify shipments immediately upon receipt, and minimizing touches has reduced error. Receiving time per order has been cut in half, and cost per unit is down 40%.

Workers can move freely in the receiving area and easily adjust the work volume, the company says. And, associates have time to multitask, do kits and work in other areas if needed.

The mobile battery carts enabled the company to reduce the inbound receiving team from two shifts to one, dropping the required workforce for this task by 50%. In addition, the company cut inaccuracies by 65%. Sorting cases by purchase order was no longer necessary, so overall time on the dock was reduced by 80%.