Outbound Warehouse

Load planning is central to any outbound distribution operation. If you are still writing load diagrams by hand, Syntelic’s Warehouse solution with its dynamic load planning can optimize both load planning and selection, saving labor, reducing errors, and achieving new standards of excellence.  

How it works:

• Automatically creates trailer load plans and printed load diagrams for a wave of orders using best-in-class load planning logic. No manual intervention is needed, so load planners can focus only on exceptions.
• Dynamically selects the right trailer size and configures compartment capacities based on the product mix and volumes.  
• Optimizes load plans for multiple delivery stop sequences, efficient use of available trailer capacity, axle-weight limitations, multi-compartments, prevention of shifting loads, and other factors.
• Factors in your business rules such as bulk products, product combination rules, side door delivery, various pallet and container configurations, and exceptions such as putting first stop frozen products on the tail.

Benefits:

• Reduces time spent creating load maps for every route. Printed diagrams can replace time-consuming manual load planning methods such as hand-drawn graphs and spreadsheets.  
• Reduces loading time, because Syntelic load maps eliminate the need to consolidate pallets on the loading dock.
• Less over, short and damaged goods since cases are not re-handled on the loading dock and drivers do not have to shuffle cases around in delivering orders. Reduced damage from shifting loads in transit due to even pallet heights on the truck.
• Meets axle weight limit to reduce overweight fines, eliminates labor costs associated with weighing every truck in the yard, and avoids the costs in time and labor involved in having to return to the loading dock.
• Reduces training time for load planners and loaders and minimizes the risk that a “key employee” is out sick.

How It Works:

• Syntelic load plans drive the labor plan in a logical sequence of selecting products, assembling pallets, and loading trailers to support fast and efficient loading. The result is that routes are dispatched on schedule.
• Calculates work standards based on work area, pick locations, number of cases, and other factors.
• Builds wide variety of specific tasks to fit the workflow of each DC (e.g., pre-pick items, pick high value items from a cage area, pick eaches from a master case.
• Sets detailed picking rules such as loaders pick bulk items, pick 2 pallets at a time, pick and perform QA, etc.

Benefits

• Optimizes selection according to your business rules including engineered labor standards.
• Improves labor plan accuracy to avoid unnecessary labor expenses such as overtime.
• Reduces labor planning time and time spent managing workers during selection process.
• Reduces labor costs by maximizing the efficient use of available labor.

Syntelic takes the Smart Labor plan and manages the execution of all work tasks. As it does this it also provides complete real-time visibility into outbound operations.

How It Works:

• Assigns work tasks to workers in advance or as needed and logs all start and stop times.
• Provides real-time visibility into outbound operations by work tasks, task status, individual worker, warehouse area, product, route, or other factors.
• Sequences all work tasks including selection, loading, and general tasks such as breaks, meetings, battery changes, or clean up.
• Enables managers to monitor progress against the labor plan and reassign work by area,
• shift, time of day, or individual employee stay on pace.
• Manages voice-enabled selection by assigning tasks, receiving status updates, and sending voice checks via Vocollect voice technology.

Benefits:

• Reduces missed picks. When individual work tasks are defined by standards and the performance of selectors measured, supervisors can reduce missed picks through coaching and continuous process improvements. Voice-directed picking offers further improvements in selection accuracy resulting in fewer errors per load.
• Quantifies productivity by employee, function, warehouse area, DC, or other metrics to support continuous process improvement for increased profitability.
• Improve selection efficiency and accuracy by leveraging Vocollect voice technology to enable hands-free, eyes up selection, eliminating extra movements compared to label picking or barcode scanning.
• Reduced expenses for training since voice technology requires no specialized knowledge
• Achieve customer satisfaction as a result of smooth outbound operations, so loads arrive on time and unload quickly.
• Improves employee satisfaction. Smooth operations and fewer problems in the warehouse can reduce stress among employees. By increasing employee satisfaction, turn over and the associated costs can be minimized.