Overview
The Dematic Piece and Case Pick System uses active and reserve storage to support goods-to-person order assembly for both piece and case picking requirements. It supports on-demand order fulfillment operations by accommodating both piece and case picking and mixed case palletizing for outbound loads.
The system is ideal for distribution operations that provide order fulfillment for industrial supplies, automotive, truck, farm machinery, aerospace replacement parts, healthcare supplies, and electronic devices. It also works well for customer-direct order fulfillment operations for retailers and wholesalers.
Benefits
- Optimized workflows
- On-demand, responsive fulfillment
- Real-time visibility to inventory storage locations and transfers
- Modular design with predictable, consistent performance
- Inventory security/accuracy with controlled access
- High-density storage
- Efficient order picking methods
System description
The Dematic Piece and Case Pick System has a pre-engineered, standardized design configuration that ensures predictable picking performance. Here is the general order of how the system functions:
- Inbound Inventory: Inbound inventory moves to the decant workstations. Whole cases of inventory are inducted into reserve storage. Workers put pieces of inventory into totes, and totes are inducted into the active piece pick buffer.
- Shipping Containers: The Dematic WES software receives and process fulfillment orders. For piece pick orders, empty shipping containers (cardboard) are inducted into the active piece pick buffer.
- Outbound Orders: For piece pick orders, the system releases shipping containers to the piece pick “goods-to person” workstations. Workers place items into the shipping containers, and the containers pass through the weigh/label station and on to the palletizing workstations. The system releases full cases from reserve storage, the containers pass through the weigh/label station and on to the palletizing workstations. Pallets are then transfer to outbound shipping.
System management
The Dematic Warehouse Execution System (WES) software manages fulfillment orders downloaded from the Warehouse Management System (WMS). The WMS is responsible for the overall operation of the facility, including inbound receiving and outbound shipping.
The Dematic WES software is a scalable logistics software platform responsible for directing, controlling, and synchronizing workflows. It dynamically manages a revolving queue of customer orders required for fulfillment. It evaluates each order fulfillment request upon receipt and constantly re-calculates urgency level for real-time prioritization, planning, and execution. It adds the next best task assignment to execute based on priority and inventory availability.
For case and tote put away strategies, the Dematic WES software considers SKU velocity, SKU attributes, temperature zone, and weight while balancing inventory across the automated storage aisles. Typical outbound strategies include first-in first-out (FIFO), last-in first-out (LIFO), and first-expired/first-out (FEFO).
The Dematic WES software increases productivity and operational effectiveness by synchronizing workflows in real time to produce smooth and consistent material flow.
Warehouse Management System (Host)
- Interface to ERP
- Order entry
- Inventory control
Fulfillment orders
Status and completion
Dematic Warehouse Execution System
- Tote and case move attributes, priority
- Tote and case location management
- Inventory allocation, tracking
- Synchronize and optimize processes
- Inventory release for order fulfillment, shipping
- Balance workload
- Visibility and insight
Comparison
The Dematic Piece and Case Pick System is more accurate, requires less labor to operate, and is more efficient than manual piece and case picks systems.
| Manually Operated Order Fulfillment System | Automated Piece and Case Pick System |
| Manual process requires significant labor | Automated process requires less labor |
| Manual process prone to inefficiency | Dematic WES software manages, directs all activity efficiently |
| Open access to inventory reduces accuracy, increases shrink potential | Controlled access to inventory increases accuracy, security |
| Manual load profile measuring and weight check | Automated load profile measuring and weight check |
| Issues with load tracking, visibility and insight into operations | Real-time load tracking, excellent visibility to inventory and operations |
| Case and tote location management errors | Strategic load location management eliminates put-away/retrieval errors |
| Less optimized task management | Dematic WES software evaluates queue of tasks based on storage availability and priority |
| Manual replenishment of active pick faces | Automatic replenishment, no dedicated pick faces |
| Manual slotting and re-slotting required | Slotting and re-slotting eliminated |
| Low storage density requires more warehouse floorspace | High storage density requires less warehouse floorspace, which is ideal for temperature-controlled applications |
| Higher potential for facility/product damage and for ergonomics/safety issues | Lower potential for facility/product damage and for ergonomics/safety issues |