High-tech forklifts come with sophisticated RFID readers. The ultra-high-tech models feature both readers and active RFID tags that tell manage ment where they are and where they've been.
John Johnson joined the DC Velocity team in March 2004. A veteran business journalist, John has over a dozen years of experience covering the supply chain field, including time as chief editor of Warehousing Management. In addition, he has covered the venture capital community and previously was a sports reporter covering professional and collegiate sports in the Boston area. John served as senior editor and chief editor of DC Velocity until April 2008.
Forklift drivers at Genco's McDonough, Ga., DC tempted to dash over to a remote aisle for a quick smoke or a short break from the action are out of luck. Their vehicles will give them away. Among other features, the trucks they pilot come outfitted with RFID readers and active RFID tags, which track their every move throughout the 208,000-square-foot DC.
Introduced as a lower-cost alternative to the RFID readers designed for dock doors, RFID-enabled forklifts appear to be gaining traction in America's DCs. It's not hard to see why. Though the investment is comparatively modest, the payoffs are big. Companies that are using the mobile systems, which can identify and track products onboard a forklift from loading to unloading, report improvements in picking and shipping accuracy, enhanced productivity and better vehicle utilization.
The prospect of improved vehicle utilization figured largely in Genco's decision to put five RFID-enabled trucks—a mix of Toyota sit-down trucks and Crown reach trucks—to work in the McDonough DC. Genco, which is a third-party service provider, has been using the trucks for over a year at the facility, a returns center that it runs for Sears. (It has five more in pilot mode at another facility.) And it hasn't been disappointed.
The active tags affixed to the forklifts allow Genco to track the X/Y coordinates of each truck, giving managers a better understanding of the travel times and distances required for various tasks. The tags also help them gauge how efficiently the trucks are being used. "We want to see how often our operator is driving with no product on the forks," says Cary Cameron, Genco's vice president of strategic technologies. "If I can maximize the use of my forklift, then we can minimize maintenance on the forklift."
Genco plans to use the data it captures to track operator productivity and to model daily workflows via the magic of computer simulation. It has hired a graphic artist for the project, which will translate the tracking data into animated forklift images. Once the project is completed, a manager who wants to check up on a forklift's movements anywhere in the DC will be able to call up an animated live-action image of that same truck on his computer screen.
Not only will Genco's managers be able to track a forklift's movements in real time, but they'll also be able to reconstruct the trucks' movements at a later date. A team called in to investigate a forklift collision or accident, for example, will be able to pinpoint a forklift operator's exact location at a specific time during his shift.
Don't go there
Beyond vehicle utilization, Genco reports that the RFID-enabled forklifts have pushed shipping accuracy to new levels. The RFID-enabled trucks alert drivers if they attempt to load an item onto the wrong truck, which has virtually eliminated the problem of shipping products to the wrong facility. Genco reports that shipping accuracy has jumped from 95.0 percent to 99.7 percent on the 45,000 pallets it has shipped since the company began using RFID-enabled trucks.
And Genco has achieved these savings without blowing the budget. Outfitting the McDonough facility with mobile RFID equipment will cost half what it would to set up RFID pOréals at dock doors, says Cameron. She estimates that it would cost Genco about $6,000 per door to install RFID readers at 160 dock doors—a total of $960,000. By contrast, equipping approximately 60 lift trucks at about $8,000 per truck will run about $480,000. Furthermore, Genco believes that RFID-related productivity improvements will cut the number of forklift trucks needed at each DC.
That's not to say that Genco hasn't hit a few rough patches in its transition to mobile RFID. Cameron says the biggest problem she faces right now is getting her hands on Gen 2 equipment. Though her suppliers have promised to get her the equipment, they have yet to give her a firm delivery date.
She's also working with her hardware vendors to solve an ongoing problem with unread tags. Signals emitted by the forklift-mounted readers aren't always strong enough to read through an entire pallet, which means tags on some of the cases go unread. That's not a problem with dock door pOréal readers, which provide enough coverage to ensure that none of the cases on a pallet (or to be precise, the tags on those cases) will be missed.
Spreading the word
Those startup difficulties notwithstanding, word about the savings offered by RFID-enabled forklifts is spreading fast. So it may come as little surprise that Wal-Mart is giving the technology a try. At its test lab in Bentonville, Ark., the mega-retailer is currently testing an RFID-enabled forklift that reads tags on pallets and transmits data through a wireless network to a warehouse management system, which sends data on inventory to other business applications.
Some of Wal-Mart's suppliers are experimenting with the technology as well. Michael Smith, business development manager at LXE Inc., says his company has pilots under way with several of Wal-Mart's 100 biggest suppliers. These clients, major consumer packaged goods manufacturers, believe RFID-enabled forklifts offer great potential to streamline their operations. For example, if the tests confirm that the RFID-equipped forklifts provide reliable data on the number of cases picked, the manufacturers will be able to eliminate some redundant quality control checks.
They're hoping for productivity enhancements as well, which shouldn't be much of a stretch. RFID-equipped trucks allow drivers to focus on driving, not scanning. It may only take 10 or 20 seconds to scan a bar code, Smith says, but if you eliminate that task, the savings accumulate quickly.
"It does add up when you consider the number of moves [forklift operators] are doing," Smith says. "You are really paying these guys to [move goods], not collect data. So the more moves you get out of these guys, the more work you can do. If you can do 100 moves with a bar-code scanner and 120 with a forklift, you can put 20 percent more product through the facility." For companies hard-pressed to show some returns on their RFID investments, that kind of opportunity will be hard to ignore.
just show them the money
Maybe they're trying to placate an ROI-obsessed CFO. Or maybe they're simply trying to add luster to their reputations. Whatever the reason, it appears that managers have engaged in some dubious accounting practices when reporting returns on their RFID investments. Steve Banker, a research analyst with ARC Advisory Group, says reports have surfaced of managers' padding their RFID returns with savings actually earned through automation and other cost-cutting initiatives.
"If the CFO becomes very concerned and [demands] an ROI, then some people will try to bundle in other things to the project," says Banker. "If they haven't implemented a warehouse management system yet, they'll see an opportunity to bundle RFID into the WMS project and then attribute any sort of ROI that emerges to RFID instead of the WMS."
It might appear to be a relatively minor type of malfeasance, but Banker warns that the practice could have serious consequences. For one thing, a company that submits falsified financial reports risks running afoul of Sarbanes-Oxley regulations. For another, the inflated ROI figures could encourage the company to move forward with RFID faster than caution would dictate, sending costs spiraling upward.
Finally, overstating ROI numbers could deprive the company of its best bargaining chip when a big customer issues its next RFID mandate. "The people [who] have piloted RFID [but have yet to see any] ROI have some good ammunition when Wal-Mart asks them to increase tagging from 10 SKUs to 100," says Banker. "They can go to Wal-Mart and say 'This is what we did, [this is] how much money we spent, and we haven't seen one penny of ROI yet.' It gives them a strong argument for continuing to go slow."
E-commerce activity remains robust, but a growing number of consumers are reintegrating physical stores into their shopping journeys in 2024, emphasizing the need for retailers to focus on omnichannel business strategies. That’s according to an e-commerce study from Ryder System, Inc., released this week.
Ryder surveyed more than 1,300 consumers for its 2024 E-Commerce Consumer Study and found that 61% of consumers shop in-store “because they enjoy the experience,” a 21% increase compared to results from Ryder’s 2023 survey on the same subject. The current survey also found that 35% shop in-store because they don’t want to wait for online orders in the mail (up 4% from last year), and 15% say they shop in-store to avoid package theft (up 8% from last year).
“Retail and e-commerce continue to evolve,” Jeff Wolpov, Ryder’s senior vice president of e-commerce, said in a statement announcing the survey’s findings. “The emergence of e-commerce and growth of omnichannel fulfillment, particularly over the past four years, has altered consumer expectations and behavior dramatically and will continue to do so as time and technology allow.
“This latest study demonstrates that, while consumers maintain a robust
appetite for e-commerce, they are simultaneously embracing in-person shopping, presenting an impetus for merchants to refine their omnichannel strategies.”
Other findings include:
• Apparel and cosmetics shoppers show growing attraction to buying in-store. When purchasing apparel and cosmetics, shoppers are more inclined to make purchases in a physical location than they were last year, according to Ryder. Forty-one percent of shoppers who buy cosmetics said they prefer to do so either in a brand’s physical retail location or a department/convenience store (+9%). As for apparel shoppers, 54% said they prefer to buy clothing in those same brick-and-mortar locations (+9%).
• More customers prefer returning online purchases in physical stores. Fifty-five percent of shoppers (+15%) now say they would rather return online purchases in-store–the first time since early 2020 the preference to Buy Online Return In-Store (BORIS) has outweighed returning via mail, according to the survey. Forty percent of shoppers said they often make additional purchases when picking up or returning online purchases in-store (+2%).
• Consumers are extremely reliant on mobile devices when shopping in-store. This year’s survey reveals that 77% of consumers search for items on their mobile devices while in a store, Ryder said. Sixty-nine percent said they compare prices with items in nearby stores, 58% check availability at other stores, 31% want to learn more about a product, and 17% want to see other items frequently purchased with a product they’re considering.
Ryder said the findings also underscore the importance of investing in technology solutions that allow companies to provide customers with flexible purchasing options.
“Omnichannel strength is not a fad; it is a strategic necessity for e-commerce and retail businesses to stay competitive and achieve sustainable success in 2024 and beyond,” Wolpov also said. “The findings from this year’s study underscore what we know our customers are experiencing, which is the positive impact of integrating supply chain technology solutions across their sales channels, enabling them to provide their customers with flexible, convenient options to personalize their experience and heighten customer satisfaction.”
Transportation industry veteran Anne Reinke will become president & CEO of trade group the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) at the end of the year, stepping into the position from her previous post leading third party logistics (3PL) trade group the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA), both organizations said today.
Meanwhile, TIA today announced that insider Christopher Burroughs would fill Reinke’s shoes as president & CEO. Burroughs has been with TIA for 13 years, most recently as its vice president of Government Affairs for the past six years, during which time he oversaw all legislative and regulatory efforts before Congress and the federal agencies.
Before her four years leading TIA, Reinke spent two years as Deputy Assistant Secretary with the U.S. Department of Transportation and 16 years with CSX Corporation.
National nonprofit Wreaths Across America (WAA) kicked off its 2024 season this week with a call for volunteers. The group, which honors U.S. military veterans through a range of civic outreach programs, is seeking trucking companies and professional drivers to help deliver wreaths to cemeteries across the country for its annual wreath-laying ceremony, December 14.
“Wreaths Across America relies on the transportation industry to move the mission. The Honor Fleet, composed of dedicated carriers, professional drivers, and other transportation partners, guarantees the delivery of millions of sponsored veterans’ wreaths to their destination each year,” Courtney George, WAA’s director of trucking and industry relations, said in a statement Tuesday. “Transportation partners benefit from driver retention and recruitment, employee engagement, positive brand exposure, and the opportunity to give back to their community’s veterans and military families.”
WAA delivers wreaths to more than 4,500 locations nationwide, and as of this week had added more than 20 loads to be delivered this season. The wreaths are donated by sponsors from across the country, delivered by truckers, and laid at the graves of veterans by WAA volunteers.
Wreaths Across America
Transportation companies interested in joining the Honor Fleet can visit the WAA website to find an open lane or contact the WAA transportation team at trucking@wreathsacrossamerica.org for more information.
Krish Nathan is the Americas CEO for SDI Element Logic, a provider of turnkey automation solutions and sortation systems. Nathan joined SDI Industries in 2000 and honed his project management and engineering expertise in developing and delivering complex material handling solutions. In 2014, he was appointed CEO, and in 2022, he led the search for a strategic partner that could expand SDI’s capabilities. This culminated in the acquisition of SDI by Element Logic, with SDI becoming the Americas branch of the company.
A native of the U.K., Nathan received his bachelor’s degree in manufacturing engineering from Coventry University and has studied executive leadership at Cranfield University.
Q: How would you describe the current state of the supply chain industry?
A: We see the supply chain industry as very dynamic and exciting, both from a growth perspective and from an innovation perspective. The pandemic hangover is still impacting decisions to nearshore, and that has resulted in a spike in business for us in both the USA and Mexico. Adding new technology to our portfolio has been a significant contributor to our continued expansion.
Q: Distributors were making huge tech investments during the pandemic simply to keep up with soaring consumer demand. How have things changed since then?
A: The consumer demand for e-commerce certainly appears to have cooled since the pandemic high, but our clients continue to see steady growth. Growth, combined with low unemployment and high labor costs, continues to make automation a good investment for many companies.
Q: Robotics are still in high demand for material handling applications. What are some of the benefits of these systems?
A: As an organization, we are investing heavily in software that will allow Element Logic to offer solutions for robotic picking that are hardware-agnostic. We have had success deploying unit picking for order fulfillment solutions and unit placing of items onto tray-based sorters.
From a benefit point of view, we’ve seen the consistency of a given operation improve. For example, the placement accuracy of a product onto a tray is far higher from a robotic arm than from a person. In order fulfillment applications, two of the biggest benefits are reliability and hours of operation. The robots don't call in sick, and they are happy to work 22 hours a day!
Q: SDI Element Logic offers a wide range of automated solutions, including automated storage and sortation equipment. What criteria should distributors use to determine what type of system is right for them?
A: There are a significant number of factors to consider when thinking about automation. In my experience, automation pays for itself in three key ways: It saves space, it increases the efficiency of labor, and it improves accuracy. So evaluating which of these will be [most] beneficial and quantifying the associated savings will lead to a “right sized” investment in technology.
Another important factor to consider is product mix. With a small SKU (stock-keeping unit) base, often automation doesn’t make sense. And with a huge SKU base, there will be products that don’t lend themselves to automation.
With any significant investment, you need to partner with an organization that has deep experience with the technologies that are being considered and … in-depth knowledge of the process that is being automated.
Q: How can a goods-to-person system reduce the amount of labor needed to fill orders?
A: In most order picking operations, there is a considerable amount of walking between pick faces to find the SKUs associated with a given order or set of orders. Goods-to-person eliminates the walking and allows the operator to just pick. I have seen studies that [show] that 75% of the time [required] to assemble an order in a manual picking environment is walking or “non-picking” time. So eliminating walking will reduce the amount of labor needed.
The goods-to-person approach also fits perfectly with robotic picking, so even the actual picking aspect of order assembly can be automated in some instances. For these reasons, [automation offers] a significant opportunity to reduce the labor needed to fulfill a customer order.
Q: If you could pick one thing a company should do to improve its distribution center operations, what would it be?
A: Evaluate. Evaluate the opportunities for improving by considering automation. In my experience, the challenge most companies have is recognizing that automation is an alternative. The barrier to entry is far lower than most people think!
Toyota Material Handling and its nationwide network of dealers showcased their commitment to improving their local communities during the company’s annual “Lift the Community Day.” Since 2021, Toyota associates have participated in an annual day-long philanthropic event held near Toyota’s Columbus, Indiana, headquarters. This year, the initiative expanded to include participation from Toyota’s dealers, increasing the impact on communities throughout the U.S. A total of 324 Toyota associates completed 2,300 hours of community service during this year’s event.
The PMMI Foundation, the charitable arm of PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, awarded nearly $200,000 in scholarships to students pursuing careers in the packaging and processing industry. Each year, the PMMI Foundation provides academic scholarships to students studying packaging, food processing, and engineering to underscore its commitment to the future of the packaging and processing industry.
Truck leasing and fleet management services provider Fleet Advantage hosted its “Kids Around the Corner Foundation” back-to-school backpack drive in July. During the event, company associates assembled 200 backpacks filled with essential school supplies for high school-age students. The backpacks were then delivered to Henderson Behavioral Health’s Youth & Family Services location in Tamarac, Florida.
For the past seven years, third-party logistics service specialist ODW Logistics has provided logistics support for the Pelotonia Ride Weekend, a campaign to raise funds for cancer research at The Ohio State University’s Comprehensive Cancer Center–Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute. As in the past, ODW provided inventory management services and transportation for the riders’ bicycles at this year’s event. In all, some 7,000 riders and 3,000 volunteers participated in the ride weekend.