Relievingmaterial handling headaches

r su;u"king in material-flow Path

; ;;i;;"hindrances to now

I Cluttered aisles i ionfution at the dock

I Di.otgunized storage

I Excess scraP

I Excessive handltn;

1 of individual

Dieces I tg*"""iu" manual effort i Excessive walking

I ruilut" to use glavitY

: I ur*.ented oPerations

I ttttn indirect labor costs

:,r: I ldle machinery

I Inefficientuse of skilled labor

',. I Lack of cube storage

.ll ; ;;;-otP*' and suPPlies :"

I Long hauls

I "*"tZnt Piled uP on floor

:;',i;,,';t:::' I No standardizauon l.l.,...l.::.: t3 OvefcfoWding

...,.,.,...i..' I PoorhootekeePing

:l::.:,:::::....l I ,oo, inventorY control '

I Product damage

I *"noitive handlin8 nvenientl' i:l:l::,, I Service areas nr i:...,.'i..,. located ii i' , r i."tr delaYed or tied uP

':'::' '" I i*"-tt*liftingjobs ^r-.iit,,l

ITAVE YOU checked the lLhealth of vour store or warehouse tatetyt Do you see cluttered docks? Excess manual effort? Wasted space? Obstructed aisles? Disorganized storage? The cure is properly applied material handling, which can improve operations by reducing costs, labor and waste, increasing safety, capacity and productivity, and improving service.

Although the characteristics of the material. the handling task and the type of equipment used vary widely, there are certain elements that are common to solving any material handling problem. Basic handling elements include motion, time, quantity and space. Products must be moved from point to point during receipt, storage and delivery. They must be handled within certain time constraints in specific quantities within the space allotted or available.

A proven way to begin evaluating a material handling problem is by considering the classical "Material Handling Equation": Why? = What? + Where? + When? + How? + Who?

Wnyr Before tackling any material handling problem, you must first answer: "Why are we contemplating this activity in the first place? What is the objective?" It may be merely to move one item from point A to B within a corner of the facility, or it may be to provide a major warehouse center that will serve computer-linked distribution poins throughout the country.

One firm, for example, noted that it was expending a great deal of time

Story at a Glance ldentifying and solving

common material handling problems ... target the cause not the symptoms.

and effort on receiving inspections for certain types of merchandise. The incoming materials had to be placed in a waiting zone, then moved to an inspection area, inspected and moved to storage.

A thorough study of inspection records and vendor reliability history revealed that inspecting this particular category of materials accomplished little. It was something that simply "had always been done that way in the past." Eliminating this step saved a great deal of space and personnel time, and eliminated rchandling - just by asking the question, "Why arc we continuing to perform this particular operation?"

Wn"tt Another important consideration is the type of material to be handled, as classified by group, type and physical characteristics. Characteristics affecting movement and handling include size (length, width, height), weight (weight per item, or per unit volume), shape (round, square, long, rectangular, irregular), and particularities (slip- pery, fragile, sticky, explosive, frozen).

Many racking and shelving systems, for instance, are designed to store and display certain-sized products. Everything to be stocked must be taken into consideration to fully answer the "What?" question before the racks are selected.

Wneret describes the movement of product. Factors include the travel path, distance to be moved, and equipment and building limitations to movement.

Wnent includes the amount of material moving in a given period of time over a specific route, as well as the condition of the load (configuration, makeup of load, batch sizes). Seasonal or periodic variations also must be taken into account. Is one boxcar received per month, or one per day?

When? also includes the time when materials are to be delivered, from the receiving area to the storage area, display arca, sales counter and, finally, the jobsite.

How? refers to the handling method to be employed. It covers the plan for the operation - including the layout - and specific techniques and equipment that may be required. For example, when selecting a lift truck, you must consider the type of load (pallet), load size, load weight, anticipated travel path's length and direction (horizontal, vertical, inclined), throughput (number of moves per hour), and conditions (indoor, outdoor, terrain, lighting, temperature).

Wnof Labor requirements also should be specified. The all-important human factor in the equation defines responsibility as well as manpower needs.

For example, one store discovered that its second shift consistently performed certain material handling tasks less efficiently than its first shift under seemingly identical conditions. Productivity was less and mistakes more frequent.

Investigations revealed that, by and large, second-shift personnel were predominantly part-timers, lower paid and newer employees, who felt little identity with the store, and little or no stake in running it profitably. They had infrequent contact with the general manager and owner.

The Equipment Decision

Choosing the, propei r,eqriipment for a handling task,Can,,,bb,a: chal" lenging job. Keep in mind the folIowing key factors before beginning the selection process: llf1,truck is,,pafl of A:total materiat handling system.

- blem. It is

1... Define the pro astounding how often the real problem requiring a handling solution is not understood or fully anaIyzed. Often the frrst question that should,,be asked is,, :iDoeS this:han; dling s:tep:really have to be,per. formed at all?"

2.,. Look to the future,, Remember that installing another row of:,shelving may,provide a temporary solution today, but will it create more problems than it solves in the future? :Equipment selection should be planned with an eye on tomorrow.

3... R"rrr"-ber the systems concept. Rarely if ever is an activity performed without, affecting other operations or being affected by them. The equipment being selected should play a part in the overall goals of the facility. It's not confined to one small corner of the warehouse. Each individual

Management immediately took steps to reduce turnover, provide incentives and cultivate teamwork.

Material handling is never performed in a vacuum, as an entity unto itself. Rather, it is an integral part of other activities and functions, including inventory control, warehousing and safetv. The knowledseable man- ager must be able to identify the material handling problems that exist within these other functions. And he must treat them as handling problems, not allowing them to be obscured as "inventory problems," "merchandising problems," and the like, otherwise he may be treating the symptom of the problem, rather than the cause.

4... Keep it simpl.e, .Do.n't pursue,urinecessafy, sophistication when it's not *arranted. For example.f take advantage of gravity when possible. Make sure your existing equipment is fully utilized before additional investments are made: Make: sure:qualified,person" nel are availablE:to::take::care of ,the equipment after it is purchased and tn,use.

5... Don't overspecify. It makes little sense to buy the most expensive; heavies:t-duty qquipment available for a light,duty operation, or one with a :short anticipated life. As: w€ll,,whenever possible, use a standard design instead of a more costly custom piece of equipment.

6... Chectc the alternatives. Don't select a partiCular way of accomptistring,the job on the advice of just one equipment sup' plier. You may be overlooking better, less e*pensive rnethods:,,and equipment.

- Material Handling Institute, Inc.