Modern Materials Handling articles from May 2007

Modern Materials Handling archives from May 2007

60 seconds with...(question and answers with Kyle Bohan )(Interview)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... By Staff Kyle Bohan on reconciling inventory reports with actual inventory on hand. In a typical week, we ship more than 100,000 cases to 1,600 accounts. But this isn't a one-way street. We also get about 2,000 cases returned each...

Making trade-offs in system design.
May 1, 2007... By Jim Apple You can't always get it all in a materials handling system so it's important to look at all the options to choose the right one. Sometimes trade-offs are inevitable. But, when my partners, and sometimes our clients, raise...

Lift truck basics.(Editorial)
May 1, 2007... By Corinne Kator, Associate Editor An introduction to the design, application and cost of counterbalanced lift trucks, narrow-aisle lift trucks and pallet jacks. The first lift trucks, introduced in the 1920s, were simple pieces of...

Should supply chains be tactical or strategic?(Report)
May 1, 2007... By Gary Forger, Editorial Director The other day I came across an interesting report: 'SCM 2010 and beyond: Mapping the future path of supply chain management' from professors at Michigan State, Iowa State and Texas A&M. It says most...

Supply chain priorities at P&G.(Procter and Gamble Co.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... By Staff At Proctor & Gamble, the consumer is boss. This philosophy drives everything the company does, including the way it manages its supply networks, says Keith Harrison, global product supply officer for P&G (www.pg.com ), who...

New data-sharing standard for RFID.
May 1, 2007... By Staff Companies using RFID tags and readers to capture data about their products now have a standardized way to share that data with supply chain partners. EPCglobal (www.epcglobalinc.org ) recently ratified EPCIS (Electronic Product...

Going green with automation.
May 1, 2007... By Staff From Al Gore to Wal-Mart, everyone these days is talking about cleaning up the environment. Given the attention business is beginning to pay the issue, Jim Stollberg, vice president of business development for HK Systems...

Does your DC measure up?(Warehousing Education and Research Council benchmarking report on distribution center)(Editorial)
May 1, 2007... By Corinne Kator, Associate Editor WERC's fourth-annual benchmarking study provides a ruler for measuring the performance of your distribution center. It's statistically impossible for everyone to be better than average. But according...

Seven security sins.(Warehousing Education and Research Council conference)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... By Staff Trailers full of product disappear from loading docks. Warehouse workers steal inventory and sell it to support their drug habits. Receivers collude with truck drivers, disguising theft as normal operating procedure. ...

Know the reason for returns.(Warehousing Education and Research Council conference)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... By Staff It didn't fit. It doesn't work. It's not what I ordered. Customers return products for a variety of reasons, and documenting those reasons is an important part of a reverse logistics program, says James Stock, professor of...

ESYNC merges with TranSystems.(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... By Staff After seven years as a stand-alone supply chain consulting firm, Toledo-based ESYNC (www.esync.com ) is now a division of TranSystems (www.transystems.com ) of Kansas City, Mo. TranSystems provides architecture, engineering and...

Food and beverage: Top practices, issues and metrics.(Editorial)
May 1, 2007... By Gary Forger, Editorial Director Continuous improvement, cost containment and shipping accuracy are guiding operations in food and beverage warehouses, distribution centers and manufacturing facilities. What's top of mind for...

Flying Solo.(Solo Cup Co. puts up new facility)
May 1, 2007... By Bob Trebilcock, Editor at Large Solo Cup's 1.3 million square foot distribution center does the work of five by teaming together automation and manual processes for higher productivity and greater throughput. As industries...

Dock bridges serve it up at Bacardi.
May 1, 2007... By Noel P. Bodenburg, Managing Editor The mix master's Florida distribution center went with dock bridges for their durability and ease of installation and use. Bacardi's Jacksonville, Fla., distribution center receives pallet loads of...

Top 20 supply chain management software providers.
May 1, 2007... By Bob Trebilcock, Editor at Large Your job has changed and so have we. This year, Modern offers its first-ever look at the top providers of supply chain management systems. The worldwide market for supply chain management (SCM)...

Rugged mobile computers.(Psion Teklogix 8515 Vehicle-Mount Computer)(Intermec CN3)(Hand Held Products Dolphin 7600 )
May 1, 2007... by Staff Worldwide sales of rugged mobile computers closed in on $5 billion last year, with the majority of sales in smaller form factors, such as the handheld wireless terminals common in warehouses and distribution centers. Roughly one...

Focus on dunnage.(packing materials)(Buyers guide)
May 1, 2007... by Staff Table-top air pillow system Staff The benchtop AirPouch Express 3 void-fill system produces air pillows at more than 50 feet per minute. It's fast enough for high-volume applications, yet cost-effective for packing...

Product showcase.
May 1, 2007... by Staff Returnable foam dunnage inserts Staff TransGuard stand-alone returnable dunnage systems reduce wasted freight space. Each tray is customized to meet the height and interior configuration requirements of the products...

How Solo Cup maximizes throughput.(Solo Cup Co.)
May 1, 2007... By Bob Trebilcock, Editor at Large Solo Cup's new facility serves as both a finished goods warehouse and distribution center for 17.2 million cases a year. Solo Cup's new Social Circle, Ga., warehouse and distribution center was...

Logistics managers are hot.(Survey)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... By Staff Logistics Manager was cited among the five hottest jobs for college graduates in a recent issue of Parade magazine (www.parade.com ), the Sunday insert distributed in millions of U.S. newspapers. The report defined a logistics...

Rack makers unite.(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... By Staff Pallet rack manufacturer Unarco Material Handling (www.unarcorack.com ) of Springfield, Tenn., has acquired competitor Kingway-Inca-Clymer Material Handling (www.kicmh.com ). "Implementation will begin immediately to bring the...

Updated belt conveyor guide.
May 1, 2007... By Staff The Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Association (CEMA) has completed a second printing of "Belt Conveyors for Bulk Materials, 6th Edition." The updated second printing expands and improves elements in the initial printing...

Warehouse safety goes primetime.(National Broadcasting Company Inc.'s "The Office")(Olympic Wire and Equipment)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... By Staff Warehouse safety is no laughing matter. And even NBC's hit comedy "The Office" knows that. A recent episode of the Emmy Award-winning TV series included a safety meeting in which Darryl, the warehouse supervisor, warns the...