VARGO® leads many seminars in the material handling industry, including those at national trade shows such as ProMat and MODEX.
If you missed our seminars, or just want to watch our seminars again, you can view a video of the presentation and read through the PDF PowerPoint here. Please contact us with any questions regarding our seminars or other resources.
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Will a Goods-to-Person (GTP) Solution Solve my eFulfillment Labor Challenges?
Goods-to-person is the process of bringing product to a person which greatly reduces travel time to pick and gather product from a storage location. With the emergence of the pandemic, rising concerns on how to address labor deficiencies increased exponentially. Similarly, over the last few years the emergence of Goods-To-Person solutions in the market has also increased. While most solutions are based upon the traditional carton level automated and storage solutions (ASRS) newer to the market are solutions based upon autonomous mobile robots (AMR). In this session we’ll provide an overview of the technologies, their benefits and some of the challenges with integrating into the overall flow of a building. We’ll also explore how a Warehouse Execution System (WES) based operation can help facilitate integrating these technologies into the overall building flow so that both the efficiency of people and machines are maximized over the full day. Lastly, with the ongoing advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) we’ll provide a glimpse into the future with add-on enhancements for these technologies and expected benefits.
Integrating New Automation? WES is an Operator’s Must-Have
In this MODEX 2020 seminar, we’ll investigate such technologies as Autonomous Mobile Robots, Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems, Automated Put Walls, and High-Speed Loop Sortation, and we’ll discuss the restraints they can create when not managed by a WES. A WES can automatically deliver volume that matches the resource available without the need for a Warehouse Management System waveologist. Learn how to achieve production goals by using simple designs managed by a WES.
Consultant, Integrator, OEM: Whom Do I Engage and When
In this MODEX 2020 seminar, VARGO® provides information on the roles and services of consultants, integrators and OEMs to help shed light on engaging with outside resources when approaching a project.
WES Bridging the Future: Simplying New Tech Integrations under the WMS
To stay ahead of the competition, evolution of the distribution/fulfillment center is essential. With the explosion of new robotic technologies and the need to be less dependent on labor, the chore of implementing automation under the siloed controls of a WMS is slow, costly and problematic. This ProMat 2019 seminar from VARGO® provides key takeaways on how a Warehouse Execution System (WES) can bridge the need faster and more successfully.
Continuous Flow Waveless Fulfillment via the WES
In this MODEX 2018 seminar, VARGO® discusses how fulfillment is evolving at a record-setting pace, how e-commerce consumers want their orders faster, cheaper and accurately, and how a WES that uses continuous flow, waveless processing optimizes fulfillment.
Next Gen Fulfillment Answered — The Warehouse Execution System (WES)
VARGO® explores the latest trends in fulfillment requirements, their challenges and gaps in in conventional approaches and how the WES has evolved to solve the production woes of e-commerce fulfillment in this MODEX 2018 seminar.
E-Commerce Put Walls — Turn Time is Key
In this ProMat 2017 seminar, VARGO® discusses various configurations of e-commerce putwalls, their benefits and achieving flow via waving, overlapping waves and continuous flow WES systems.
Wholesale – The Next Frontier for Waveless
With regard to unique business requirements of wholesale distribution fulfillment, VARGO® explores alternative concepts enabled by waveless, continuous flow processes in this ProMat 2017 seminar.
One Inventory, One Engine, One Labor Force: True Omnichannel Fulfillment Centers Have Arrived
Many definitions of omnichannel fulfillment have been applied for the last decade. Not until recently has the conversation been applied to inside the four walls of a fulfillment center in a seamless fashion. One inventory, one fulfillment engine and one labor force are leading the way in best practice omnichannel fulfillment centers. We’ll take a quick look at the benefits of abandoning the dedicated e-fulfillment channel in exchange for the true omnichannel fulfillment center. We’ll also discuss some of the challenges associated with maintaining one inventory and best practices for solving those challenges. In the end, a seamless omnichannel fulfillment center drives higher margins, reduces inventory allocation challenges and maximizes the use of available labor.
Download the presentationAutowave Transitions: The Best Fit for E-commerce Fulfillment
In this session, we look at the inefficiency of waving in the fulfillment center and what it means to labor, automation and order processing times. Waving has long been the standard operating mode for distribution centers and is built into nearly every system and layout, but at what cost? Even more important is the lack of fit with e-commerce operations. Building the right wave recipe is a complicated endeavor and is bust the moment the first item is worked. Let’s take a close look at a typical fulfillment waving process, what goes wrong and why our systems’ designs are so dependent upon the right recipe. As our direct-to-consumer (D2C) operations continue to evolve, let’s also take a look at best in breed practices of autowaving—and how the warehouse execution system (WES) is best tasked with the function.
E-Commerce Order Fulfillment 101- A How To Guide Of Lean Operational Effectiveness.
The automotive and manufacturing world has long used lean processes and principles in the manufacturing of goods. Why hasn’t the distribution center applied these fundamental principles and processes in the fulfillment of orders? A demonstration of the core principles of lean pull based principles versus the traditional push based principles in the fulfillment of orders from all channels. The webinar will conclude with how to break down the barriers that are in place prohibiting the paradigm shift in processing of orders thus unleashing the efficiencies of lean operations.
My E-Commerce Fulfillment Process Is Broken- Why?
We’ll compare and contrast traditional order processes with a lean pull based process. We’ll discuss the inefficiencies of applying traditional methodologies and processes to fulfilling direct-to-consumer orders and how capital has been used to support large work in-progress buffers. While applying lean processes typically found in manufacturing assembly lines is not common in the distribution of product, it’s the right choice for fulfilling e-Commerce orders. Systemically pulling product that is assembled to orders yields higher productivity and can simultaneous flex to volume and increase efficiency all while keeping the work in-progress buffers to a minimum.
The Omnichannel Fulfillment Center: It’s All About the Warehouse Execution System
When we think of omnichannel operations, we must focus on utilization of your resources, facility, equipment, labor and inventory. This can only be accomplished if you employ the latest Warehouse Execution Systems (WES). Software that allows for a single distribution facility to service multiple channels such as e-commerce, retail stores, and client-owned stores. Typically this is accomplished by receiving and storing product as a single, channel agnostic inventory and utilizes one common workforce. This requires a WES that leverages common work processes across all channels with simplified, channel-specific processes. That synchronizes mechanical and labor resources to maintain balance throughout the system. That continuously picks the next “best” order to release, ensuring that priority orders are shipped the same day.
“Waveless” Order Processing: Why Wave Picking Is Hurting Your Business
If you are currently “waving” or “wave” order processing, you understand what the terms bottlenecks, congestion, and islands of automation mean. You also must have a team of wave-experts and supervisors trying to coordinate the work flow of the waves, as well as trying to make move labor to match the waves. Waveless order processing works in real-time and dynamically assigns tasks to pull work through the system. When working in real-time, high-priority orders get moved to the front of the queue for immediate release and processing. Waveless processing produces a steady work flow which will provide far greater utilization of resources (labor and machines) and increase system throughput.
109: eCommerce Flexibility Needed: Growing SKUs, Growing Volume, Changing Order Profile
E-Commerce has long struggled with projecting tomorrow’s work let alone the future. Consumers, marketers, and vendors all have a wealth of timely information at their fingertips resulting in a very dynamic and volatile order profile of a typical eCommerce customer. Our supply chains have been built on plans: planning, executing and monitoring plans. Ironically the best plan for an eCommerce distribution center is not to have one. Like the variances existing in our ecommerce orders, our distribution centers also need to be able to vary on the fly. This means our operations need to be able to dynamically react to different SKU synergies on orders, the number of active SKUs, the number of items per order, and the list goes on. We’ll explore some of the effects this has on traditional systems including zone-route conveyance, batch picking to put, goods-to-man and limiting factors such as the lead time and cost associated with higher end automation like ASRS and mobile robots. Lastly we’ll look how the industry leaders are coping with the need for flexibility. The switch to an end-to-end “lean” pull based process is a common theme. Learn important DC design considerations for a growing eCommerce distribution center. This seminar will discuss challenges commonly encountered with implementing mobile robots and conventional material handling equipment in a high growth business. Emphasis will be on how “lean” demand driven processes can prove more cost beneficial and adaptive over traditional methodologies.
Download the presentation.220: The New Era of Omnichannel Distribution: E-commerce, Retail and Wholesale Together Again in the DC
A new era for the supply chain is upon us. Co-hosting a true omnichannel solution is making a comeback. eCommerce evolved out of the main supply chain to dedicated distribution centers. What’s moving it back? Matching inventory to demand, time to market, and carrying cost of inventory are all the drivers pulling it back into one single distribution center. This presents many challenges for traditional processes and systems. Learn about how “lean” pull based processes can reduce the complexity with balancing the channels and drive CAPEX cost out of your distribution center. In this session we’ll look at the traditional solution sets applied to the various channels and the challenges associated with them. We’ll also explore some of the challenges associated with co-mingling the inventory and how to best make it available for all channels without adding unnecessary costs. Lastly, we’ll explore a large apparel omnichannel distribution center solution using pull based processes. Supply chains have evolved from co-hosting retail and eCommerce operations under one roof to stand-alone dedicated operations. As eCommerce continues to outpace retail growth stronger emphasis is now on bringing them back under a single distribution center, lowering inventory and operations cost. Learn how to co-mingle inventory and use one processing engine to fulfill orders efficiently.