Episode 323: Made4Net at MODEX 2022
Live from the booth at MODEX 2022, Amit Levy, Executive Vice President of Customer Solutions and Strategy at Made4Net, joins Kevin on this episode of the New Warehouse. Made4Net is a provider of warehouse management systems (WMS). They have developed additional supply chain execution components, such as dynamic route planning, which optimizes last-mile delivery. In this episode, Kevin and Amit discuss WMS trends and how Made4Net plans to stay ahead of the competition. Key Takeaways Taking that first step is daunting for businesses new to WMS software. Amit believes the process starts with the customer defining their requirements. When customers identify what they want to accomplish, they can narrow the field of WMS solutions. Another critical step is internally having someone on the team who will own the process from testing, training, launching the system, and providing post-launch support. Amit shares how Made4Net’s WMS provides the flexibility warehouses look for and need in today’s rapidly changing environment. He explains how their solutions don’t take as long to integrate and implement. The additional services they offer, like yard management, route optimization, and engineered labor standards, are other differentiators. Amit believes this is what sets Made4Net apart from other WMS providers. Made4Net provides their customers with the speed to pivot, meaning as business or processes change, the system can quickly adapt to the changes. Instead of having to reach out for support from WMS providers, Made4Net users can quickly adjust the system and configure it to address new requirements. The speed that Made4Net provides users saves its customers both time and money. Kevin and Amit discuss some of the most critical factors in looking for a WMS. Amit believes in addition to flexibility; the WMS should connect easily to different systems and automation technology such as robotics, AS/RS, and other technologies. Simplicity is another critical factor. You want your team to be able to click and move. Lastly, Amit says scalability is something to look for to account for future growth. The New Warehouse Podcast EP 323: Made4Net at MODEX 2022
AutoScheduler.AI named Analytics winner in NextGen Solution provider Supply Chain Awards
AutoScheduler.AI, an innovative Warehouse Management System (WMS) accelerator, announces the company has been named the Analytics Winner in the 2022 NextGen Solution Provider Awards from Supply Chain Management Review (SCMR). The Annual NextGen Awards honor those companies at the forefront of emerging technologies. An awards ceremony will occur at the NextGen Supply Chain Conference in Chicago, October 17 – 19, 2022. On Tuesday, October 18, 2022, NextGen Supply Chain Conference will proudly recognize four solution providers and four end-user companies for utilizing technologies that will shape tomorrow’s supply chains during the NextGen Supply Chain Conference. At the conference, supplier and end-user winners will share their success stories on how they are leading the way in new technologies. “We are proud that this prestigious publication has chosen AutoScheduler as the best in the artificial intelligence solution provider category. Our technology smooths warehouse operations by orchestrating and planning all activities in real-time on top of an existing WMS. It considers space, time, labor, dock doors, and more constraints to ensure that orders are fulfilled on time and in full. Clients gain efficiencies and value in their supply chains through optimized labor, schedules, touches, and inventory.” said Keith Moore, Chief Executive Officer at AutoScheduler. “This is the fourth year for the NextGen Supply Chain awards. The awards are meant to recognize supply chain professionals and solution providers who are moving technology forward. Early adopters and first movers win in the marketplace. We hope their stories will encourage other companies to follow their example.” added Bob Trebilcock, Editorial Director at Supply Chain Management Review Jeff Potts, Chief Revenue Officer at AutoScheduler.AI, will speak at the conference on how businesses gain value and efficiencies when implementing AutoScheduler. The warehouse resource planning and optimization platform dynamically orchestrate all activities on top of an existing WMS in real-time. Clients maximize capacity and maintain higher fill rates while meeting customer order requirements, on time and in full. The NextGen Supply Chain Conference prepares senior-level supply chain executives for the future technologies and processes that will have the most transformative effects on their supply chains. This year’s conference will focus on emerging supply chain technologies that are powering tomorrow’s supply chains and enabling the digital transformation of supply chain processes.
Episode 319: Smart Packing with Paccurate
Welcome to The New Warehouse podcast. In this episode, Kevin welcomes James Malley, co-founder, and CEO of Paccurate. Paccurate is an application programming interface (API) that determines the best way to pack any given parcel shipment. James explains how he went from an art school graduate to a self-proclaimed supply chain nerd, to co-found Paccurate in efforts to address a huge opportunity in logistics, reducing waste and packing goods accurately. Key Takeaways Originally Paccurate was focused on minimizing cubic volume but soon found by incorporating rate tables additional savings could be realized depending on if you’re shipping across the country, next door, or on a plane. The price of corrugated cardboard and the increase in transportation costs have forced many companies to take a deep look into shipping costs. What they’ve found are huge opportunities for savings by utilizing technology to increase efficiencies and minimize cubic volume, wasted material, and shipping costs. In the API, the shipper will send over item dimensions, weight, rate table, and other factors that they want the algorithm to consider. The API sends back a packing list with an image of the box or boxes that need to be packed in a certain way. James gives an exclusive reveal on Paccurate’s latest product, PacSimulate. With PacSimulate businesses share historical shipping data and the simulator identifies the most efficient carton sets for each of your locations and compares scenarios based on desired outcomes such as greener choices, cost savings, etc. Kevin and James discuss the competing priorities between the marketing side and the operation side when it comes to the customer experience. For marketing, the customer experience when they open that box is all that matters while operations focus on getting the product to the customer in the most efficient way. Too often there is a disconnect, and the operation side ends up using too big of a box or too much packing material which results in a lot of waste that can be frowned upon by the customer or worse yet, shared on social media. James shares that customers use Paccurate primarily to optimize labor. Most eCommerce shippers see an average of 14% reduction in cubic volume, which translates to a one-to-one reduction in the number of floor-loaded trailers required. This translates to a big win on the sustainability side since you are reducing cardboard and optimizing freight. Additionally, customers see anywhere between a 6% and 20% reduction in shipping costs. Some of the larger Paccurate customers are saving just shy of $2 million annually not including the corrugated reduction. Listen to the episode below and leave your thoughts in the comments. The New Warehouse Podcast Episode 319: Smart Packing with Paccurate
New generation of Signal Towers are brighter and simpler to order and maintain
Signal tower lights play a critical role in protecting the safety of people and equipment in manufacturing and process control environments, providing visual and audible indications of system status and alerts of dangerous conditions. They are relatively simple devices, but until recently, they have been notoriously difficult to configure, order and stock because of the proliferation of different sizes and options to meet the wide range of applications. Fortunately, a new generation of signal towers changes all this. New technology and new designs make state-of-the-art signal towers much brighter so that one size fits all applications and environments. Now, ordering signal towers is much easier and fewer spare parts are needed Typical Signal Tower Color Schemes Signal towers have been around for decades. They are also frequently called stack lights due to their vertical orientation. They contain up to five lights, of different colors, with each color signifying a particular status, warning, or alarm. Despite efforts to create international harmonized standards for indicator lights and their meanings (e.g., IEC 60204-1, Fifth edition Chap. 10.3.2), implementations vary. In general, the following conventions are commonly applied: RED is an alarm condition signifying an emergency or hazardous situation. AMBER warns of an abnormal condition or an impending critical situation. GREEN represents normal machine or process operation or a non-hazardous environment. BLUE signifies an important/mandatory action that is not urgent, such as refilling a hopper with raw material or scheduling a service call. WHITE does not have any universal designation. It is often used for productivity monitoring. Within each color category, the light can be continuous or it can blink intermittently to indicate a more urgent condition and to attract more attention. Likewise, stack lights frequently incorporate a sounder module for audible signals for more effective warning and alarming. Sounders can generate a variety of tones including simulated bells, continuous tones, and siren sounds. Wide Range of Applications Sometimes a stack tower will contain only two modules. For example, laser cutting machines may use a green light to indicate that the machine is on and everything is working properly, and a red light will flash when the laser is pointing downward in cutting mode to warn operators and to alert other workers to stay clear of the machine. In addition to warning indication and machine fault management, signal towers are also commonly used for productivity monitoring (rate-based machine output management with displays counting parts per hour or parts per shift), as well as equipment effectiveness and productivity (uptime and downtime). In fact, stack towers are often called andon lights, for the andon system of quality control that is a principal component of the Toyota Production System. It empowers workers to stop production when a defect is found and immediately call for help. In the andon system, a green light indicates that production is proceeding normally. Yellow signifies that a problem has appeared and the operator needs assistance, and red alerts supervisors that the problem needs further investigation. Stack lights are widely used as warnings and alarms to protect workers, equipment and buildings from elevated levels of hazardous chemicals. For example, green lights may signify very low levels. A yellow light with an audible signal would designate detection of say, five parts per million of ammonia gas. And flashing red, with a strobe light and a loud audible alarm would be triggered at more dangerous levels. New Generation of Stack Lights A new generation of stack lights incorporates LED elements to replace incandescent bulbs. The LEDs, which can be 10,000% brighter, have a number of important advantages. First is the obvious benefit that because they are brighter, they are much more effective in performing their function of being clearly visible and capturing attention in all ambient light conditions, including outdoor installations. High luminosity is also increasingly critical indoors. Industrial spaces are being equipped with better artificial lighting and more natural lighting is being used for energy saving and sustainability. A second benefit is that LEDs last much longer than incandescent bulbs. Whereas incandescent bulbs typically are rated at a lamp life of only 2500 hours under ideal conditions, LED elements last for at least 50,000 hours. Moreover, LEDs are not vulnerable to vibration and shock the way incandescent bulbs are. Third, LED bulbs generate less heat and consume much less electrical power. The Size Advantage All of these benefits are important, but they are commonplace for many other applications where LEDs have replaced incandescent bulbs. Perhaps the most significant advantage of the new generation of stack lights comes from the much smaller size of the LED elements compared to incandescent bulbs. One of the problems with incandescent bulbs is they need to dissipate heat, and therefore to produce more luminosity, you need a larger bulb, which in turn is encased in a larger colored lens. As a result, stack towers varied in diameter up to 4 inches (100 mm). State-of-the-art LED stack towers have lenses that are about half the diameter even though the systems are much brighter. One-Size-Fits-All for Easier Ordering and Inventory Catalogs for signal towers with incandescent bulbs can run 100 pages or more, with varying bulb and lens sizes needed depending on the luminosity requirements for each application and environment. Selecting the right size and figuring out all the parts required has complicated the ordering process. And if a facility requires a variety of sizes, maintaining an inventory of all of the different spare parts gets to be costly and burdensome. The new state-of-the-art LED signal towers are bright enough so that one-size-fits-all, or nearly all, applications. It’s now much simpler to figure out what is needed for each application, and maintaining inventory is much cheaper and easier. Signaling towers are a simple and effective solution for a wide variety of applications. Now they are as easy to order, install and maintain as they should be.
Xeneta Chief Marketing Officer Katherine Barrios Named a Winner of Third Annual Women in Supply Chain Award
Barrios leads the Xeneta Marketing and Customer Success Teams to cultivate measurable results Xeneta, an ocean and air freight rate benchmarking and market analytics platform, announced today that its CMO, Katherine Barrios, has been named a recipient of Supply & Demand Chain Executive’s 2022 Women in Supply Chain Award. The accolade honors female supply chain leaders and executives whose accomplishments, mentorship, and examples set a foundation for women at all levels of a company’s supply chain network. As Xeneta’s CMO, Barrios leads the company’s marketing and customer success teams. She joined the company in 2015 with nearly 20 years of experience in B2B tech product marketing and management, demand generation, enterprise sales, and PR/communication experience from various software industries. She has positioned Xeneta as a recognized and credible leader in the ocean and air freight industry and transitioned the company from a start-up to a scale-up through three funding rounds. Barrios is responsible for cultivating the company’s and product’s unique value proposition and messaging strategy and spearheading a strategic shift to an enterprise go-to-market motion. The company counts hundreds of the world’s largest brands on its customer roster, including Electrolux, Unilever, Nestle, Zebra Technologies, Thyssenkrupp, Volvo, General Mills, Proctor & Gamble, and John Deere. “I am honored to be recognized for this award. Before I began working with Xeneta, the industry wasn’t as diverse as it is now. Together with my team and the rest of the company, we have been breaking that mold, and have significantly grown Xeneta’s female employee base,” says Barrios. “We are proud of that for what it represents in the supply chain and freight tech industry. Xeneta’s trusted reputation in logistics continues to grow.” Xeneta is the creator of the world’s largest ocean and air freight benchmarking and market analytics platform. Xeneta believes there is an untapped potential for everyone in the shipping industry to systematically learn from individual and collective efforts. Barrios says, “If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it. This is true for both the supply chain and the people within it.” Founded in 2019, The Women in Supply Chain Award recognizes individuals from software and service providers, consultancies and academia, trucking and transportation firms, professional development agencies, sourcing and procurement divisions, and more, who have helped supply chain clients and the supply chain community at large prepare to meet many of today’s—and tomorrow’s—challenges. Gartner reports that women occupy only 21% of VP and senior director supply chain roles. Supply & Demand Chain Executive Editor-in-Chief of Supply & Demand Chain Executive and Food Logistics Marina Mayer says, “I was envisioning a long road ahead in getting the supply chain industry educated enough as to why it was important to recognize women in the supply chain. But this award is a testament that supply chain organizations already recognized their female leaders, they just needed a better platform.”
Miracom introduces Post-Production Controls & Software Solutions to material handling and packaging sectors
Miracom Computer Corp., a supplier of post-press production controls and software to the newspaper industry, has expanded its solutions portfolio into two new sectors: packaging and material handling. Called PackWorx and MatWorx, respectively, the company’s software products are tailored to help small- and medium-sized companies optimize their packaging and material handling operations. The five-product suite of affordable solutions is designed to boost equipment speed and performance, optimize production scheduling, incorporate track & trace capabilities, implement in-line printing, and verify labeling accuracy and readability. For Miracom, PackWorx and MatWorx represent a natural evolution. Founded in 1995, the company has deep roots in the efficiency-critical newspaper industry. For that highly deadline-oriented sector, Miracom provides tools to gather data on equipment efficiency and other crucial aspects of production, yielding opportunities to streamline operations and reduce avoidable slowdowns or other costly disruptions. The company’s modular, standalone solutions can be implemented separately or combined as one seamless system to improve productivity, reduce operating costs, monitor remote locations, and minimize human errors. The products comprising Miracom’s new PackWorx and MatWorx solutions are: MiraBOOST: An integrated controls and software Manufacturing Execution System (MES) that provides internet-based remote monitoring, real-time reporting, and advanced data collection capabilities so companies can measure the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) of specific machines, fully automated lines, or even multiple plants. Its benefits include machine synchronization, maintenance scheduling, line efficiency and lost downtime. MiraPACKAGE: A cloud based MRP (Manufacturing Resource Planning) software system for planning, scheduling, and controlling production and inventory. MiraTRACE: Track & trace software with serialization and unlimited levels of aggregation. MiraTRACE is a cloud-based software system that provides traceability, product integrity, anti-counterfeiting, and brand protection when paired with MiraJET or another inline printer, and MiraSCAN or other print verification equipment. MiraSCAN: A label verification system that uses an inline camera with a printing device to verify that printed labels are accurate and readable. Designed to be plug-n-play compatible with Miracom’s MiraJet line of printers. MiraJET: A thermal inkjet printer and control system for printing high-resolution labels, bar codes, QR codes, sequence numbers, batch/lot numbers, expiration dates, and other variable data directly onto coated and non-coated surfaces. “Our expanded solutions for the packaging and material handling sectors draw upon decades of experience providing efficiency, accuracy, and verification software products in the newspaper sector, whose tight-window production schedules leave zero time for error,” said Judah Holstein, Miracom President and Founder. “Our planning, control, and integration solutions will prove to be an ideal fit in these additional sectors, where streamlining production, simplified scheduling and strict quality assurance are becoming increasingly important.”
Industrial Manufacturing shows weak growth in August 2022 with 140 new planned projects
SalesLeads announced the August 2022 results for the newly planned capital project spending report for the Industrial Manufacturing industry. The Firm tracks North American planned industrial capital project activity; including facility expansions, new plant construction, and significant equipment modernization projects. Research confirms 140 new projects in the Industrial Manufacturing sector down from 156 in July. The following are selected highlights on new Industrial Manufacturing industry construction news. Industrial Manufacturing – By Project Type Manufacturing/Production Facilities – 125 New Projects Distribution and Industrial Warehouse – 41 New Projects Industrial Manufacturing – By Project Scope/Activity New Construction – 55 New Projects Expansion – 54 New Projects Renovations/Equipment Upgrades – 35 New Projects Plant Closings – 11 New Projects Industrial Manufacturing – By Project Location (Top 10 States) Texas – 13 North Carolina – 11 Michigan – 10 New York – 8 Ohio – 8 Wisconsin – 7 Pennsylvania – 6 Alabama – 5 California – 5 Minnesota- 5 Largest Planned Project During the month of August, our research team identified 19 new Industrial Manufacturing facility construction projects with an estimated value of $100 million or more. The largest project is owned by Honda Motor Company, which is planning to invest $4 billion in the construction of an EV battery manufacturing facility and is currently seeking a site in the MARYSVILLE, OH area. Top 10 Tracked Industrial Manufacturing Projects TEXAS: A solar panel mfr. is considering investing $2 billion to construct a manufacturing facility and is currently seeking a site in the FORT WORTH or DALLAS, TX area. TENNESSEE: Tire mfr. is planning to invest $550 million for an 850,000 SF expansion, renovation, and equipment upgrades on their manufacturing facility in MORRISON, TN. They are currently seeking approval for the project. Renovations are expected to start in late 2022, with completion slated for Spring 2024. KENTUCKY: EV Battery component mfr. is planning to invest $310 million in the construction of a 450,000 SF manufacturing facility in HOPKINSVILLE, KY. Construction is expected to start in late 2022, with completion slated for late 2023. ALBERTA: Specialty building materials mfr. is planning to invest $210 million to construct a manufacturing facility in CARSELAND, AB. They have recently received approval for the project. Construction is expected to start in 2023. ALABAMA: Wood product mfr. is planning to invest $210 million in the construction of a sawmill and manufacturing complex in MOBILE, AL. They will relocate their operations upon completion in Fall 2024. INDIANA: Battery mfr. is planning for the construction of a manufacturing facility on Fillmore Rd. in NEW CARLISLE, IN. They are currently seeking approval for the project. MICHIGAN: Building materials mfr. is planning to invest $194 million for a 134,000 SF expansion and equipment upgrades on their manufacturing facility in SAGOLA, MI. They have recently received approval for the project. NORTH CAROLINA: Pharmaceutical packaging product mfr. is planning to invest $94 million for the expansion and equipment upgrades on their manufacturing, warehouse, and office facility in MORGANTON, NC. They have recently received approval for the project. OHIO: Woodworking tools mfr. is planning for the construction of a 425,000 SF warehouse and manufacturing facility at 1564 W. 130th St. in BRUNSWICK, OH. They have recently received approval for the project. Construction will occur in two phases. They will relocate their operations upon completion. TEXAS: An Aerospace company is planning to invest $50 million to construct a manufacturing facility in AMARILLO, TX. They are currently seeking approval for the project. About SalesLeads, Inc. Since 1959, SalesLeads, based in Jacksonville, FL is a leader in delivering industrial capital project intelligence and prospecting services for sales and marketing teams to ensure a predictable and scalable pipeline. Our Industrial Market Intelligence, IMI identifies timely insights on companies planning significant capital investments such as new construction, expansion, relocation, equipment modernization, and plant closings in industrial facilities. The Outsourced Prospecting Services, an extension to your sales team, is designed to drive growth with qualified meetings and appointments for your internal sales team.
Zion Solutions Group leading the way as a recipient of the Women in Supply Chain Award
Zion Solutions Group, a supply chain integrator, has announced, Controller, Kathy Frank as a recipient of the 2022 Women in Supply Chain award by Supply & Demand Chain Executive. Receiving this outstanding award showcases Zion’s values and mission to be a team committed to building up others. With 18+ years in the Supply Chain Industry as a Controller and SVP of Operations, Kathy Frank has been an integral part of the Strategy Team and led the creation and implementation of Zion Solutions Group’s financial systems prior to their launch at the beginning of 2022. She continues to be the team member that establishes standard processes and develops programs to ensure employee satisfaction and maximize business efficiency. This year, she is putting in place administrative tools (ERP, HR, Payroll Systems) that will allow Zion’s team members to focus on solving customer problems versus company problems. Respectively, this emphasizes Kathy’s example of leadership and sets a foundation for women at all levels of a company’s supply chain network. Kathy Frank, recipient of the Women in Supply Chain Award, said “it is truly an honor to receive the Women in Supply Chain award. I am excited to continue to be a part of a thriving industry, to work with, mentor, and coach the current and next generation of leaders.” Zion Solutions Group is exceptionally proud of Kathy Frank and hopes to continue leading the way as an industry leader through innovation to enhance the company and better serve its customer with creative solutions to solve their toughest challenges.
Orbis Corporation’s Nottestad and Boley named 2022 Women in Supply Chain winners
Andrea Nottestad, senior product manager, and Sherry Boley, director, of sales & operations planning, for ORBIS® Corporation, have been named the Supply & Demand Chain Executive (SDCE) 2022 Women in Supply Chain award winners. This award honors female supply chain leaders and executives whose accomplishments, mentorship, and examples set a foundation for women in all levels of a company’s supply chain network. Nottestad is at the forefront of leading and developing reusable packaging for retail distribution, general manufacturing, and food and beverage, launching at least 20 brand-new products and optimizing dozens more to create efficiencies within her customers’ supply chains. “I’m incredibly honored to receive this award,” Nottestad said. “During my 25-year tenure at ORBIS, I’m proud of the innovative developments we’ve made in the reusable packaging space to help our customers improve performance, drive sustainability and reduce costs.” Like Nottestad, Boley is driven by an intense desire to drive progress — for her team, customers and ORBIS. Leading the organization’s sales and operations planning process, Boley is responsible for facilitating the collaboration between production and sales. In her more than 30 years at ORBIS, Boley has used her continuous improvement mindset to constantly push the organization forward. “I’m flattered to be recognized alongside other women supply chain leaders with this honor,” Boley said. “But I would be remiss not to mention all those that I have learned from over the years and the team alongside me that is dedicated to improvement and growth. Together, I look forward to continuing to help our organization and customers achieve new success through innovative tools and processes to maximize the benefits of reusable packaging.” SDCE selected Nottestad and Boley for the Women in Supply Chain award from a field of more than 280 professionals in the industry. The winners appeared in SDCE’s September issue. To view the full list of award recipients, visit: https://s3.amazonaws.com/digital.acbusinessmedia.com/SDC/MISC/SDC0922_women%20of-supply.pdf
Westfalia promotes Alex Eisenhart to Manager of Business Solutions
In his new role, the former Solutions Architect will lead internal business process development, and data quality management, and oversee the integration of software suites and tools Westfalia Technologies Inc., a provider of logistics solutions for manufacturers and distributors, announces the promotion of Alex Eisenhart to Manager of Business Solutions. Since his hiring in 2007, Alex has excelled as a Senior Software Developer and then Solutions Architect, working in the applications engineering/sales side of the business. In this new role, Alex will be responsible for leading a team of developers as they support data analysis and data management processes within Westfalia’s internal ERP system, as well as rolling out major feature sets that empower the company to be more agile. With a background in enterprise software development and management, Alex has employed traditional software development practices to expedite the adoption of modern data analysis methodologies, solidifying him as a valuable resource for Westfalia’s ongoing success. The new Business Solutions team consists of a multidisciplinary cross-section of operations experts with software development backgrounds. Dan Labell, president at Westfalia, said, “With Alex’s many years of experience in solutions and software development roles within Westfalia, I know he’s going to succeed in leading this team through designing automated solutions for a number of current and upcoming projects. His ability to architect and implement high-performing server applications ensures we are operating with the most refined automation tools available to manage our business more efficiently.” As the Manager of Business Solutions, Alex will assist other leaders throughout Westfalia, helping them remove their roadblocks and increase their speed of delivery, from creating warehouse designs to providing customer support. In addition to tackling internal support of mission-critical systems, Alex’s team will “be responsible for keeping an eye on internal ERP projects, to ensure that we’re using technology appropriately, and to find ways to leverage what other teams create. That could be workflows, automation, custom applications, or CRM and ERP solutions.” “I’m excited to lead a team of highly skilled professionals who are passionate about distributing their knowledge and support, allowing Westfalia to thrive,” said Alex. “By combining operations and software specialists into one team, we’ll be uniquely positioned to provide insight and business intelligence to everyone at Westfalia.” Alex received his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Digital Media from Albright College. He also spent time studying Microprocessor Programming and Network Systems abroad at Reutlingen University.
Episode 314: The New Peak with 6 River Systems
Welcome to The New Warehouse podcast. In this episode, Kevin is joined by John Evans, Sr. Customer Success Manager/3PL Team Lead at 6 River Systems. 6 River Systems is a solutions provider offering wall-to-wall solutions for warehouse operations of all shapes and sizes. They’re a company that is constantly striving to make warehouses more efficient with flexible, user-friendly, and innovative products. John and Kevin discuss all things peak and how 6 River Systems helps customers address labor challenges and conquer the peak season. Key Takeaways Kevin and John discuss how peak season has changed since the pandemic. They emphasize the importance of data in forecasting peak season and preparing for it. John notes that organizations are becoming better prepared for peak season, partly due to lessons learned from the pandemic. He cites partnering upstream as an example of how businesses try to learn from the past to better cope with future challenges. John discusses the mission to empower associates by making them bigger, faster, stronger, and happier with the help of collaborative robots like Chuck. Collaborative robots are not displacing jobs but empowering the workforce to achieve productivity faster. With a system-directed user experience, the Chuck robot will direct the associate through their workflows with instructions on the screen. The Chuck collaboration speeds up the onboarding process for new associates and helps operations managers to achieve productivity faster and easier. John shares they are seeing new hires achieve a 90% productivity rate within seven days of hire. John shares how important it is for employees to understand their roles within the company and where they fit in the team. Not only a deep understanding of their day-to-day tasks but what are their larger goals like what their manager expects of them each day. They want to see they have a career path of some sort. John shares a story of one such company that displays all of its workflows and a clearly defined training plan for all employees to see. They don’t see a ton of turnover because there’s that career opportunity that they’ve fostered within their building with the transparency that each associate gets. 6 River is working towards empowerment through gamification and making the system fun. John sees the secret to creating a happy and engaged workforce is providing a clear career path, having cool systems in place such as collaborative robots, and making the work simple. Collaborative picking provides a unique employee experience that allows small and medium companies an edge in retaining and attracting talent beyond increasing wages. The New Warehouse Podcast EP 314: The New Peak with 6 River Systems
Miner Limited acquires Charles H. Hodges & Son
Acquisition of four generation Maryland-based loading dock specialist supports Miner’s industry expertise and nationwide reach Miner Ltd., the dock and door division of OnPoint Group, has acquired Charles H. Hodges & Son, Maryland’s oldest and most reputable loading dock specialist. A single-source provider for the design, installation, and maintenance of commercial dock and door equipment, Charles H. Hodges & Son has been a partner to both commercial and industrial customers for more than four generations. The company serves businesses across Maryland, DC, and Northern Virginia. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to welcome the Hodges team to the Miner family as we expand our reach in a critical market. The team at Hodges serves a well-established customer base and their industry expertise directly aligns with our mission of improving safety and efficiency at the loading dock,” said Miner President, Dave Wright. A legendary name in the dock and door industry, Hodges installed the first dock leveler on the East Coast in Baltimore in 1954. Today the team is an established leader in this top 30 industrial property market and a top-performing distributor for a variety of key product suppliers. “For more than four generations we have focused on providing customers with the best professional sales, service, and installations possible for their loading dock needs. Whether it’s a Fortune 500 company or a family business, we are equipped to meet the full breadth of our customers’ needs—especially now as Miner expands our capabilities and national reach,” said Charles H. Hodges & Son’s President, Jamie Hodges.
UL-Listed Omnidirectional LED Post Top Lamps provide up to 85% energy savings over Halogen & HID
LEDtronics® Inc. has announced its newest series of UL-listed LED Post Top Lamps that put out an impressive amount of uniform, omnidirectional and brighter light for their compact size, with much more energy efficiency and longer life compared to the old technology and larger post-top bulbs. Because they are thermally managed, these LED bulbs are UL approved for enclosed applications (-40°F to 113°F) and are perfect for easy, direct drop-in installation into existing E26 Edison medium and E39 mogul screw-based lighting fixtures. This series of omnidirectional post-top lamps are ideal for use in varied applications such as street lighting, outdoor parking area lighting, driveway and walkway lighting, security lighting, parks and playgrounds, railroad station platforms, garden and bay lighting, pendant and globe lighting, among many others. This LED19B series of LED post-top lamps come in a white polycarbonate body, offering long-lasting durability. They range in power outputs from 10 to 18 (E26 units) and 27 to 120 watts (E39 units), directly replacing old-technology incandescent, halogen, and metal halide acorn lamps that would correspondingly consume 18 up to 250 watts. Reducing additional energy consumption by bypassing the ballast allows the bulbs to operate in a wide voltage input range of 120 to 277 VAC. They come with a wide operating temperature range of -40°F to ~+113°F (-40°C to ~+45°C). The acorn bulbs direct an even, 360° omnidirectional beam of 5000K pure-white illumination, offering lumens ranging from 1,740 (10 watts) to 18,612 (120 watts). That translates into luminance efficacy of 130 to 166 lumens per watt. They also boast outstanding color fidelity, with a CRI greater than 80 that enhances color nuances. In addition, these lamps maintain 70 percent or greater lumen maintenance at more than 50,000 hours—a lifespan far, far longer than the equivalent halogen or HID bulb! Because LEDs have no filament, their solid-state design renders them impervious to shock, vibration, frequent switching, and environmental extremes. These ROHS-compliant, UL-listed LED bulbs contain no harmful mercury or other toxic elements. Unlike traditional halogen, metal halide, or high-pressure sodium bulbs, LEDs do not emit large amounts of heat and little to no ultraviolet or infrared light. Since LED lights are much more energy efficient than old-technology lamps, these bulbs are perfect for operating with an alternative or renewable energy resource such as solar or wind power in cold or warm environments. This new and versatile LED19B series of UL/cUL listed, omnidirectional LED post-top bulbs come with a 5-year LEDtronics warranty, and are available through LEDtronics distributors. Quantity discounts are available, as well as customized options such as “Made in USA” ARRA compliance, other color temperatures and voltages, and other colors.
Synapse Wireless presents Facility Performance Optimization Solutions for manufacturing facilities
Live demo of Energy Management & Equipment Uptime Solutions at IMTS and AEE World tradeshows Synapse Wireless, Inc., an Internet of Things (IoT) company, and a member of the McWane family of companies will exhibit their SimplySnap Facility Performance Optimization solutions at two upcoming tradeshows, including the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in Chicago on September 11 to 17 (Booth #135575), and the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) World Energy Conference & Expo in Atlanta, September 21-23 (Booth 212). The company will be demonstrating how teams can improve the performance of their manufacturing facilities with the capabilities built into its Energy Management and Equipment Uptime solutions with SimplySnap. The control platform provides management teams with the systems and analytics required to execute and monitor sustainability initiatives across departments, facilities, divisions, and the overall enterprise. The SimplySnap platform for Energy Management allows the facility to use standards-based software protocols and hardware interface devices to connect to existing equipment like HVAC systems, air compressors, paint booths, welders, furnaces, CNC machines, motors, pumps, and other process equipment. The approach pinpoints and documents energy-saving outcomes across facilities and the entire enterprise. “Imagine if you had one metric to track your energy improvements across the entire corporation. One metric that worked across all your production facilities regardless of what you make or when you make it. And what if a platform could provide valuable energy reduction insights across all your facilities, all your departments, and even equipment,” stated Jamie Britnell, Director of Product Marketing. “With our Facility Performance Optimization platform, that’s what Synapse now provides. Without a massive infrastructure upgrade, we provide Energy Management, Equipment Uptime, and Lighting Management solutions that adapt to our customer’s organization, facilities, and equipment – as they are today.” SimplySnap uses industrial sensors, and connectivity hardware to connect to critical equipment to monitor running state, temperature, vibration, air pressure, and other data to analyze when equipment is outside of normal operations. “When equipment downtime impacts production the cost of lost productivity is far greater than the equipment repair or replacement. Reducing the time to identify equipment issues helps keep small problems from becoming larger problems that lead to major equipment damage, expensive repairs, or impacts to production,” stated Britnell. “These improvements drive management teams to normalize energy goals, optimize productivity, and enhance profitability across all facilities.” SimplySnap is built on a scalable, and secure wireless mesh network. The platform provides connectivity to critical equipment around the facility, regardless of age or vendor. By using the Sense 4-20, the battery-powered wireless sensor interface, end users can integrate with other hardware and software solutions that already exist in the factory. This allows the facility manager to acquire a quick and more economical way to pursue sustainability initiatives than with vendor-specific or wired monitoring solutions. “Our facility performance optimization approach provides a reliable, scalable, and simple platform to reduce energy consumption and drive smart business decisions.” Britnell continued, “The best part? SimplySnap supports multi-site management through the cloud interface, allowing you to control all your locations with a single log-in.”
Apex Companies
MHS Lift launches MHS Integrated Solutions
The New West Coast office enhances the company’s national presence for warehouse optimization and automation services MHS Lift, Inc., a provider of warehousing and distribution solutions across the U.S. and Canada, has announced the launch of “MHS Integrated Solutions,” a full-service automation and optimization integrator. The company’s warehouse optimization engineers analyze businesses’ operations to map out the best use of their space, considering not just the square footage of space, but the cubic footage. This approach helps companies increase their storage capacity to handle more products and process more orders, allowing them to get the most use of their limited and costly warehouse real estate. Warehouse services are available to all 50 states and Canada. Additionally, the company’s newly-opened Costa Mesa, Calif. office will support in-person consultative services for the West Coast. “Launching MHS Integrated Solutions along with our new West Coast location allows us to meet the growing optimization needs of businesses and support a new customer base,” said Andy Levin, president, and co-owner, of MHS Lift. “Because warehouse real estate costs are at an all-time high, investing in optimization solutions is more important now than ever before.” MHS Integrated Solutions’ optimization process includes facility utilization study, product mix analysis, pick and operational efficiency study, CAD layout and facility design, and RFQ and specification development. The MHS Integrated Solutions team designs automated warehouses that incorporate robotic palletizing and depalletizing, automatic trailer loading and unloading, pick/pack/ship systems, autonomous guided vehicles, Automated Storage and Retrieval systems, and more. “For over 52 years, our company has developed a solid reputation of delivering quality products and services and providing customers with exceptional value and exceeding expectations. We’re excited to expand our reach and help businesses across the country manage costs and increase efficiencies,” said Brett Levin, Vice President, and co-owner, of MHS Lift.
TA Services named ‘Great Supply Chain Partner’
TA Services, a full-service 3PL (third-party logistics) provider, has announced that it has been included in SupplyChainBrain‘s list of 100 Great Supply Chain Partners. For two decades this award has recognized customer-nominated companies that show a dedication to providing outstanding solutions and services. “In a year that has proven to have ups and downs for many companies’ supply chains, our team has worked tirelessly to help our customers overcome shipping obstacles and deliver stability to their shipping needs. I’m thankful for the stellar TA Services team who continuously provides excellent customer service,” said Scott Schell, president and CEO of TA Services. “It’s always exciting to be recognized for the hard work and dedication that we provide our customers.” With over 36 years of industry experience, TA Services offers a wide variety of domestic and international transportation management and modes including dry van, truckload, flatbed, heavy haul, expedited, refrigerated, and less-than-truckload (LTL). Just this year, TA Services streamlined communication touchpoints and simplified orders between businesses and shippers by implementing their Supplier Portal, which calculates pricing models for shippers, earning Director of Cross-Border Logistics, Andrew Welling, the recognition of being named Supply & Demand Chain Executive’s 2022 Pros to Know List. Additionally, this year, TA Services acquired Alabama-based C2 Freight Resources to expand brokerage services as well as open a new cross-docking facility in Laredo, Texas. TA Services was also named to Supply & Demand Chain Executive’s 2022 Top Supply Chain Projects for TA Services’ overseeing of transportation management for a Memphis-based construction project that required specialized services other than just mill-to-mill operations. “Our six-month online poll of supply chain professionals requires a qualified response, asking them to nominate vendors and service providers whose solutions have made a significant impact on their company’s efficiency, customer service, and overall supply chain performance,” said Brad Berger, Publisher, SupplyChainBrain. “This year’s field of nominees was highly competitive and overall excellent – coming from all sectors of supply chain management. TA Services will appear in the 2022 August issue of SupplyChainBrain magazine and on SupplyChainBrain.com as an honored member of this year’s 100 Great Supply Chain Partners.”
TrueSource acquires Solutions Management, Inc.
TrueSource, an OnPoint Group Company and the national leader in critical facility maintenance for retailers and property managers announced the acquisition of Solutions Management, Inc (SMI), known for its expertise in disaster recovery, facility maintenance, and management. Based in Long Island, NY, both businesses are focused on simplifying challenges of the retail industry for new and current clients, including more than half of the top U.S. 100 retailers. Together they will be able to provide an even greater range of capabilities to more clients nationwide. “As the only national material handling and facility services organization, we’re thrilled to add Solutions Management Inc.’s expertise and services in disaster recovery and specialized cleaning services into TrueSource’s offerings. We are building the go-to critical facility services organization for retailers and facility managers,” said OnPoint CEO, Tom Cox. SMI provides facility maintenance and disaster recovery services ranging from cleaning and repair for flooring, windows and awnings; janitorial, high dust, and power washing services; and critical recovery services including mold remediation, flood remediation, and fire restoration for retail and grocery customers. The company has a strong service provider network and trusted affiliate relationships to help maximize uptime. “Helping our clients succeed is at the core of our mission and by joining forces with TrueSource we further our goal of keeping clients prepared for what’s next,” said Co-Founder and CFO, Robyn Butler of SMI. Added CEO and Co-Founder, Scott Crennan, “Whether that’s a literal or figurative storm, a pandemic or another disruption, this furthers our mission to bring disaster recovery and facility maintenance solutions when they’re needed most. Joining TrueSource will enable SMI to immediately become more of a value-add to our customers and expand upon our menu of services offered.” For additional information about TrueSource or this acquisition, visit www.truesource.com or www.onpointgroup.com/mergers-acquisitions.
EP 306: Veryable at MODEX 2022
Coming to you from the booth at MODEX 2022, we welcome Jonathan Katz to this week’s episode of the New Warehouse. Jonathan is the Regional Partnerships Manager for the Southeast region at Veryable. Veryable is a tech platform that allows businesses to eliminate labor constraints through its on-demand marketplace for manufacturing, logistics, and warehousing labor. This new way of approaching temporary labor disrupts the industry through flexible work options and greater talent visibility. Key Takeaways Jonathan discusses the growing trend of changing workforce preferences. Workers want the flexibility to learn, control their time, and develop various types of skill-sets. As employers adjust to this trend, Veryable allows a way for them to match labor to demand. Jonathan discusses how the on-demand marketplace addresses one of the most significant challenges warehouses face today, labor availability. The flexible work option allows workers to enter the labor pool that cannot or do not want to commit to a typical nine to five job. Veryable is revolutionizing the traditional model of temporary labor by providing temp-labor insights for organizations they didn’t have before. This takes the guesswork out of salary negotiations and allows employers to choose the most qualified candidate based on ratings, market data, and micro-resumes.
Brown and Caldwell announce new COO
Euan Finlay brings 25 years of driving operational excellence Brown and Caldwell just announced that Euan Finlay has been promoted from senior vice president to chief operating officer (COO), effective immediately. A senior executive with 25 years of experience, Finlay excels in leading organizations and teams to deliver excellence to clients while driving sustainable growth. Throughout his career, he has held executive roles in operations, design, and construction businesses in numerous international locations focused on developing client solutions for environmental, water, and wastewater infrastructure. He has led multi-million-dollar businesses, managed company-wide project delivery, and directed mergers and acquisitions as a Fortune 500 company executive. Before joining the firm in 2019 as director of business transformation, Finlay was an operations executive for a leading provider of design, design/build, and program management services. Brown and Caldwell CEO Rich D’Amato commented on the promotion, “Euan has a strong track record of challenging organizations to achieve their potential,” he said. “As Brown and Caldwell continues to evolve and grow, Euan’s operations expertise will be a key driver in building our future success to better serve clients, recruit and retain top talent, and positively impact our communities.” As COO, Denver-based Finlay will interface with the firm’s leadership to ensure strategic and technical objectives translate to operational capabilities aligned with business targets. Furthermore, he will play a key role in ensuring cultural imperatives are communicated and supported operationally throughout the 1,800 employee-owned company.