Tag: Powered Warehouse Equipment

As online shoppers demand faster and less expensive shipping, it’s created a warehouse boom in several parts of the country. Companies are investing in high-tech facilities and state-of-the-art warehouse equipment to provide an elite level of customer service.

Unfortunately, there’s a downside to this seeming success story. While the number of warehouses grows, it’s become increasingly hard for employers to find enough qualified people to staff them.

The Shrinking Labor Force in Warehousing and Logistics

The problem is readily apparent in the Midwest, where many companies are locating their distribution centers to be close to a larger segment of the public. One example is Cincinnati-based Proctor & Gamble, which recently opened a mile-long facility not far from Dayton International Airport.

According to P&G’s Jeff LeRoy, the entire warehouse is digital, allowing them to get product to the customer in less than 48 hours. But LeRoy adds that the influx of warehouses is making competition for employees tougher, with the biggest demand coming for jobs that robots are still unable to do.

How to Beat the Competition for Qualified Workers

In order to attract qualified applicants, P&G is offering a starting wage of $15 per hour, which is more than $5 higher than the area standard for low-skilled warehouse jobs. LeRoy says that as automation becomes more integrated in supply chain and logistics, future workers will require a different set of skills.

Mark Cohen of Columbia Business School says that communities need to support programs to develop these new skill sets. Ohio Governor John Kasich is also urging companies to better align training programs.

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Your company pays close attention to the money invested in quality warehouse equipment. But as today’s gig economy changes the traditional concept of a workplace, how much are you willing to invest in your employees?

Are Warehouse Workers Truly Expendable?

While labor is the largest expense in the warehouse industry, workers are often viewed as easily replaceable commodities. In fact, experts recommend taking the opposite approach and treating employees as your company’s most valuable asset.

With factors such as increased competition creating a sharply reduced labor pool, it’s more important than ever to consider the environment you create for your employees. A worker who feels appreciated puts forth a better effort and is more likely to internalize a company’s mission and goals.

Starbucks: A Culture of Employee Appreciation

Starbucks has maintained an enviable track record of success in the face of stiff competition. While cashiers and baristas are not highly skilled positions, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz firmly believes that these customer-facing associates are indispensable to the company’s success.

More importantly, Schultz backs up his philosophy with action. Starbucks employees receive a generous benefits package that includes stock options and free college tuition.

Efficient warehouse operations depend on workers who pay attention to details and keep the customer in mind. It’s hard to maintain that level when employees are passing through a revolving door. Why not make it worthwhile for associates to share your vision and culture?

Warehouse Equipment from DJ Products: Tools for Success

Employees work harder when they’re given the training and tools to succeed. Our battery-powered warehouse equipment takes the drudgery out of the toughest jobs and reduces the risk of workplace injuries.

Visit our website and use the handy online chat feature to learn more.

Supply chain and logistics have been somewhat behind the curve in implementing automated warehouse equipment, but they’re making up for lost time. Here’s a look at the applications where robotics are making the biggest impact.

Order Picking

Picking items requires a great deal of manual dexterity, so at this point robots are primarily used to bring shelves to human workers who pick the items. Advancements are being made to enable robots to pick items autonomously from stationary shelves.

Packing

Robots are often used for tertiary packaging, which involves packing individual units from the manufacturer into larger boxes and crates for shipping and delivery.

Palletizing

Palletizing generally involves a limited number of repetitive movements, making it a relatively easy task for robots. Some robots are being designed specifically for palletizing, with arms that have five degrees of freedom and a sixth arm that can rotate more than 360°.

Marine Ports

TuSimple, a self-driving truck startup, made headlines last May with news of their robotic port in the Chinese city of Caofeidian. With robotic cranes and self-driving container trucks, Caofeidian is on pace to become the world’s first fully autonomous harbor by the end of 2018.

Last Mile Drone Delivery

Amazon has received a lot of publicity for their work on a drone delivery system, but they’re not the only ones making strides in this area. In fact, Domino’s has staged a successful pizza delivery via drone.

Electric Tugs, Movers and Pushers for Any Application

Lifting and moving heavy loads is a risky and time-consuming process when done manually. With battery-powered warehouse equipment from DJ Products, a single worker can move loads weighing thousands of pounds.

Visit our website to learn more about our wide range of warehouse equipment solutions.

In the past, warehouses have traditionally centered around physical labor and manual processes. Today, technology has been making its presence felt in sophisticated warehouse equipment and operational methods.

Here are five major trends that are currently shaping the direction of modern warehouse operations.

Big Data

Technology gives warehouse management access to an unprecedented amount of data. With careful and efficient analysis, this data can enable a greater degree of accuracy in functions such as predicting customer demand and identifying areas that need improvement.

Driverless Vehicles and Autonomous Equipment

Automatic guided vehicles (AGV), the first wave of driverless vehicles, have limited movement and require significant human intervention. The field is transitioning to semi-autonomous vehicles, which will eventually give way to fully autonomous vehicles that operate entirely on their own.

Autonomous equipment ranges from conveyor systems and scales to automated storage solutions. In the next three to five years, many warehouses will make significant moves to integrate robotics for tasks such as order picking and palletizing.

Mobile Devices

While mobile technology has been implemented in warehouses for more than 10 years, it’s been restricted to RFID and handheld barcode readers. Tablets and smartphones are familiar to nearly everyone, so it’s been a natural process to bring these devices into the warehouse industry.

Internet of Things (IoT)

With the influx of available data, IoT facilitates collection by tracking and coordinating the relevant warehouse equipment.

Cloud Computing

As mobile devices become a bigger part of warehouse operations, their low cost of ownership and small IT footprint have made cloud technology an effective solution.

Modern Warehouse Equipment from DJ Products

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As e-commerce continues to change the way consumers shop, savvy customers are demanding immediate possession of their purchases just as they would have with brick-and-mortar stores. Retailers and fulfillment services are now in search of facilities and warehouse equipment to accommodate this need.

Most delivery services and third-party logistics providers can handle next-day delivery, but same-day delivery requires a different infrastructure. One real estate company in New York City believes it’s come up with a novel solution.

The Warehouse of the Future?

Innovo Property Group, in partnership with Square Mile Capital, plans to break ground next year on a two-story warehouse in the Bronx. The 700,000 square-foot facility is expected to be ready for tenants in 2020.

Andrew Chung, founder and CEO of Innovo, explains the factors that make the warehouse a game-changer.

– In order to provide expedited shipment, warehouses need to be as close as possible to customers. Unfortunately, urban areas generally have a scarcity of land and restrictive building regulations. Innovo’s warehouse is located in a “sweet spot” that offers access but avoids typical pitfalls of urban construction.

– The Bronx warehouse is designed with size in mind, from the high ceilings that will allow vertical storage racks up to 32 feet to floor loads that can handle capacity of up to 800 pounds.

– Thanks to 90 loading docks, a two-lane ramp and 130-foot truck courts on each floor, the warehouse will be one of only four facilities in the country with multistory direct loading.

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No matter how state-of-the-art your warehouse equipment is, your business won’t be successful without skilled workers to operate it. Growing competition for a shrinking pool of qualified labor makes today’s workforce more fluid than ever before.

High turnover has a negative impact on productivity and profitability. Here are some strategic ways to attract and retain high-quality warehouse staff members.

Offer Good Benefits and Working Conditions

Everyone works for a paycheck, but money is not the only factor candidates look for in a desirable job. Experts cite unhappiness with company culture and limited career paths as major reasons why workers change jobs.

In addition to salary, consider these benefits when creating an employment package:

– Incentives such as bonuses, paid time off and off-site team-building activities

– Healthcare insurance

– Access to training and education

– Well-defined career options

Make Jobs More Attractive to Younger Candidates

As the workforce ages, the millennial generation has been reluctant to fill in the gap. Invite schools to visit your warehouse and learn more about the advantages of a career in supply chains and logistics. You can also set up apprenticeships or internships for local students.

Be Flexible with Working Hours

Traditional shifts are difficult to manage, especially since many companies now operate around-the-clock. An annualized hours model keeps payroll consistent while staffing is flexible to accommodate fluctuations in activity.

Analyze, then Train

Training is required for new employees, new warehouse equipment and new technology. Carefully assess your needs to ensure that the right people are trained for the right jobs.

DJ Products: Tomorrow’s Warehouse Equipment Today

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It turns out, your warehouse equipment isn’t the only thing doing a lot of work for very little cost. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data shows a direct link between the introduction of an Amazon distribution center in Lexington County, SC, and a massive decline in annual earnings for warehouse workers.

Annual Earnings Fallen Over 30%

Since Amazon opened its Lexington distribution center in 2010, earnings for warehouse workers have dropped a staggering 30+%, falling from $47,000 to $32,000 annually. And Lexington’s warehouse workers are not alone…

Where Amazon Operates, Wages Decline

Other areas where the online retail giant has opened warehouses have likewise seen wages decline. In Chesterfield, VA, warehouse workers in the region have watched wages diminish 17%. In Tracy, CA, they have fallen 16%.

In areas where Amazon has opened distribution centers, government data shows warehouse workers’ wages fall an average of 3%, with workers in regions where Amazon operates earning around 10% less than warehouse workers employed elsewhere ($41,000 vs. $45,000/annually). Amazon operates over 75 fulfillment and 35 sorting centers across the U.S., employing 125,000+ full-time workers.

What’s Going on Behind-the-Scenes?

‘Stowers’ stock, ‘pickers’ pull items from shelves, and ‘packers’ box items. Constantly in-motion and monitored by devices that track performance, a single picker could collect 1,000-items and walk 15-miles in a shift. So why the dearth of pay?

Researchers point to a number of possible reasons:

– Warehouses erected in areas ‘left behind.’

– Areas have high labor-market concentration.

– Amazon is a major employer, outshining competition.

– A younger workforce. (Census data shows about half are <35.)

– Unskilled workers with minimal qualifications.

– Short job tenure, typically under 1-year.

– Better full-time benefits (health care, retirement savings, company shares).

Lagging behind? Lighten your load with warehouse equipment from DJ Products today.