As the demand for faster order fulfillment grows, Good-to-Person automation systems have emerged as a warehouse automation solution to help reduce the unproductive time human operators need to walk along the aisles to find and pick orders. This system can promise unparalleled efficiency in manufacturing processes for businesses to win customers over in fierce market competition. Let’s read further to discover how it is so.
Understanding Goods-to-Person Automation in Manufacturing
▶ What are Goods-to-Person Systems, and How Do They Work?
As the name suggests, good-to-person automation systems help deliver the goods to warehouse staff at a stationary picking station through automatic storage and retrieval systems. By eliminating the need to locate and move items, this automation system contributes to increased picking efficiency and higher warehouse throughput. This solution has broad applications in e-commerce order fulfillment, spare parts manufacturing, work-in-progress (WIP) storage, and more.
▶ Goods-to-Person VS Person-to-Goods Automation
Although both Goods-to-Person and Person-to-Goods solutions engage a certain level of automation, they are different approaches with the critical divergence in human mobility.
In the person-to-goods automation situation, warehouse workers need to walk around in a designated zone and pick the items according to the order instructions. After the items are picked out, the automated systems help transport items to the different stations while human operators proceed to another picking task. In this system, staff foot travel is cut down but not ultimately eliminated, and people are at the center of securing the accuracy of the order fulfillment process. Though the person-to-goods system requires less capital investment and a simpler system design, it compromises the warehouse throughput and labor costs.
The defining features of the Good-to-Person system are stationary picking stations and significantly lower human mobility. Human associates generally stay put at the picking station while the robotic systems pick and bring the items to them for subsequent inspection, sorting, and packing. Human associates’ focus shifts from picking accuracy to product quality assurance, resulting in higher processing efficiency, effective storage space, and fewer injury accidents and picking errors. Clear benefits and sustained return on investment have made good-to-person automation a superior choice for large warehouses featuring large order volumes, SKU proliferation, and rapid throughput.
▶ Benefits of Goods-to-Person Automation
▶ Higher Efficiency and Throughput:Goods-to-Person systems allow human operators to enhance their work specialization and efficiency with the robotics systems guaranteeing picking accuracy and meeting them where they are, leading to more accurate order ulfilment and higher throughput.
▶ Maximized Space Utilization: Goods-to-Person automation expands the effective storage space by cutting the need for human movement and enhancing the accessibility of vertical high-density storage with automatic mechanisms.
▶ Improved Safety: With robotics systems handling the storage, retrieval, and transport of pallets or totes, human operators will no longer need to move heavy items or navigate hazardous environments within the warehouse, contributing to improved workplace safety for employees.
▶ Reduced Cost: With the picking processes streamlined and picking accuracy and efficiency boosted, fewer human operators may be needed in the Goods-to-Person setting, presenting chances to reduce the human resources expenditure and enlarge the profit margin.
▶ Scalability for High Volumes: Goods-to-Person systems can easily integrate with advanced technologies like AI and data analytics for continuous improvement. The system is highly scalable to match growing volumes and SKUs thanks to its module structure design and flexible automatic storage systems and software.
▶ Operational Visibility and Control: Goods-to-Person automation systems provide real-time visibility into warehouse operations, so managers have better control over inventory, order processing, and overall logistics activities for data-based decision-making.
Success Stories: Goods-to-Person Automation with HWArobotics
The synergy between HWArobotics and manufacturing enterprises, exemplified by the successful collaboration with Qingdao Hisense Hitachi Air Conditioning System Co., illustrates the transformative impact of Goods-to-Person system in modern manufacturing.
▶ Implementation of Shuttle Robots and Warehouse Management System
Qingdao Hisense Hitachi Air Conditioning System Company faced escalating demands for storage and warehouse efficiency as its business expanded. Traditional warehouse management proved inadequate, prompting a shift towards a more efficient and automated solution.
HWArobotics’s Goods-to-Person solution includes a 13-level vertical storage area equipped with self-developed double-deep SLS300 series tote shuttle robots that offer a staggering picking efficiency of 300-1000 times per hour. This innovative system also comprised goods lifts, picking stations, vertical lifts, conveyor systems, and HWArobotics’ Material Flow Controller software, enabling automated inbound and outbound logistics capabilities.
▶ Tangible Improvementsin Storage, Efficiency, Accuracy and Visibility
1)Storage Density
The double-deep design of our SLS300 series shuttle robots ensures high access efficiency with a few channels, maximizing equipment efficiency and contributing to a 50-100% increase in storage density with a 13-level vertical storage application.
2)Picking Efficiency
With WMS to provide accurate order processing, tote tracking, and real-time inventory visibility, SLS300 series shuttle robots boasting accurate navigation systems and high-speed loading/unloading capabilities can achieve a maximum compound throughput of 2500 totes/hour with a 99.99% picking accuracy.
3)Flexibility and Visibility
HWArobotics customized WMS systems aim to enhance data visibility to improve operational efficiency and workforce productivity. Through an embedded ABC classification function, this system can allocate storage spaces according to the moving requirements of the material to improve the outbound picking efficiency. The real-time demonstration of available space in the vertical storage area also helps to optimize the storage efficiency.
From high-density storage and substantial increases in picking efficiency to innovative solutions for reverse logistics, advanced Goods-to-Person automation systems proved instrumental in driving productivity, cost savings, and achieving the goal of intelligent manufacturing for large manufacturing companies.
Conclusion
In the ever-accelerating world of manufacturing, Goods-to-Person automation has emerged as a transformative force, answering the call for faster and more efficient order fulfillment. This technology brings items directly to operators, reducing manual errors and significantly improving labor efficiency and order accuracy. At HWArobotics, we are committed to delivering innovative logistics automation solutions that meet your unique needs and exceed your expectations.
Contact HWArobotics to revolutionize your warehouse today!
