Questioning the processes
We are walking down to one of the production lines in the factory. This specific line is a packaging line that will automatically label, pack and palletize the primary products.
The primary materials arrive at one end – typically on pallets. And as mentioned above, bringing the pallet to the production line can be done automatically, in the dark, by Autonomous Mobile Robots.
However, this is where the complexity starts. Stretch wrap foil needs to be removed, cartons will need to be taken of the pallets and opened. And the goods inside these cartons then need to be precisely placed inside the machine.
All these steps could be handled by AMRs, robots or in the case of removing straps, wrapping, and opening cartons, by special material handling equipment.
In other words, you could turn the lights off. The problem is that each of these actions requires its own equipment, which is costly to implement at every production line. Not only in terms of the equipment itself but also in terms of the space it requires, and most of the equipment would be underutilized.
To solve this, we need to question how we organize these activities, or more importantly, the way we collaborate in the supply chain.
The formula for lights out
Because who says goods need to arrive in your production room on pallets, in cartons, wrapped in foil and with a strap around it? Who says we can’t move processes upstream in our facility, or even to our suppliers, so goods arrive in a format that feeds easier into your production line? For example, consider a central depalletizing area from where goods are transported to the production line in cartons, instead of on pallets.
Or ask your supplier to provide goods in trays that can easily be handled by your machines. Maybe these trays could even be re-usable and therefor more sustainable too.
We need all these ideas to enable Lights Out. Therefore, the formula for lights out in the warehouse looks something like this:
Lights out = Technology x Interfaces x Processes.
The technology to enable lights out is already there. Yet, to make it economically feasibly to apply, you will need to evaluate and adapt your processes.
The other element is interfaces. It is where things are handed over from one supplier to the next, and from one machine to another. This is where we need to develop partner ecosystems to make machines, processes and handling units more compatible.
Running a warehouse in total darkness can undoubtedly be good business under the right circumstances, but we always need to evaluate the cost versus the benefit to make sure it creates the right value.
We are ready to evaluate any company’s circumstances and serve as a partner to find the right level of automation to suit their needs. Are you? Game on!
