Getting the Throughput You Need to Meet Today’s E-commerce Challenges
Today’s logistics operations are facing increasing pressures on all sides. Service level agreements are getting tighter, even as volume dramatically increases. Customer expectations are rising, too, especially when it comes to fast, free delivery (sometimes even on the same day). What’s more, the e-commerce boom and dimensional pricing have led to a greater diversity of parcel types and individual items.
Manual labor is no longer sufficient to meet the needs of this demanding environment. The throughput and volume demands of e-commerce are simply too great for manual workers to keep up with. And that’s if you can find enough workers to begin with — a growing challenge for any fulfillment operation.
Automated solutions offer a logical answer to all of these challenges by augmenting and empowering your workforce to keep up with the increasing pace and volume of the industry. To get the most value from these solutions, however, it’s important to choose the right equipment for your operation’s unique product mix.
What to Consider When Choosing a Sortation Solution
Although the wide range of available sortation solutions can seem overwhelming, several key considerations can help you narrow down your choices.
One of the most critical considerations is the throughput rate a sortation system can provide, both during standard and peak periods. Look for solutions that deliver maximum throughput while operating at minimal machine speed. This strategy reduces wear, noise and energy use while ensuring gentler item handling.
Handling requirements are also critical to your success. Different sortation systems have different strengths, so be sure to choose one that works well with the types of packaging you process most. Consider your entire product mix, including your current and future needs. Common factors to keep in mind include the types of items to be sorted, packaging types, item diversity and structural integrity.
While handling, throughput and application requirements are the most important items to think about, you’ll also want to pay attention to your floor space requirements, noise levels, capital and operating costs, energy use, the skill levels of your maintenance and operations teams, future expansion plans, and more.
Get Honeywell’s Free Guide to Sortation Options
For more tips on choosing the right sortation solutions and a detailed overview of the best options available today, download Honeywell’s free e-book: Sortation Overview: Get the Throughput You Need to Meet Today’s E-commerce Challenges. You’ll learn which solutions deliver the highest throughput rates in the industry, which are right for each major type of product and packaging, and how the latest technology enables designs specifically engineered for low-maintenance operation that reduces your total cost of ownership.
