Look Before You Leap
Before any investment in SLAM automation, do your homework.
There’s a saying: “Don’t add technology for technology’s sake.” Meaning, just because there’s a type of technology out there that might work for you, don’t jump unnecessarily; you could be wasting your money. This holds true across every stage—from receiving through to shipping.
In the final 100 feet of your warehouse—the scan, label, apply and manifest (SLAM) area—that same advice still holds true. Automation can be pricey, so before you decide you should upgrade with new equipment, do your homework and analysis. Otherwise, you might fall prey to adding technology for technology’s sake.
There are numerous questions you need to ask and answer when it comes to SLAM automation. At the heart of the matter is how you fulfill orders today—from the moment they enter your system all the way through to the dock. Consider data like how many touches are involved; where your data originates; whether your orders are on slips of paper that allow pickers to select their own box sizes, or if your software chooses the box. Consider whether your labels contain unique license plate numbers or barcodes. Or instead, does a box go to a manual pack station where an employee keys in details and generates a label?
Once you’ve looked at your processes, you can see how much labor is involved in them, where decisions are made, and consider whether you can reduce the manpower involved for packaging, sealing, labeling and the like. These are all physical tasks that might benefit from automation.
This can be especially true if you know you have plans to scale up your business in the future. For instance, if you currently have a thousand ecommerce orders coming in daily, what would happen if you doubled that? Would it be efficient to continue this manually, or would automation help you meet your new requirements?
Other reasons to consider automating the SLAM line include changes to your business. If you’ve largely supplied brick-and-mortar retail outlets and now you’re adding a new web site, your operations will be changing. Speed will become more important than ever, and it may be that automation is needed to process your SLAM operations now.
Other business changes that might influence your decision include switching carriers, signing on a new 3PL client with different product sizes and shapes, or facing bottlenecks or inefficiencies in your current operations.
It’s also important to evaluate your operations after every peak season. Did your SLAM operations run smoothly? If not, consider whether automation could have made a difference. No matter where you are in your journey, periodic check-ins on your SLAM operations are in order. There are many types of very big-ticket investments to make in a warehouse—the SLAM line, while an investment, is often the lowest-hanging fruit for improvement.
If you’re exploring SLAM automation, the process of analyzing your operations can be overwhelming. A qualified SLAM integrator can help break it down and guide you through every tough decision.
To learn more about MHI’s SLAM industry group: www.mhi.org/slam
More information about Scanning, Labeling, Applying, Manifesting:
Monitoring Sensors on the SLAM Line for Trouble
SLAM Solutions in the Pharmaceutical Industry
Order Personalization with SLAM
How SLAM Can Help with Returns
How SLAM Helps Get the Order Right
Using Peak Season for Next Season
Podcast: Elevating Order Fulfillment: VRCs & SLAM Efficiency in the Modern Warehouse
