The Satellite Review Magazine 2017 Satellite Review Magazine_pages hi res | Page 35

Improved Inventory
Management
In the cold supply chain, it is import-
ant to keep products in the proper
climate controlled environment as long
as possible, reducing the possibility
of product quality degeneration and
spoilage. By employing just-in-time
(JIT) fulfillment strategies, warehous-
es don’t have to prepare orders far in
advance of when trucks arrive for pick
up and maximize the amount of time
that items are kept in storage within
the automated system. The speed and
reliability of high-density automated
storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS)
allows pharmaceutical and food and
beverage companies to successfully im-
plement this strategy, thereby ensuring
a safer pharmaceutical and food and
beverage supply chain.
In addition, a Warehouse Execution
System (WES) combined with an AS/
RS can help companies employ First
Expired, First Out (FEFO) inventory
management by providing complete
control over inventory and the move-
ment of products in the warehouse.
This prevents warehouses from hold-
ing products for too long and expiring,
leading to product waste, or worse,
reaching consumers and becoming a
safety concern. the power grid for use by other ma-
chines operating on the same grid.
Reduced Costs In a traditional, manual refrigerated
warehouse, workers require frequent
“warm-up” breaks, which can lead to
warehouse inefficiencies in time, labor
and energy usage. Automated technol-
ogies, such as a high-density AS/RS,
can pick products in refrigerated and
frozen environments without the need
for breaks. Moreover, automation can
dramatically increase picking accuracy
which reduces inefficiencies due to re-
packaging and operational bottlenecks
as a result of incorrect orders.
An AS/RS enables companies to better
utilize their existing space by storing
more product within the same (and of-
ten smaller) building footprint. Retro-
fitting an existing facility with an AS/
RS can increase the storage capacity of
an existing facility by 30 to 50 percent.
In the case of new buildings, an AS/RS
can reduce the overall building foot-
print by as much as