Ingram Micro Moves At Peak Speed With New Productivity

For third-party logistics (3PL) providers, the most basic measure of success is moving more orders faster, and for less costs, than customers can do themselves. That’s why the most successful 3PLs make continuous improvement a priority to drive out waste and improve efficiencies in every area of their business.

Ingram Micro is a global leader in technology and supply chain solutions, providing 3PL services for technology brands around the world. Ingram Micro’s Mira Loma, California distribution center is often used as a testing ground for Lean initiatives. When its 800,000-square-foot Micro Drive facility was being reconfigured to make room for a new customer, Senior Operations Manager Cindy Baughman saw an opportunity to improve how the company managed its sizable investment in RF and pick-to-voice devices.

A Greater Need for Accountability and Cost Control

Like many distribution centers (DCs), Ingram Micro stored handheld devices in a cage. It was staffed by an attendant on the first shift and part of the second shift – however, it was unattended on third shift. As associates came to work, they would line up and the attendant would hand out devices one by one. They were expected to return them to the cage at the end of the shift. However, the process was unreliable. Devices were lost, and damage sometimes went unreported. And in the fast-paced 3PL environment, these inefficiencies could affect productivity and profitability.

Choosing Fool-Proof Asset Management

As Baughman and her team looked for a smarter way to manage roughly 300 RF scanners and 90 pick-to-voice units, their research led them to Apex Supply Chain Technologies® and its AXCESS™ 6100 Automated Locker Solutions.