DM Fulfillment Services implements collaborative robotics
Employee turnover has decreased by 50% so far.
In the past, DM Fulfillment Services’ site designs were traditionally conveyor heavy. As a result, the organization—which provides direct-to-consumer and omni-channel fulfillment solutions, built on the operational infrastructure of its parent company, Distribution Management (DM)—was tied to a very specific layout and workflow.
But, this layout proved to be outdated and inefficient, as it limited the company’s ability to handle new inventories and growth while it expanded into third-party logistics (3PL) provider and e-commerce fulfillment.
Realizing it needed a more flexible solution to decrease its associates’ manual tasks and excessive walking, especially back and forth from the line to a location, the omni-channel fulfillment and distribution solutions provider introduced more than 100 mobile collaborative robots (known as Chuck) across five of its DCs. In turn, it has not only replaced its old in-line conveyor systems, but it has also begun to rethink its warehouses’ workflow.
Since opening a recently designed site in Pennsylvania, DM noticed an immediate shift in employee morale, along with enhanced productivity. Experiencing a 38% surge in pick velocity, the company also witnessed a noticeable decline in employee turnover (decreasing to 10%), which is important as its business continues to grow. Across all locations, DM saw a 17% rise in order volume and a 50% reduction in employee turnover, as new associates have achieved picking performance goals within 15 to 20 minutes.
In addition, by implementing flexible automation like Chucks into its DCs, DM is strategically positioned to continue to make decisions that will increase business. This year, DM assisted various small businesses impacted by the fulfillment challenges caused by Covid-19.
When Amazon notified sellers and vendors—which were using its Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) services—that it would be temporarily prioritizing household staples, medical supplies and other high-demand products arriving at its fulfillment centers, many sellers and vendors sought immediate support from DM.
DM’s highly automated fulfillment centers, featuring robotic solutions, allowed them to follow social distancing guidelines, while limiting person-to-person contact. And, through the assistance of collaborative robots, DM was able to put comprehensive business continuity plans in place and closely monitor CDC guidelines, so it could offer a highly reliable solution, along with peace of mind, to its customers.
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