Order fulfillment system accommodates direct-to-store delivery

At one point in time, case picking was performed at Tropical Cheese in one way: by building a route and stop pallet one at a time, using a paper list.

Supervisors didn’t have visibility into order accuracy, or enough time to complete some orders. The order assembly process was becoming increasingly complex, and the potential for errors was on the rise. A process improvement was required.

The company implemented a new order fulfillment system that efficiently accommodates direct-to-store delivery. Customer orders consist of mixed case pallets, while Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technology allows multiple orders to be stacked on a pallet, based on logistics rules like “heavy on bottom,” “crushable on top,” as well as by route and stop sequence.

Each order picker is equipped with a wearable voice computer, featuring a headset that provides verbal instructions, including location and case pick quantity. The wearable voice computer is connected to a portable ring scanner. At the pick location, the order picker scans the case to be picked, applies a shipping label and transfers it to the outbound powered conveyor.

Scan validation, along with voice-directed activities throughout the order picking process, also assures high order accuracy. In fact, accuracy improvements of up to 50% over the previous pick method have been realized. Labels applied to each case (during picking) assist truck drivers during their deliveries to customers.

Due to its variety of offerings, the real-time software has been able to support Tropical Cheese’s variable route and stop sequence delivery requirements on a day-to-day basis.