Enhancing Supply Chain Management with Accurate Dimensioning Data

Retailers today are faced with many different challenges that often require a change in supply chain management. From shifting retail formats to ever-changing technology to inventory management, logistical demands being placed on retailers are becoming increasingly complex and challenging.

Within the supply chain, inventory management and data integrity are key elements to the success of an operation. But finding an effective and automated solution to support these initiatives can be difficult.

That’s where when one retail chain used SICK technology to determine a better solution for optimizing its supply chain management.

The Challenge: Accessing Accurate Dimensioning Data

This particular retailer deals with thousands of stock keeping units (SKUs) on a daily basis and was having a hard time accurately and efficiently monitoring inventory storage in their distribution center.

When new items would come in, dimensioning data surrounding new items would often be entered into the warehouse management system (WMS), but most of the time that data would be default values or not accurate to the item.

The worker would then pack the merchandise into totes, sometimes to the point of bursting.

This would result in uneven distribution throughout the facility and often cause merchandise to spill out of the totes onto the conveyors as they moved through the facility. In addition, there was a lack of visibility to the data surrounding each SKU.