ProMat 2019 is just around the corner coming to Chicago, April 8 – 11. Over 45,000 manufacturing and supply chain buyers from 115 countries will attend to learn about new technologies and find solutions for their warehouse, manufacturing and distribution needs. Of ProMat attendees, 38% are expanding their distribution capacity over the new two years, with 78% expanding their existing operations or building new facilities. 950 exhibitors will be showcasing products in industry-specific Solutions Centers:
- Manufacturing & Assembly – workstations, ergonomics, robotics
- Fulfillment & Delivery – order picking and packing, order fulfillment
- Information Technology – RFID, order management, ERP, TMS
- Autonomous Vehicles – As/RS, AGVs, drones, cranes, driverless trucks
- Sustainable Facility Solutions – solutions to reduce energy consumption and carbon footprint
Besides the exhibition of new products, attendees will be treated to hundreds of industry-focused presentations that cover automation, lean and continuous improvement, storage, order picking, next-gen technologies (AI, ML, etc.), customer experience, omni-channel, robots, data and analytics, e-commerce and much more.
One presentation caught our eye about optimizing your warehouse before you automate. We all know how tight the warehouse real estate market is right now – along with capital to fund expansions. This presentation suggests that before you add automation that you optimize your warehouse to create more space for products and increase workforce productivity.
So, how can you optimize your warehouse space? Here are the top ways that UNEX can help optimize warehouse space:
- Go vertical. There is tons of vertical space in most warehouses and distribution centers that is not used. One of our new customers took “going vertical” to a new level by stacking UNEX flow racks 30-feet high.
- Consolidate same or similar items into one location, which helps with space utilization.
- Use slotting software to optimize slot locations. Match the size and speed of items to the appropriate pick slot to maximize picking operations. UNEX SKUBE slotting software SKUBE can help you prioritize and optimize your operation’s throughput and allow you to strategically slot your SKUs to the proper storage medium.
- Use the entire depth of storage. UNEX Span-Track allows you to use the entire depth of the rack by letting items flow forward to the pick face. More SKUs in less space maximizes storage density.
- Consider cross docking to reduce the amount of inventory requiring storage locations.
- Keep your space neat and products off the floor. Use UNEX Span-Track that can be installed on existing pallet rack, allowing you to transform the area into carton flow for greater efficiency.
Stop by our Booth S1031 at ProMat 2019. See you in Chicago.
