Many people know the annoyance of starting an assembly project at home only to realize a part is missing. Sometimes, the missing piece isn’t noticed until halfway through—even though instructions usually recommend checking all parts before beginning. Now what?!
In manufacturing and assembly operations, finished products depend on thousands of individual parts. Major industries such as automotive, industrial machinery, construction & building materials, aerospace, appliances, data centers, utilities, and other industries rely heavily on parts distribution.
Picture an entire warehouse devoted to distributing parts for these complex products. Such facilities might handle hundreds of thousands of items, ranging from tiny circuits to heavy equipment. Some parts are in constant demand, while others may not be needed for years—but when required, they often must ship immediately.
Parts storage and handling facilities are often manual from receiving to shipping with forklifts, pallet racks, static shelving, push carts, kitting and packing tables. To streamline these operations, improvements often include better product slotting (organizing products within storage and picking areas), layout and material flow adjustments, additional training, and enhancements to warehouse management software (WMS).
However, vertical carousels have long been used in manufacturing for handling parts, and many companies now employ automation in their distribution processes. Automation provides benefits like increased inventory accuracy, faster order processing, improved space utilization, and more reliable on-time shipping.
Let’s review some parts distribution best practices, including automation and systems throughout a facility.
Unloading & Receiving
- Consider dock scheduling, yard and transportation management software.
- Ensure enough dock doors and staging lanes to unload full trailers.
- Use Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) with ASNs, RF barcode scanning, mobile label printers, and clearly marked dock doors and staging lanes.
- Look into automation/robotics for unloading tasks.
Storage & Retrieval (case & pallet)
- Implement random storage within each zone (small, medium, large parts), directed by WMS.
- Profile product inventory levels with optimal rack types (bins, cases, pallets).
- Narrow aisle widths—from 9’-6” to 10’-6” down to very narrow at 66”—to increase storage density.
- Utilize multi-pallet riders to carry two or three pallets along pick routes during case picking.
- Use multi-level pallet riders for picking above the floor level pallets during case picking.
- Pick to voice systems free hands from paperwork or RF devices during case picking.
- Use automation like Mini- to Large-Load Automated Storage & Retrieval Systems (AS/RS), and Shuttles handling Case and/or Pallets. There are many system providers, including Daifuku, Dematic, SSI Schaefer, Swisslog, TGW, ViaStore and more.
Storage & Retrieval (each/pieces)
- Create right-sized locations based on daily supply targets to prevent stockouts during picking—often five days of inventory for regularly moving items.
- Apply velocity-based slotting strategies to reduce travel time during picking.
- Multi-level pick modules with integrated pick-to-conveyor, zone-routing diverts, and downstream sorters.
- Integrate Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs, i.e. Locus Robotics, Ocado/Six Rivers) within existing static shelving environments.
- Evaluate dense automation, such as various Mini-Loads, Shuttle Systems (i.e. Exotec, HAI Robotics), Cube-Based Shuttles (i.e. AutoStore, Ocado), and Vertical Lift Modules (VLMs, i.e. Kardex, White).
Kitting/Packing, Load & Delivery
- Design workstations and assembly lines focused on lighting and ergonomics.
- Employ parts counters/weighers, baggers, case makers, sealers, labelers, and packaging machines.
- Review manufacturing/customer service levels and assess how operational design and costs meet requirements.
- Use automation including put walls, goods-to-person systems like VLMs and Shuttles.
- Utilize WMS and scanning technology to organize packages, dock assignments, and loading tasks.
Parts availability and delivery speed are crucial for manufacturers, repair professionals, and construction projects. Rapid access to needed parts—often within a day—is essential. Automation helps by optimizing storage, improving inventory accuracy, and speeding up fulfillment, all of which are vital to meet market demands. And don’t forget about the person tackling the home project in need of that missing part.
—Norm Saenz, St. Onge Company
