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  • Visit Numina Group in Booth #B3519 at MODEX 2018

    Visit Numina Group in Booth #B3519 at MODEX 2018

    Visit Numina Group in Booth #B3519 at MODEX 2018

    Jennifer Maloney
    March 8, 2018

    See a live demonstration of the e-com fulfillment module of our One Step Plus™ print and apply solution.

    Automating the application of the 8.5” x 11” packing sheet and shipping label with the latest advancement in print and apply labeling technology can be a great performance boost in a DC’s pack and ship operation. One-Step-Plus™ is an integrated in-line conveyor automation system that labels and manifests parcel shipments, eliminating manual hand application of the pack sheet and shipping label.

    Numina Group’s RDS™ (Real Time Distribution System) is a top-tier warehouse execution and control system (WES-WCS) containing a full family of software automation modules to efficiently manage and execute order fulfillment pick, pack, and ship processes. 

    The order fulfillment software module includes RDS Voice Picking, utilizing a highly advanced mobile computer for voice directing the DC workforce. Orders are picked using Cartonization logic directly to the shipping carton using an advanced Speaker Independent Voice technology that eliminates operator training time. 

    This technology will be demonstrated at Booth #S3452. Stop by, and learn why intuitive pick by voice, put to light order consolidation, and pack and ship automation has provided our customers documented savings of 50-70% workforce productivity gains!

    RDS Voice Pick & Pick/Put-to-Light Automation

    1. Speaker Independent Voice Picking requires Zero Training, including Labor Management & Productivity Tracking/Reporting
    2. RDS™ Cartonization Software – Highest Cube Utilization Logic determines “Best Fit” Carton
    3. Pick to Light and Pack to Light Order consolidation- fast, simple, and accurate

    Pack and Ship Automation

    1. Pick to Carton Reduces Touches in Packing
    2. Slashes Pack Labor and Material Costs
    3. Auto Print-Fold-Insert Shipping Documents
    4. Semi-automatic or Fully Automated Void and Seal

    Shipping and Manifesting

    1. In motion Scan-Weigh-Dimensioning, Vision Audit, and Ship Verification
    2. Print and Apply Labeling of Compliance, Packing Slips, and UPS, USPS, FedEx Shipping Labels
    3. Automated Conveyor and Parcel, Pallet Build and Order Fulfillment Sorting Systems

    About the Numina Group – Numina Group has over 35 years of experience in the design and implementation of automated warehouse and distribution centers. Numina Group’s Real-time Distribution System, RDS, is a top tier Warehouse Execution and Control System (WES-WCS) with an advanced order fulfillment automation module that includes pick by voice, pack, and ship process automation technologies for automated warehousing operations. 

    Numina Group provides a full range of services from consulting, warehouse design, pick by voice, pick and put to light, print and apply labeling, conveyor and sorting material handling controls for turnkey automated distribution operations. Their expertise eliminates bottlenecks and excessive labor while improving accuracy and throughput in order fulfillment.  Contact us or further information.

  • I TECHNICIAN SPOTLIGHT I

    I TECHNICIAN SPOTLIGHT I

    I TECHNICIAN SPOTLIGHT I

    Jennifer Maloney
    March 8, 2018

    Eric Raschke Numina Group, designer and integrator of warehouse automation

    TITLE:

    Service Manager

    LOCATION:

    Woodridge, Ill.

    TERRITORY:

    Customers in every U.S. state and international locations.

    DUTIES:

    Handle service calls, dispatch and coordinate field service technicians, remote troubleshooting.

    Numina Group’s dedicated Service Manager, Eric Raschke, was recently featured in Materials Handling MRO Magazine. Read his interview below.

    MHMRO: How did you get into this industry, and what do you like about it?

    Raschke: I was one of those kids who would take anything and everything apart. I had lots of Legos, and I’d put them put together by the directions first, then take them apart and put them back together my way.

    I went to school for electrical engineering, and I was always looking for a career that was hands-on, where I was able to use my skills to understand how things work. My first job out of school was as an engineer working under a maintenance manager and that crew had a lot to teach me. Whenever there was an issue, I was part of the team trying to figure it out. 

    I’ve been in maintenance now since 2006, and I really like working in the service field. It’s a very stressful area since everyone wants everything corrected right here and right now, but once you do correctly, you have a real sense of accomplishment.

    MHMRO: How does technology help you do your job?

    Raschke: Everything is moving so fast that it doesn’t even seem like it’s moving so fast. We didn’t have smartphones 10 years ago, and they are one of the best things that’s happened for someone in this field. 

    Even a customer with a limited amount of knowledge can take a video on a phone and give a technician something to see, and it’s often enough information to diagnose the problem a lot more quickly. Then we can either repair it remotely or be better prepared when we get to the site.

    Another thing I’ve seen over the last several years is warehouse automation equipment being Internet-connected.

    Each automated warehouse system we install has a remote connec­tion that gives us visibility into what’s happening. Back when everything was connected serially, or through some kind of industrial network, there was not that much visibility.

    The barcode scanner either worked or it didn’t, and that was about all you knew. It’s nice now that my technicians can dial into a customer’s site from across the country and access detailed diagnostics on each device as though we were right there. More and more devices have that capability.

    MHMRO:  What would you say to a high school or college graduate considering this field?

    Raschke: Learn anything you can. It doesn’t matter who it’s from. People who have been around 40 years have a lot of knowledge, of course. But when younger guys come in, they might have learned something you haven’t yet. Be ready to learn from anyone and everyone you can. That’s how you make yourself most valuable.

    When I was younger, a family friend told me I should go through life with an imaginary bag and take every opportunity to put something in it. Learn something new. Take a class, even if it’s not immediately relevant, because when you  go  back and look at the knowledge that accumulated in that bag, you’ll realize you’re a more valuable employee. That bag will open a lot of doors as you go through your career and life.

    18     MARCH  2018   /   MATERIALS HANDLING MRO   mmh.com

    The full Technician Spotlight interview can be found here.

  • Pack to Light Featured at ProMat 2017

    Pack to Light Featured at ProMat 2017

    Pack to Light Featured at ProMat 2017

    Jennifer Maloney
    April 2, 2017

    Featured at Promat 2017 Numina Group’s Pick by Voice & Pack to Light Boosts Order Fulfillment – Booth S3452

    Numina Group will demo its Real-time Distribution System, RDS™ Warehouse Execution and Control Software (WES-WCS) which combines pick-by-voice and put-to-light order picking and consolidation into a pick, pack, and ship suite for e-commerce and omnichannel distribution operations at Promat 2017 – Booth S3452. 

    Numina’s pick by voice solution directs the primary picking directly to the shipping carton while also directing the picking of items to the put to light consolidation operation. The new software module provides a highly efficient and cost-effective means to simultaneously pick orders across all of the DC’s pick zones and to gain a 30 to 50% higher productivity in current or new distribution centers. 

    Pick-by-voice, when combined with put-to-light, allows both single zone picking direct to the shipping carton and simultaneously sweeping items across all of the warehouse zones to consolidation totes. This provides efficient order pick and packing at the Put to Light Consolidation Area.

    Put-to-light walls can scale from small to large order consolidation requirements. A typical size is 50 or more order consolidation shelf positions. Each shelf includes a pick to light-put to light multi-color display indicator/ and confirmation button and shelf color LED light-bar illuminator. 

    Each display position includes a color light bar that illuminates to light the entire shelf position to quickly and accurately guide the operator to put and verify placement of the required items to the required shelf. Operators use a hands-free blue-tooth ring 2-D scanner to scan either the item barcode or the tote/case batch of items to rapidly light, put, and confirm orders. 

    The new put wall order consolidation technology allows a single operator to perform 500+ item scans and puts per hour.

    When the last item is scanned the alphanumeric display is lit showing the order is complete and the required carton size for packing and shipping.

    “Pick by Voice when combined with the latest advances in Put to Light order consolidation increases pick and pack order fulfillment and boosts productivity an additional 10 to 15% compared to a Batch Cart only picking process,” stated Rick Ernst, VP of Software Development at The Numina Group. 

    Put to Light order consolidation as a component of voice-directed cart and fork truck picking reduces operator walk or fork truck travel time and increases operators hourly picking rates by allowing more items to be picked per travel path. Additionally, an added bonus of the RDS Voice software module is batch picking and directing the put of all single SKU orders within the zones to a separate tote for “Speed Picking” of the single line orders and directing the singles tote to a high-speed pack and ship line.

    Interleaved, simultaneous picking operations with highly accurate 99.99% voice technology, gain even further efficiencies added to the picking process when combined with RDS’s pack automation technologies. RDS pack automation integrates conveyor, auto print, fold, and insert of the packing sheet, scan- weigh-dimensioning-vision audit and print and apply of the shipping label to further reduce labor and increase order shipment throughput performance.

    Numina Group’s RDS platform contains a full family of software automation modules to efficiently manage and execute order fulfillment pick, pack, and ship processes. 

    The order fulfillment software module includes RDS Voice utilizing a highly advanced mobile computer for voice directing the DC workforce. Orders are picked using RDS cartonization logic directly to the shipping carton using an advanced speaker-independent voice technology that eliminates operator training time. 

    This technology will be demonstrated at Booth #S3452. Stop by, and learn why intuitive pick by voice, put to light order consolidation, and pack and ship automation has provided our customers documented savings of 50-70% workforce productivity gains!

    RDS™ Voice Pick & Pick/Put to Light Automation

    Pack and Ship Automation

    Shipping and Manifesting

    About the Numina Group – Numina Group has more than 35 years of experience in the design and implementation of automated warehouse and distribution centers. Numina Group’s Real-time Distribution System, RDS™ is a top tier Warehouse Execution and Control System (WES-WCS) with an advanced order fulfillment automation module that includes pick by voice, pack, and ship process automation technologies for automated warehousing operations. 

    Numina Group provides a full range of services from warehouse design and consulting services as well as solutions for pick by voice, pick and put to light, print and apply labeling, automated conveyor systems, and sorting material handling controls for turnkey automated distribution operations. Our expertise eliminates bottlenecks and excessive labor while improving accuracy and throughput in order fulfillment.  Contact us or further information.

  • Webcam Vision Capture

    Webcam Vision Capture

    Webcam Vision Capture

    Jennifer Maloney
    February 15, 2017

    Numina Group has applied for the Promat 2017 Innovation Award. RDS Webcam Vision Capture becomes a standard component of our Scan-Weigh-Audit System.

    WOODRIDGE, IL — Numina Group has submitted the next generation Vision Capture technology as an innovation worthy of the Promat 2017 Innovation Award. The latest iteration of RDS™ Webcam Vision Capture integrates high definition image capture with RDS Scan-Weigh-Audit System to capture weight, as well as an image of outbound shipping cartons picked complete SKU contents prior to addition of void, and the sealing of the carton at completion of the pack process.

    Promat 2017 is the premier showcase for material handling, supply chain, and logistics solutions in North America. The Innovation Award recognizes technologies that advance inefficiencies and accuracy for warehousing, manufacturing, distribution, and supply chain.

    Numina Group’s RDS™ Webcam audits pick, pack, and ship. It can also be used for full case or packed carton in-line Scan-Weigh-Dim-Audit systems that further validate parcel and LTL order shipments. Vision capture takes advantage of the latest generation high-performance webcam, an intelligent Internet appliance that lowers the cost of high-resolution image capture. 

    The webcam is automatically triggered by scanning the carton or tote barcode and captures and transmits a high-resolution internal carton content image that is time-stamped and saved in the RDS Warehouse Control System, WCS database.  Vision helps customer service validate a customer’s order shipment and eliminates customer order delivery disputes.

    “Including the webcam as a standard component of the Scan-Weigh-Audit system lowers the barrier that previously limited the return on investment of vision technology.  Now users can gain another tool to increase quality control and improve customer service in their order fulfillment center.  Vision in combination with weight audit decreases the likelihood a customer can falsely claim there was a picking error, and is especially useful for direct to consumer, and B to B internet fulfillment operations,” explained Dan Hanrahan, President and founder of The Numina Group.

    The system integrates with RDS software controls and diverts cartons that fail the expected weight tolerance to a QC audit inspection station that seamlessly integrates quality assurance throughout the pick, pack, and ship process.  The software includes a carton order history database for tracking, retrieving, and viewing each shipment and allows customer service to view and e-mail order details with the internal content image to the customer for visual verification proof of delivery.

    “In the event of a customer shipment dispute, customer service can view a time-stamped image of the carton content and resolve shipment disputes at a fraction of the cost it takes to manually verify an order shipment,” noted Hanrahan.

    Numina Group’s software and automation technologies streamline order fulfillment and increase productivity for distribution and manufacturing operations. RDS Webcam Vision Capture and inline Scan-Weigh-Audit technology along with RDS full family of warehouse automation technologies including:  Pick by Voice, Pick to Light, Print Fold Insert of pack sheet documentation, and Print and Apply Labeling will be demonstrated at Promat booth S3452.

    Promat 2017 takes place from April 3-6 at McCormick Place in Chicago.  Visit Numina Group at Promat 2017 in booth S3452.

    About Numina Group:  Numina Group is an industry-leading independent warehouse systems integrator and provider of the RDS Warehouse Execution and Control System, WES-WCS software for manufacturing and distribution applications. 

    Numina Group offers a full range of professional services including warehouse systems consulting/design, mechanical engineering, controls, and automation technologies that improve new and existing warehousing operations.

  • Numina Group Announces the Release of a Full Featured Warehouse Management System, WMS

    Numina Group Announces the Release of a Full Featured Warehouse Management System, WMS

    Numina Group Announces the Release of a Full Featured Warehouse Management System, WMS

    Jennifer Maloney
    December 13, 2016

    WOODRIDGE, IL – Provider of warehouse and distribution order fulfillment automation, design and engineering services, Numina Group, announces the release of a highly advanced and tightly integrated Warehouse Management System (WMS).

    RDS+ LFS.wms provides a proven solution backed by a worldwide leader in warehouse management systems. The solution provides a highly scalable warehouse management system with a full family of advanced logistic automation modules including a transportation management system (LFS.tms). The software is proven in over 2,000 worldwide installations.

    RDS+ LFS.wms integrates Real-time Distribution Software Warehouse Execution and Control System (WES-WCS) order fulfillment software suite with a tightly coupled and robust combined WMS-WES. RDS+LFS.wms provide a single source high-performance, high-transaction WMS that bundles all the best practice warehouse automation tools in a pre-configured WMS core application. 

    RDS+ LFS.wms scales from mid-range to large volume DC’s and also supports multi-site DC requirements and can also be Cloud deployment,” said Dan Hanrahan, President of the Numina Group.

    Key to RDS+LFS.wms is the large percentage of the WMS application that is provided in a preconfigured starter package. The WMS is shipped ready to be configured to the DC’s requirements, based on more than 30 years of application know-how and WMS implementation experience. Included in the RDS + LFS.wms is inbound goods receiving, inspection, inventory management including A, B, C velocity put-away/slotting, and order pick, pack, and ship with both RF and voice picking automation.

    The following summarizes RDS+ LFS.wms core functionality with the ability to “bolt-on” the full family of additional Ehrhardt + Partner logistic automation and supply chain modules:

    “RDS+ LFS.wms scales from mid-range to large volume DC’s and also supports multi-site DC requirements and can also be Cloud deployment.”

    • Receiving: Capture, record and post incoming goods from suppliers and/or manufacturing production transfer areas.
    • Quality Control: Creation by SKU of inspection rules and order shipment instructions.
    • Inventory Control and Management: Maintain and define storage locations and bin locations with a configurable inventory management strategy that includes put-away, retrieval, replenishment, and stocktaking/cycle counting.
    • ABC-Analysis: ABC SKU analysis and range analysis by SKU velocity movement for directing storage location type and storage location groupings.
    • Paper, RF Terminal and/or Voice Picking: voice picking, pick to light, and RF terminal picking automation.
    • Intelligent Transport Shipping Manager: History, definition, display and use and recording of shipping and transport/tasks to optimize pick, pack, and ship work tasks.
    • Report and label print management: Lists and labels with a layout designer that can be performed by in-house personnel.
    • Interface to ERP: Import and export of item master, purchase order, delivery advice, goods receiving, customer or order data.
    • Statistics: Key performance indicators, KPI’s, displays and printouts, statistic records for put away, retrieval and relocation.

    Additional information on E+P’s full family of Logistic Focused Solutions and RDS+LFS.wms can be obtained by visiting or contacting the Numina Group at https://numinagroup.com/. Or at E+P http://www.ehrhardt-partner.com/en/warehouse-management/warehouse-management-system-

    About Numina Group: Founded in 1986, Numina Group is a leading supplier of warehouse execution and control system, WES-WCS, material handling automation and systems integrator for manufacturing, warehousing, and automated distribution order fulfillment applications. The firm provides voice picking, pick to light, conveyor and sorting controls seamlessly integrated to an advanced warehouse management system. Numina Group offers a full range of engineering services and software including consulting/design and engineering to accelerate the performance of pick, pack, and ship process at existing and new distribution order fulfillment operations.

    About Ehrhardt + Partner Group: A Leading Worldwide Expert in Logistics, Warehouse Management and Supply Chain Optimization Services.  Founded in 1987, Ehrhardt + Partner are an international group of companies with more than 450 employees in fifteen worldwide software development and support locations. The combination of our 30 years of expertise in logistics, software engineering, and on-going R&D commitment provides the latest in supply chain software functionality and technologies to assure customers a committed and financially strong partner to meet today’s and future logistic and transportation challenges.

    Ehrhardt + Partner offer a modular, scalable multi-OS and database independent Warehouse Logistics and Warehouse Management System. Customers can rely on us to provide highly reliable software and solutions that optimize warehouse and their entire supply chain. Logistic Focused Solution, LFS™ our flagship Warehouse Management System, LFS.wms is installed at over 700 customers distribution and warehouse operations managing over 1,200 worldwide distribution centers; picking and shipping over 40 million orders a day!

  • Warehouse Voice Picking Success Story

    Warehouse Voice Picking Success Story

    Warehouse Voice Picking Success Story

    Jennifer Maloney
    July 12, 2016

    Schumacher Triples Throughput in Existing DCs, Gains a Scalable Solution for Continued Growth

    With the Numina Group’s Help, Company Leverages Technology and Achieves a 12-Month ROI

    Schumacher Electric, headquartered in Mt. Prospect, Ill., with plants in Mexico, China and the USA, is the world’s foremost manufacturer of battery chargers. Founded in 1947, the company has built a thriving business by selling its products to large retailers such as Walmart, Napa, Advance Auto Parts and Pep Boys as well as the world’s leading multinational equipment manufacturers.

    Business Challenge

    Manual order fulfillment processes were limiting Schumacher’s potential for growth. A large percentage of Schumacher’s daily orders were high case volume shipments to major retailer clients, which can range from a single carton mixed SKU parts order up to an order of 50,000 units. All mixed case order picking was done using fork trucks, staging, hand labeling and re-palletizing the orders, a process that required a dedicated staff of ten to sixteen people a day to accomplish the task.

    Fulfillment was further complicated by the fact that many of Schumacher’s large retail customers require vendor-compliant shipping labels on every case shipment. The risk of applying the wrong compliance labels to a customer’s shipment could result in costly shipping and compliance fines imposed by the retailer.

    Additionally, due to an increasing volume of Internet orders, parcel shipping was becoming a fast growing segment of the business and adding new complexity to the fulfillment workflow.

    As business continued to grow, Schumacher hit a ceiling on order throughput with its existing paper-driven order fulfillment processes. “On our best day, we could only process $1.5 million in order shipments between our two DCs,” said Chris Hadsall, Executive Vice President for Schumacher. “We needed more throughput and higher efficiency.”

    As a first step, Schumacher introduced barcode scanning to the order picking process to improve picking accuracy. However, the potential for fulfillment errors were still present due to manual batch printing and hand-applying the compliance labels to each case at the pallet build operation.

    To alleviate the bottleneck in growth, Hadsall took on the initiative to improve throughput and accuracy in the company’s distribution centers (DCs). Hadsall, a seasoned business professional with a background in civil engineering, computer science and business operations, knew that significant efficiency gains could be achieved by applying the right automation expertise and technologies.

    Solution

    Schumacher engaged The Numina Group, a leading order fulfillment automation integrator with 30 years of experience in the design and implementation of automated warehouses and distribution centers, to perform a design study. The Numina Group studied the company’s current DC operation and made recommendations on better practices and technologies to improve efficiency and order throughput.

    Design Study Yields a More Efficient Picking Strategy

    Numina’s design study gave Schumacher a clear game plan to improve efficiency and throughput by reengineering its order fulfillment operation to eliminate labor-intensive manual processes, maximize throughput and provide the projected ROI through an investment in automation.

    Numina Group analyzed SKU movement and the DCs’ existing slotting to identify inefficiencies in storage and improve product movement by designing a more efficient pick path. This included locating the highest moving SKUs along the conveyor line to eliminate wasted walk time and fork truck travel. This led to improved efficiencies in picking and reduced replenishment cycles.

    The new DC design slotted slow-moving SKUs in locations separately from the high-velocity SKUs. High movers were located in an accessible and ergonomically friendly pallet flow in an efficient pick path, resulting in fast picking and easy replenishment. The key to adding efficiency was the step of slotting the highest moving products in pallet flow lanes directly along the conveyor. This was an essential step to gaining productivity by locating the A and B products in the closest locations along the conveyor line to eliminate wasted walking time.

    The second component of the design study assessed the potential of improving efficiency through automation technologies such as voice-directed picking, automated print-and-apply labeling and the use of a conveyor and order sorting system to reduce the use of fork trucks for the majority of case picking.

    New Conveyor and Order Sorting System Streamlines Fulfillment

    In addition to reconfiguring the warehouse to improve slotting, Schumacher implemented a new conveyor and order sorting system with in-line scan, weigh and print-and-apply labeling capabilities to automate the application of both the shipping and retail compliance label. Voice picking is used throughout the operation with voice managing the slow movers more efficiently by batch picking these SKUs using a fork truck. When a mixed pallet of cases for the pick wave is complete, the operator is directed to drop off the pallets for loading onto the conveyor system.

    To streamline Schumacher’s growing small parcel shipping volume, Numina also recommended adding voice picking technology to direct workers in the mixed SKU order picking process. Items are now picked and scan validated, using totes with a manual pack to carton process. This area is also streamlined using print-and-apply technology for automated manifesting and parcel labeling.

    Warehouse Execution & Control System Manages Automated Order Flow

    The entire order fulfillment operation is managed by Numina Group’s Real-time Distribution System, a top-tier Warehouse Execution and Control System, (WES-WCS). RDS’s order fulfillment automation software includes voice directed picking along with in-motion case barcode scanning, print and apply labeling and the pallet build sorting process control. RDS manages the batch case pick-to-conveyor process, assigns and scan-weight validates each case to the customer’s order and ensures the cases are labeled with the retailer’s UCC compliance label and pallet-build shipment rules, all without human intervention!

    Moving to voice picking has increased accuracy to 99.99% and efficiency by over 70% at the DC. Now, order pickers are directed in the most efficient walk path to the product storage location. Using the combination of voice instructions and hands-free barcode scanning of the storage location and SKU barcode batch case, picking now occur across multiple orders at pick rates above 600 cartons per man hour.

    Operators receive voice commands to pick the required quantity and scan validate each case as they are placed on the automated MDR conveyor line that transports and measures each case through the in-motion scan-weigh audit station. The case SKU barcode is captured, the case is weight audited and the print-and-apply applicator automatically applies either a compliance label or both a compliance and parcel shipping label to the case.

    The scan weigh audit also performs pick count verification and the RDS labeling software module assigns the case and count matched to the customer’s specific order and prints and applies the required labels. Barcode scanners after the labeling process are used to validate the entire pick and ship process. Each case is then conveyed to a pallet and shipping sorter where cases are again scanned and sorted to the order pallet build stations or directly to FedEx® or UPS® shipment lanes.

    Benefits:

    • Increased throughput by 70 percent
    • Reduced staffing from 16 to three to five employees for LTL case picking
    • Eliminated manual fulfillment practices
    • Achieved 99% order picking accuracy
    • Eliminated the majority of retailer charge backs and fines

    According to Hadsall, one huge benefit of speaker-independent voice technology is that it has virtually eliminated worker training. “When we need to bring temps in for the heavy season, it used to take us one to two weeks to train somebody so we were confident they weren’t going to screw up a customer shipment,” he said. “Now, with the speaker-independent voice picking system, there is zero voice training, so we can train workers in less than five minutes. Our CFO came in and we strapped the headgear on him. In less than five minutes he was a picking professional.”

    Hadsall also noted that employees are fully onboard with the new system. “At first, our DC staff was really skeptical about the new technologies we were putting in place. But once we got the system in and running they were beside themselves. They couldn’t figure out why we didn’t pull the trigger on this system five, six, even ten years ago,” he said.

    Automation is Free – With the Right Return on Investment (ROI)

    Schumacher was able to implement their new fulfillment system in a six-month period. Equally important, the company’s ROI has been very rapid. “When we put the first voice pick and labeling automation system in, it was just slightly under $600,000 and we certainly saw the payback within the first year,” said Hadsall.

    Overall Schumacher has invested $1.4 million across both DCs including the conveyor system. “The investment has proven to be well worth it,” Hadsall said. “We’ve not only improved picking and shipping accuracy, but we’ve also increased throughput capacity from $1.5 million to more than $5 million in order shipments per day.”

    By carefully investing in automation expertise and the right technology, Schumacher has eliminated operational bottlenecks and has positioned itself well for a future of continued growth.

    Future Enhancements

    Hadsall and his team are pleased with their new operational workflow and already exploring areas for additional improvement. Hadsall wants to add scanning to the process of trailer loading. This entails scanning and capturing pallet loading to the truck to increase accuracy and eliminate current manual data recording. “Right now, the staff loads the truck and logs load movement using paperwork to record the operation. Additional labor is required to record and enter pallet movement into our ERP system,” he said. “The paperwork is not always completed correctly and becomes a source of error. We want to automate pallet-to-trailer movement with voice and scan validation for additional checks and balances and close the loop on our shipment history reporting.”

    Hadsall also plans to add cameras, so that as the product is being loaded in the truck, a picture is taken with a time stamp and the order number included with it. “The Numina Group has these tools,” he said. “We can add them so if somebody says we shorted them 10 pieces, we can go back through the camera and verify that the pallet was complete when it went on the truck. The picture is worth a 1000 words and provides the final order shipment confirmation.”

    The company will probably be adding a scan tunnel to dimension lines down the road. “We already know the carton dimensions, but it would be nice to have a real time audit check that verifies the weight and dimensions in case a split case order got repacked in the pack area, especially with the higher costs of dimensional weigh parcel shipments,” Hadsall said.

    As Hadsell’s next steps and new ideas show, Schumacher is winning through its willingness to explore new technologies. By carefully investing in automation expertise and the right technology, Schumacher has eliminated operational bottlenecks and positioned itself well for a future of continued growth.

  • Numina Group Releases RDS Web2™ Web-based Dashboard Interface for RDS™ Warehouse Control and Execution System

    Numina Group Releases RDS Web2™ Web-based Dashboard Interface for RDS™ Warehouse Control and Execution System

    Numina Group Releases RDS Web2™ Web-based Dashboard Interface for RDS™ Warehouse Control and Execution System

    Jennifer Maloney
    April 5, 2016

    Numina Group announces the release of its latest web based user interface for RDS™

    Numina Group announces the release of its latest web based user interface for RDS™, a top tier WES-WCS warehouse automation software platform. The web2 dashboard user interface is what software developers call a “rich web experience,” allowing web-based applications to have the responsiveness of desktop applications, with the added capability of being able to operate on virtually any device!  Web2 screens contain live data, and reconfigure individual parts of the page just like the best desktop applications.

    Numina Group’s software development team researched, prototyped, benchmarked, and ultimately selected the fastest web development toolsets to implement the new generation of RDS dashboard and user interfaces. 

    “We wanted screens that are fast, responsive, and operate on the highest percentage of Phones, PC’s, and PDA’s, so we selected tools from Google,” stated Mark Woodworth, VP of  Software Research and Development for the Numina Group. 

    Prior to the release of the Web2 dashboard RDS™ used a Java based user interface. The current RDS Java based web screens co-exist with Web2 so current customers can continue to use their existing PC web screen interfaces and  can add enhanced web2 functionality to existing RDS applications.

    RDS Goes Open Source for latest Web based Dashboard Technologies

    The software chosen is based on open source tools. This allows for inclusion of hundreds of readily available viewing tool widgets such as bar charts, gauges and other tools to enhance and simplify the operator and management visibility experience. The main tools are from Google so the software is assured to run on virtually any user’s device from smart phones to a 75” flat screen operational dashboard display.  

    Browsers that support web2 found on today’s phones, tablets, and laptops, include Apple, Android, Microsoft phones, virtually every tablet, including Amazon Fire, Apple iPad, and Microsoft based tablets and laptops. 

    RDS web2 software will connect to these devices without downloading apps or plugins; “It’s as easy as accessing Google News or Maps! Web2’s responsive visibility, integrated to our RDS™ Dashboard allows users to access data from almost any smart device. We have designed and built the framework to quickly and easily tailor screens to match customer specific application requirements,” Woodworth said.

    Techie Software Stuff!

    The RDS Server uses Node.js, (JavaScript) the high-performance Google V8 JavaScript engine.  Inside the user interface browser is Node.js and Sails.js which are used in the web user interface application framework.  

    Sails.js provides connections to many types of databases, authentication and authorization, and data routing using a variety of powerful technologies including Web Sockets.

    Numina also extended the Node.js environment to allow direct and immediate access to the underlying RDS real-time control environment, essentially a web browser interface with proper authentication that can access the real-time control engine to read and write variables, force I/O and set control parameters for DC-wide monitoring and tracking operation productivity, order status, barcode scan rate statistics, print and apply labeling systems, and conveyor and sorting applications.

    The use of Google’s Angular.js application framework future proofs the software.  Angular’s directive-based markup and two-way data binding is the tool of choice for rich web applications. This software is augmented with Twitter’s Bootstrap library so RDS has a uniform and straight forward means for operators to access screens regardless of size and or the orientation of the user’s screen.   

    Angular.js includes support for many other libraries that seamlessly enhance the front-end browser software developer’s productivity, including CreateJS for HTML5 canvas screen graphics and Data Driven Documents (D3.js) for diagrams, charts, and graphs.

    “Using Open Source tools provides a rapid development environment for our software development team to more quickly test and develop RDS™ Dashboard with responsive and easy to use visibility. 

    Users can now access data from almost any smart device and the framework allows us to more quickly and easily tailor screens to customer specific application requirements,” added Woodworth.

  • Vision Pack and Audit System, V-PAS™ adds 3-D Camera Technology to Determine the Carton Content, Minimize Shipping Costs, and Improve Customer Service

    Vision Pack and Audit System, V-PAS™ adds 3-D Camera Technology to Determine the Carton Content, Minimize Shipping Costs, and Improve Customer Service

    Vision Pack and Audit System, V-PAS™ adds 3-D Camera Technology to Determine the Carton Content, Minimize Shipping Costs, and Improve Customer Service

    Jennifer Maloney
    April 5, 2016

    Verifies Pick to Carton has Right Products in Right Size Carton

    Numina Group announces the release of IFM’s 3-D Smart Sensor Camera incorporated to our latest release of Vision Pack and Audit System, V-PAS. V-PAS can be purchased as a stand-alone carton content and case picking inspection system or as a component within Numina’s RDS™ Warehouse Execution and Control System, WES-WCS. 

    The 3-D camera inspection is designed to provide automated conveyor systems the ability to in-motion examine the internal content of a carton prior to the pack, void, and seal process. The 3-D smart sensor imaging technology adds carton depth perception to the V-PAS System.

    3-D sensing looks inside the carton and inspects the internal carton contents to determine the actual fill rate occurring during the picking process. 

    The system performs an audit of the open cartons for pick & pack inspection and void detection measurement. 

    For example, if the DC sets the desired carton pack rate to 90%, the sensor compares the actual carton fill rate to the pre-set pick-pack efficiency goal, to provide a method of verifying that the right size carton is used for each shipment, eliminating costly dimensional parcel shipment errors.

    V-PAS diverts errors over or under optimal packing to the inspection re-pack lane. This prevents higher shipping costs and lowers void usage to improve customer service, and increase operational profitability.

    3-D Vision “completes the loop” on cartonization software that is used to determine the right size carton prior to order release for pick to carton. V-PAS works to improve cartonization software by detecting cartonization errors due to a change in SKU weight, dimensional packaging, and will ensure SKU changes no longer go undetected. The technology provides the means to more rapidly update your item master database.

    V-PAS can combine multiple measurement and imaging technologies for picking and order shipment validation. V-PAS can combine the 3-D smart sensor with a digital camera to inspect pack and record the internal carton contents to assist customer service in validating item shipments. 

    V-PAS can be combined with an in-motion scale to perform weight audit and capture a digital image of the carton content to further validate the actual product shipment.

    Major Benefits of Vision Pack and Audit System, V-PAS includes:

    • Electronic Visual Verification Records of Full Case Shipments
    • Verify Shipment Contents
    • Eliminate Oversized Carton Shipments
    • Reduce Packing Labor and Shipping Errors
    • Visual Carton Content and Shipment Weight and Dimensional History
    • Improve Customer Service Through Order Visibility

    Numina Group’s RDS WES-WCS solution includes the software module to store time-stamped records of the order ID and carton content image in its relational database for order detail data web based viewing and reporting of order delivery verification, audit shipments, and compliance requirements

    Vision-Inspect Module

    The Vision-Inspect Module is an optional inline case inspection software module that can be used for full case shipment inspection, pick verification, and ship validation. 

    It operates in high speed 180 cases per minute conveyor and sorting applications. The system can include up to 4 high resolution digital cameras to perform the case image capture and inspection.  

    The software module is used extensively in the wine and spirits distribution industry providing a “product case color pattern match image learning algorithm” that performs comparison of the picked cases and barcodes, to known images and barcodes for on-line order shipment verification. 

    The software operates in real-time and prevents case picking errors to ensure 99.98% picking and shipping accuracy.

    Reports and Inquiry

    All V-PAS systems include a web-based browser dashboard interface to view carton shipment contents or full case carton image and inspection history. The software contains a search feature to inquire on any carton by the order number, shipment label, or tracking barcode. 

    When the case ID is scanned or keyed into the search field, the time-stamped carton history, image, and inspection details are displayed on the screen. 

    V-PAS includes conveyor and sorting control signals, and all information is retained in the system for 60 days. The data can easily be integrated to your ERP-WMS System.

    About Numina Group

    Numina Group has more than three decades of experience in warehouse software, controls, design and implementation for automated warehouse and distribution centers. 

    Numina Group’s Real-time Distribution System, RDS™ is a Top Tier Warehouse Execution and Control System, (WES-WCS) with an advanced order fulfillment automation module that delivers voice-directed pick, pack, and ship process automation technologies to improve distribution operations. 

    Numina Group provides a full range of services from warehouse design services, as well as solutions for voice-directed picking, pack & ship automation, in-line scan-weigh dimensioning, and vision inspection as stand-alone and fully integrated modules within its RDS WES-WCS. 

    Our software and equipment includes conveyor systems and material handling technologies, providing turn-key highly productive warehouse automation solutions to eliminate bottlenecks, excessive labor, improve accuracy and throughput across distribution and warehouse operations. 

    To learn more about Numina Group visit online at https://numinagroup.com and also visit us at Modex 2016, April 4th -7th Booth 4427.

  • Numina Group to demonstrate order fulfillment automation technologies at MODEX 2016 Booth 4427

    Numina Group to demonstrate order fulfillment automation technologies at MODEX 2016 Booth 4427

    Numina Group to demonstrate order fulfillment automation technologies at MODEX 2016 Booth 4427

    Jennifer Maloney
    March 24, 2016

    Numina Group to demonstrate order fulfillment automation technologies at MODEX 2016 Booth 4427

    Numina Group, a leading supplier of Warehouse Execution and Control Systems, WES-WCS and independent warehouse systems integrator, offers over 30 years of experience in the design and implementation of automated warehouse and distribution centers. 

    At MODEX, Numina Group’s latest order fulfillment and material handling technologies will be showcased in Booth #4427, including voice directed pick, pack, and ship automation featuring camera based inspection, carton dimensioning, pack sheet print-fold-insert, and print and apply labeling managed by Numina’s Real-time Distribution Software, RDS™ WES-WCS.

    Voice Picking and Pick/Put to Light Automation

    Pack Automation

    • Pick to Carton Reduces Touches in Packing
    • Slash Pack Labor and Material Costs
    • Auto Print-Fold-Insert Shipping Documents
    • Semi-automatic or Fully Automated Void and Seal

    Shipping and Manifesting

    • In motion Scan-Weigh-Dimensioning, Vision Pack, and Ship Verification
    • Print and Apply labeling of Compliance, Packing Slips, and UPS, USPS, FedEx Shipping Labels
    • Automated Conveyor and Parcel, Pallet Build, and Order Fulfillment Sorting Systems

    RDS is a powerful top-tier WES-WCS. It is a modular, scalable platform that includes all the tools needed for integrating Omni-channel Pick, Pack, and Ship automation. RDS Order Fulfillment modules provide flexible, scalable solutions to increase efficiency and productivity in distribution.

    RDS Voice is superior technology for implementing lean, highly productive voice directed automated operations for manufacturing and distribution. It uses the world’s leading speaker-independent voice engine that requires zero operator voice training regardless of background noise. It improves accuracy to 99.9% in picking, kitting, receiving and replenishment applications, and increases productivity 25% or more.

    Also to be showcased is the industry’s most advanced Print-Fold-Insert (PFI™) technology to automate printing and insertion of multiple 8.5” x 11” laser printed packing sheets into variable height shipment cartons. 

    PFI™ is part of a highly advanced family of Numina Group’s print and insert, and/or print and apply labeling systems that automate packing and shipping applications. Print, fold and document insertion is supplied with conveyor systems and complementary technologies, including; in-line scan-weigh dimensioning, auto-taper sealers, and print and apply labeling, to automate Omni-channel, e-commerce, and other high volume pack and ship automation applications.

    Numina Group’s warehouse automation engineers will be on hand in Booth 4427 to discuss answer questions. MODEX, “the Greatest Supply Chain Show on Earth” will be held this year in Atlanta, Georgia at the Georgia World Congress Center from April 4-7, 2016.

    The customer had three initial questions about implementing a Voice Directed picking process.

    1. Would the upgrade require a significant and costly software investment from IT or a major wireless network to accommodate the voice messages generated by 250,000 transactions?
    2. Would the software connect with the existing WMS – JDA Merchandise Management?
    3. Most importantly, would they achieve the expected ROI?

    All three concerns were readily alleviated due to the advantages of RDS’s WES-WCS Linux based voice solution! It can operate on virtually every hardware platform from dedicated servers, virtual servers, and private cloud-based servers.  

    RDS Voice uses small network message packets, typically under 25K bytes per message, a fraction of the size compared to other voice picking technologies, for transmitting picking instructions and operator work completion confirmation messages.  

    The client-server based voice solution is very lean with small, highly efficient messaging technology. It handles high volume picking transactions which minimally impacts the existing facility wireless network.

    To answer their second question, Numina explained that RDS software is a top tier WES-WCS platform with thousands of installations that bolt on to virtually any existing ERP or WMS. Adding the improved processes to the clients JDA WMS on the IBM I-Series AS-400 platform was achieved using an RDS pre-developed interface.

    The answer to the third question, can RDS Voice deliver a one-year ROI, was evident after the conclusion of the successful pilot. The work force had never used voice picking. The customer had doubts about the estimated ROI and the adaption of voice by their workers. The pilot was initially conducted with 20 pickers, and after the initial success, the trial period was expanded to 40 pickers.

    The goal, to raise average picks by 30 percent per hour, from 195 lines to 257 lines, was soon exceeded. “We had to prove to ourselves that we could get a 30% productivity gain during the pilot before we added the entire workforce. 

    This goal was achieved, and several additional enhancements were identified that would provide even higher productivity when we added the entire workforce” stated the operation manager.

    During the pilot, a 20% productivity increase occurred in the first day due to the speaker independent voice technology that requires zero operator voice training.  

    Within just a few weeks the workforce had exceeded the 30% goal and went above a 35% productivity increase with the highest performing workers achieving a 60% productivity increase. Picking accuracy across the team averaged 99.96%. 

    Voice-directed picking combined with hands-free scanning accounts for 5-10% added productivity with a typical boost in accuracy of .5% compared to voice only picking applications.

    RDS Voice includes labor management and reporting that further boosts workforce performance. It adds operator accountability through Web based labor management tools that record the accuracy and the performance of each of the approximately 100 operators. 

    Management is able to view operational productivity from any PC, tablet, or portable device, and can see real-time production statistics for any worker. Views and reports provide feedback of workers that display individual and team hourly and daily production results. 

    This real time reporting capability is a useful tool to recognize and reward workers that exceed their goals.

    “Once we started tracking the labor productivity measurements, we saw that some of our associates were just really excelling at it,” said the company’s operation manager.  

    “This prompted us to put in an incentive policy for our workers, so if they maintain an accuracy level of at least 99.6 percent. If they reach at least a 30% higher productivity level than the designated standards, they qualify as a voice professional (VP) which earns them recognition within the order picking team, as well as a wage increase as part of our bonus plan.”

    For information about how to increase productivity by 35% or more in your distribution center, contact an engineer.

  • Numina Group named “2015 Integrator of the Year” by Panther Industries

    Numina Group named “2015 Integrator of the Year” by Panther Industries

    Numina Group named “2015 Integrator of the Year” by Panther Industries

    Jennifer Maloney
    February 16, 2016

    Woodridge, Illinois, February 10, 2016

    Numina Group, a leading supplier of automated warehouse control systems, has been awarded “The Integrator of the Year Award for 2015”, by Panther Industries.” 

    Numina Group’s automated labeling solutions use Panther’s line of print and apply label applicators to auto-apply packing sheets, shipping and retail compliance labels for automating parcel and LTL shipment to reduce labor, eliminate errors, and increase productivity in distribution order fulfillment.

    “Numina Group has once again outpaced the industry by continuing their record as our number one sales leader of Panther Print and Apply Label Applicator Systems for 2015,” stated James Thompson, president of Panther Industries. 

    Panther manufactures the highest performance, “best in class” print and apply label applicators, including the Panther P8e, an all-electric tamp application that achieves the industry’s fastest label print/tamp cycle performance and accurate label placement technology.

    Numina Group’s software and labeling expertise reduces manual labor in manufacturing, warehouse and distribution order fulfillment, and shipping operations. 

    Print and apply label applicators are essentially low-cost robots used to automate printing and application of labels. Distribution applications include inbound receiving, outbound compliance labeling, shipment labeling and manifesting of parcels for USPS, UPS, FedEx or LTL carriers.

    Numina’s solutions combine in-motion barcode scanning, weighing, dimensioning and labeling with real-time software to automate pick, pack, and ship order fulfillment applications. 

    Print-and-apply labeling automates pack and ship applications by combining shipping document print and insertion with auto applying the shipping label to streamline the entire order fulfillment operation.

    “The performance and reliability of Panther’s print and apply line complements our automation solutions,” explains Dan Hanrahan, President of Numina Group. “We like suppliers with a passion for excellence in performance, reliability, and ease of maintenance. When customers invest in automation, they require highly reliable equipment. It is critical that the conveyor and automation equipment is rock solid, designed to operate 24/7,” he added.

    Panther Industries shares Numina Group’s philosophy, and builds high quality applicators with a plug and play off the shelf industrial components. Their applicators use high performance Ethernet/IP and Modbus over Ethernet intelligent controls that easily integrate to Numina’s Real-time Distribution System, RDS-WCS labeling automation applications.

    An excellent example of this is Panther’s P8e “All Electric” print and apply labeling system used in Numina’s One Step™ pack sheet and shipping label automation solutions.

    One Step™ is a modular labeling automation solution to streamline packing, shipping, and manifesting. It typically reduces 5 or more operator workstations in B2B and e-comm manual packing and shipping distribution operations.

    The retail fulfillment voice directed pick process is closely coupled to the WMS and works like this:

    One Step™ automatically scans, weighs, dimensions, and prints and applies a combination 8.5” x 11” packing sheet and carrier shipping label in a single step, eliminating  manual labor by automating and validating that the correct documentation is applied to each shipment to eliminate sources of errors, boost productivity, and increase accuracy in E-commerce and B to B distribution operations.

     

    About the Numina Group — Numina Group has more than 35 years of experience in the design and implementation of automated warehouse and distribution centers. Numina Group’s Real-time Distribution System, RDS™ is a top tier Warehouse Control System, (WCS) with an advanced order fulfillment automation module that delivers pick, pack and ship process improvements for manufacturing and distribution operations worldwide. 

    Numina Group provides a full range of services from consulting/design, voice directed picking, pack & ship order fulfillment automation, Warehouse Control Systems (WCS), conveyor systems, material handling and control to provide clients a turnkey automated distribution operations. 

    Their expertise eliminates bottlenecks and excessive labor while improving accuracy and throughput in order fulfillment. To learn more about Numina Group, visit them at Modex 2016 in Atlanta April 4th-7th– Booth 4427.

    About Panther Industries — Panther Industries is an engineering-based manufacturer of Automated Labeling Equipment including Label Applicators, Label Print & Apply Systems and associated products. Panther’s staff is highly trained and experienced in labeling solutions and integration. 

    Manufacturing labeling systems is our core business. It is not a means for us to simply sell more labels, ribbons, service or parts. Many people say it, but check our references. We are customer driven and we promise 100% satisfaction! 

    That means we aren’t satisfied until you are satisfied. We offer 24/7/364 phone support at NO CHARGE. When you call our service department, you will get a live person who is knowledgeable in the service and repair of everything we manufacture.  http://www.print-n-apply.com/

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