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  • The Numina Group’s New Cartonization Software Reduces Order Fulfillment Costs

    The Numina Group’s New Cartonization Software Reduces Order Fulfillment Costs

    The Numina Group’s New Cartonization Software Reduces Order Fulfillment Costs

    Jennifer Maloney
    August 10, 2015

    Numina’s latest software release combines cartonization logic and in-motion dimensional pick verification to lean up the picking and packing process, reduce shipping costs and drive a fast return on investment in order fulfillment technology

    Woodridge, IL August 10, 2015 The Numina Group today announced that it has released advanced cartonization software that delivers enhanced order fulfillment efficiencies and operational cost savings over many of today’s existing solutions. 

    The new software includes an advanced algorithm to determine the optimal shipping carton size for the greatest packing efficiency and lowest shipping costs. 

    It also works well as an audit tool to detect discrepancies in planned versus actual dimensions on outbound shipments, a common source of expensive carrier charge backs.

    “One company with large retail distributions estimates they will save over $300,000 in shipping costs with our cartonization software.”

    Select the Right Carton Upfront — Before order release, Numina’s cartonization software analyzes order data and calculates the optimal shipping carton size before orders are picked, making it possible for warehouse staff to pick directly into the final shipping carton rather than an interim picking tote. 

     

    “This is the leanest pick method for the majority of picking applications,” said Dan Hanrahan, Numina Group’s CEO. “When shippers can eliminate the use of totes and the redundant repacking of orders, the efficiency gains and cost savings are tremendous.”

    Numina’s intelligent carton cubing software can also verify full case pick to conveyor applications to validate picking and reduce shipping costs. According to Hanrahan, “One company with a large retail distribution operation estimates they will save over $300,000 in shipping costs by using our new cartonization software.”

    Bin Modeling vs Fluid Modeling Cartonization Logic — Most legacy cartonization software is based on the fluid model, which simply adds up the item volumes and compares the sum to the total volume of the carton. “This software model typically requires specific rules for some SKUs so it requires higher software support and customization to produce reasonable results,” said Hanrahan. “For example, setting the fill factor too high will yield inaccurate cartonization results and expensive extra steps in the pick-and-pack process.”

    Numina’s new cartonization software is based instead on an advanced bin modeling algorithm that eliminates these limitations. It produces only SKU selection results that can truly fit into the selected carton size. It also much more closely achieves 100% fill ratios than fluid modeling solutions. The software can perform cartonization over any set of available containers and will optimize the total number and size of cartons to minimize shipping costs.

    Built-in Real-time Order and Shipment Validation — In addition to its “pick to carton” capabilities with built-in SKU and count validation, Numina’s software also works well to monitor planned versus actual dimensional weights on outbound shipments, and detect discrepancies due to pick errors or SKU changes. The software can be integrated with an in-line weighing and dimensioning system to verify expected carton size and weight as shipping cartons travel to the pack lines for document insertion, void fill and taping. This method can be used for split case picks and is extremely valuable for verifying full case picking.

    Accurate Shipping Costs Pre-shipment — Numina’s cartonization software, when integrated with an order fulfillment system, delivers real-time order inspection and results in more accurate LTL and parcel shipping costs. Shipping cost calculations are based on actual dimensional weight measurements, eliminating the risk of expensive charge backs or lost revenue.

    The Numina Group is one of a handful of suppliers with both cartonization software for pick to carton and carton cube/weight measurement combined with real-time control and conveyor sorting decisions. “Our software, integrated with existing ERP and/or WMS systems, can improve accuracy and reduce labor and shipping costs in existing or new DC operations,” said Hanrahan.

    Full Case Pick Validation Catches Miss-picks — Companies that ship a high percentage of full-case SKUs can use the software’s “learn mode” to on-line capture and learn full case SKU cube and weight. This eliminates the labor-intensive tasks of manual dimensional weight data collection. Additionally, once the SKU characteristics are learned, the software performs pick validation and can catch miss-picks in orders. This data can also be used to manage print and apply labeling of carrier or retail compliance shipping labels and improve other operations such as staging, storage space planning and cubing trailers for LTL or full truckload shipments.

    “The storage and cube utilization of a warehouse, the sizing of future facilities and transportation planning can all be optimized by combining cartonization software with an in-line dimensional weight system,” said Hanrahan.

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  • Numina Group Debuts Latest Automated Pack and Ship Technologies at ProMat 2015

    Numina Group Debuts Latest Automated Pack and Ship Technologies at ProMat 2015

    Numina Group Debuts Latest Automated Pack and Ship Technologies at ProMat 2015

    Jennifer Maloney
    August 6, 2015

    Numina Group will release the next generation of their patented One-Step Plus™ and X-Press PAL™ pack and ship, print and insert, and print and apply labeling systems at ProMat 2015 Booth 3553, March 23 – 27 at McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois.

    The latest versions offer more flexible and scalable solutions to automate pack and ship for distribution and order fulfillment operations shipping between 800 to 20,000 UPS, FedEx, and USPS packages a day.

    Woodridge, IL – March 18, 2015

    Print and apply labeling is essentially a low-cost robot that automates the application of packing sheets and shipping labels to dramatically reduce manual labor and increase throughput for omni-channel, B-to-B and Internet shipments. Medical, pharmaceutical, computer and electronics industries require that packing slip order documentation and shipping labels be applied to the outside of sealed cartons and cases shipped to customers. These and other distribution industries benefit from the two label design..

    Traditionally, a distribution center relies on workers at a PC workstation to capture parcel weights, print and then manually apply packing documents and shipping labels. The worker decides on carton sizes, adds void fill and again manually seals (tapes) the carton closed. This results in 50% to 100% higher labor costs and inefficient packing that increases shipping errors and freight costs.

    “In addition to labor savings and increased throughput and accuracy, companies are seeking technologies that reduce lifting, bending and repetitive work tasks and free up valuable floor space taken up by manual operations,” stated Dan Hanrahan, president of the Numina Group. “The shortage of labor, employee absenteeism, rising workers compensation and liability insurance costs are all major factors that are accelerating the demand and increasing the justification for automating order fulfillment operations. A mid-sized order fulfillment operation shipping 800 to 3,000 parcels a day can justify automation through labor and ergonomic savings in an 18 month or less ROI window,” Hanrahan explained

    The apply on-the-fly label process provides the ability to apply a combination packing/information document and removable shipping label to every shipment. The top applied label includes an adhesive die-cut border around the label that allows the customer an easily removable packing sheet or up to two 8″ x 11″ single or duplex printed documents placed under the removable shipping label. The print and apply systems can be used with virtually any size and weight cartons from 6.5″ W x 8.5″L to over 36″ W x 66″ L x 36″ H and weights from .5lbs. to 70 lbs.

    Numina’s latest systems are based on a modular design using Ethernet-based controls to significantly increase the print and apply labeling speed and eliminate the bottleneck in traditional print and apply shipping/manifesting systems. The Ethernet control architecture more easily allows a customer to add additional functionality by selecting from a family of pack automation technologies to incorporate in-line Void Fill, Sealer/Tapers, Weighing, Dimensioning, Auto Document Insert or Auto apply of the packing slip or the exclusive 8″ x 11″ combination pack sheet and shipping label to the outside of the carton.

    Numina uses Panther Industries P-8 family of print and apply and RFID applicators for this product line. The P-8 has the fastest control cycle time and most rugged design of any applicator in the industry. The P-8 includes a color touch screen with feature-rich user screens that include machine self-diagnostics and machine status on the user display to simplify the operation. The eight user screens can be viewed both locally and through a built-in web browser anywhere in the operation.

    Numina’s pack and ship labeling automation systems are managed by Numina Group’s Real-time Distribution Software, RDS™, a Tier 1 Warehouse Control and Execution System, WCS. RDS™ can easily scale from small to large DC operations and manage the entire order fulfillment operation and a full family of automation modules with the unique ability to also be tailored to customer-specific rules and application requirements.

    RDS™ can manage the entire order pick, pack and ship processes along with labor management tracking. The system supports work balancing to improve order flow, tracks and reports productivity to increase throughput and operational efficiency and profitability. The software is highly scalable and modular using the latest advancements in voice-directed picking to streamline the entire pick, pack, and ship distribution automation requirements.

    About Numina Group

    Numina Group has over 28 years of experience in the design and implementation of automated warehouse and distribution centers. Numina Group’s Real-time Distribution System, RDS™ is a Tier 1 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 for turn-key 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 online at https://numinagroup.com and also at the ProMat 2015 Show, March 23-26, 2015, at Chicago’s McCormick Place, Booth #3553.

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  • Sunstar Selects Numina Group’s Omni-Channel Order Fulfillment Solution to Automate its New Schaumburg IL North American DC Operation

    Sunstar Selects Numina Group’s Omni-Channel Order Fulfillment Solution to Automate its New Schaumburg IL North American DC Operation

    Sunstar Selects Numina Group’s Omni-Channel Order Fulfillment Solution to Automate its New Schaumburg IL North American DC Operation

    Jennifer Maloney
    March 10, 2015

    Numina Group’s RDS™ Warehouse Execution and Control Software, Voice-Directed Order Fulfillment to Increase Order Throughput 50% or more!

    Woodridge, IL – March 9, 2015 – Sunstar, a globally recognized leader in oral care and dental healthcare products manufacturer, is partnering with the Numina Group to implement omni-channel order fulfillment at their new 300,000 square foot automated manufacturing-distribution operation.

    The combined manufacturing and distribution operation is scheduled to open in June 2015 and support North American retail, specialty distributors and Internet orders along with international shipments.

    The Numina Group teamed up with Sunstar during the early stages of the project and was an integral design partner for facility planning, sizing and technology selection. Following completion of the final design, Sunstar selected Numina as the turnkey system integrator of material handling automation and WCS, Warehouse Control System. The new DC’s entire order fulfillment and pick, pack and ship processes will be managed and controlled by Numina Group’s Tier One WCS, RDS™, Real-time Distribution System (RDS™).

    RDS™ will manage order release and work balancing with a lean voice solution that drives order picking and forward storage replenishment. The new DC features a two-level pick module with an automated conveyor system and other material handling automation including barcode based order routing, in-line scales, print and apply labeling and a shipping sorter system.

    Designed to Support Both Business-to-Business and Internet Direct to Consumer Sales

    The new facility is designed to meet Sunstar’s growing customer base of major dental supply and retail businesses, as well as its rapidly expanding North America online consumer business. The design goals for the new facility are to streamline all order fulfillment processes while reducing overall shipment delivery time windows.

    The facility is designed to support rapid response to changing product demand by using a conveyor to speed up product flow of finished goods from manufacturing and packaging, through the pick, pack and ship operation, resulting in a lean and efficient goods to customer operation.

    Voice Picking to Drive Double-Digit Productivity Gains with Accuracy to 99.9%

    Sunstar will use multi-modal voice directed picking with hands free 2-D barcode scanning for validation of SKU and lot code capture. Sunstar chose Numina Group’s voice solution, which utilizes topVox’s speaker independent voice technology; requiring zero operator voice training.

    Accumulated Savings

    Overall, Sunstar expects double digit cost savings across the new operation, but equally as important in the facility investment is the overall improvement to their supply chain performance. As business growth continues to accelerate, it is imperative that Sunstar not only maintains its quality standards and accuracy, but also improves the order delivery response time while expending less man-hours.

    The new design improves the flow from manufacturing, finished goods and the DC operation due to the investment in cutting edge automation. This investment enables Sunstar to react faster and stay ahead of peak order demands and future growth.

    “We were honored to be chosen by Sunstar for the project and to see how Numina’s innovative software and technologies have made their forward-thinking initiatives a reality, “said Dan Hanrahan, president of Numina Group. “Sunstar’s investment in technology will enable them to reduce costs and to achieve a faster response to order demand in their omni-channel order fulfillment operations.”
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  • Ferretto Group and Numina Group Announce Industry’s First Voice Directed Vertical Storage Units for Picking Automation at Promat 2015

    Ferretto Group and Numina Group Announce Industry’s First Voice Directed Vertical Storage Units for Picking Automation at Promat 2015

    Ferretto Group and Numina Group Announce Industry’s First Voice Directed Vertical Storage Units for Picking Automation at Promat 2015

    Jennifer Maloney
    March 1, 2015

    Numina Group’s RDS™ Voice is an integral component of the vertical storage inventory management and control software increasing the speed and accuracy of e-commerce and order fulfillment picking.

    Numina Group and Ferretto Group announce a partnership combining their 150 plus engineering teamferretto-vertical-lift to support the design and sales of Ferretto’s Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems,

    AS/RS, Mini-load, Vertical Lift Modules (VLM), and Vertical Carousels (VC) throughout North America. The addition of the automated picking and storage technologies to Numina Group’s product line provides more flexible, cost effective automation choices to clients for improving order fulfillment and distribution operations.

    The latest generation VLM from Ferretto Group, the Vertimag™, is a tier 1 VLM platform. The system is based on a modular design and can be scaled to a customer’s specific size requirement, utilizing the entire vertical height of a building. Numina Group’s RDS™ Voice Picking coupled with Ferretto’ s VLM combines two highly efficient and robust technologies into a single process; delivering faster product picking/retrieval with improved DC operation storage density.

    The Vertimag™ is considered one of the most robust VLM units on the market today. Eliminating service calls and reducing maintenance to a minimum was a design objective incorporated from the early stages of the VLM design. Vertimag™ technical features increase both shelf/tray size and load capacity with significantly higher storage and retrieval cycles while maintaining stated speed at full load capacity.

    The design allows heights of the VLM to go beyond 50’ with mechanically transportable storage shelves/trays ranging in size up to  13’L x 3’ deep, with weight capacity of up to 2204 LBS. This provides storage density of more than 30% SKU capacity in as little as 200 square feet of floor space. “The higher storage capacity and speed of the Vertimag™ VLM increases picking efficiency and reduces replenishment cycles to shorten the ROI time” stated Rami Ghandour, Ferretto North America Business Development Manager.

    “Additionally, off-the-shelf Ethernet PLC controls and electro mechanical components are used for the control system. The components are available at hundreds of North American distributors to eliminate stocking of costly proprietary parts and allow customers to readily source spares and perform in-house maintenance increasing reliability and lowering the cost of ownership” stated Ghandour.

    Ferretto Group’s Vertimag™ vertical storage and retrieval units provide fast, efficient goods-to-person picking. The  VLM’s can be used stand-alone for parts and kitting in manufacturing and distribution, in a pod array of two or more synchronized units, or in a hybrid design combining the dense VLM automated storage and retrieval technology within a traditional pick module. The hybrid design provides cost, space and labor savings for both new and existing order fulfillment operations.

    “Our hybrid pick module design incorporates the right storage techniques and technologies to improve floor space usage by 65% and lower picking labor by eliminating workers’ walk time.  A unique Vertimag™ feature Numina has taken advantage of is the dual shelf pick queueing which places the next required pick in a ready to use position to increase the speed of product movement in goods-to-person picking by 30 to 50%”, stated Dan Hanrahan president of The Numina Group.

    “Further savings result in order fulfillment solutions when we combine pallet, carton flow, shelves and vertical storage in the pick module based on the SKU velocity movement.  In many DC applications, the blended, hybrid design has a superior ROI compared to a mini-load tote based storage and retrieval picking system” explained Hanrahan.

    Numina Group’s Tier One WCS, RDS™, Real-time Distribution System manages the entire order fulfillment operation.  Solutions can be deployed in a highly modular pick, pack, and ship system to provide clients an entire order fulfillment automated distribution operation. RDS™ includes software modules to manage order release and work balancing using lean design practices with voice directed work activities for order picking, lot and serial ID barcode capture, RFID, track and trace, and conveyor systems with in-line scale, print and apply labeling and packing and shipping sorters; providing a turn-key order fulfillment solution.

    Vertimag with Voice- 50% Productivity Improvement versus shelf picking with 99.9% Picking Accuracy

    Ferretto Group will demonstrate Vertimag VLM performance gains using multi-modal voice directed picking and hands free 2-D barcode scanning for SKU and lot code validation at Promat 2015, Booth 4709. Additionally featured at their booth is an array of products including their family of ASRS, Mini-load storage retrieval and modular rack, shelf and storage mezzanines.

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  • Numina Group Debuts Latest In Automated Packing Systems At 2014 Pack Expo Show

    Numina Group Debuts Latest In Automated Packing Systems At 2014 Pack Expo Show

    Numina Group Debuts Latest In Automated Packing Systems At 2014 Pack Expo Show

    Jennifer Maloney
    October 20, 2014

    Numina Group’s RxPACK automated packaging system for mail-order pharmaceutical fulfillment will be showcased in Sharp Packaging Systems’ Booth 3652.

    WOODRIDGE, IL — Stop by Sharp Packaging Systems’ Booth #3652 at the 2014 Pack Expo Show in Chicago, November 2-5 to learn more about mail-order pharmaceutical fulfillment. PharmaExpo is co-located with Pack Expo this year. Numina Group’s latest automated packaging system, RxPack™ is capable of auto packing 525 or more orders per hour, outperforming the work of 5 or more manual packing solutions and will be featured in a video at Sharp Packaging’s booth.

    RxPACKTM simultaneously packages and validates any mix of single and multi-bottle/script orders using camera-based vision barcode technology. The entire packing process is managed, tracked and recorded using Numina Group’s RDSTM Real-time Distribution Software and an Oracle®-MySQL database which seamlessly integrates the data with existing Pharmacy ERP and Order Management Systems.

    “We’re very excited about the advancement RxPACKTM brings to mail order pharmacy distribution. The rapid growth in the market created a need for more efficient and accurate technology to pack and ship orders for both new and existing operations,” said Dan Hanrahan, President of Numina Group (www.numinagroup.com).

    The RxPACKTM fits into only 125 square feet of space and includes dual redundant robots and print, fold, and insert lit pack systems. The system boosts productivity, eliminates errors, and reduces labor costs in new and existing order fulfillment services and systems that rely on manual packing, labeling, document printing, and insertion. The result is faster, more accurate, and lower cost on order fulfillment using the latest generation of high-speed pick and place Yamaha SCARA Robots.

    Featured highlights of the RxPACKTM Robotic Pick and Auto Pack Pharmacy Automation System include:

    • Processes over 525 single or multi-script orders per hour
    • Complies with emerging FDA validation standards
    • Camera based barcode process validation
    • Equivalent work of 5 or more manual pack stations
    • Inserter includes 5 position envelope and pre-print of marketing literature insertion
    • Fits into 125 square feet including the dual robots redundant print and fold Lit Pack™ Systems

    Numina Group is a leader in automated packaging systems, providing distributors and manufacturers with numerous options to streamline and improve their order fulfillment processes. The company provides complete engineering and consultation services in addition to warehousing solutions. To learn more about Numina Group visit www.numinagroup.com.

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  • MMH Details New Omni Channel Distribution Center At BRG Sports Designed By Numina Group

    MMH Details New Omni Channel Distribution Center At BRG Sports Designed By Numina Group

    MMH Details New Omni Channel Distribution Center At BRG Sports Designed By Numina Group

    Jennifer Maloney
    May 10, 2014

    Modern Materials Handling’s cover story describes how The Numina Group helped a client implement automated conveyer systems for omni channel distribution.

    WOODRIDGE, IL – The cover story of the October issue of Modern Materials Handling Magazine features a Numina Group success story. The cover story is entitled, “Taking Out the Touches at BRG Sports.” It focuses on BRG Sports’ new 813,000 square foot manufacturing and distribution facility. The vision behind this new facility was to increase the company’s capacity by eliminating the touches that often result from conventional materials handling processes, such as waste, time, and cost. The facility is complex because once its integration has been finalized, BRG Sports will have merged eight different distribution centers and four brands into this one facility.

    “Taking Out the Touches at BRG Sports” discusses the fact that in order to manage the complexity of omni channel distribution, BRG Sports worked with The Numina Group to minimize touches by designing and building a Greenfield facility that utilizes:

    • Narrow aisle storage to save space
    • Hands-free, multi-modal data collection tools to direct picking activities
    • Automated materials handling equipment, including
      • Automated conveyer systems
      • Automated sortation systems
      • Automated print and apply systems
      • Automated packing systems

    “It is an honor to have one of our clients featured in Modern Materials Handling. We love working with cutting edge companies like BRG Sports and helping them design systems that will increase their capacity and allow them to operate more efficiently,” said Dan Hanrahan, CEO at The Numina Group (www.numinagroup.com).

    BRG’s new facility features 44,000 pallet locations, expandable to 60,000 locations; 2 miles of conveyor; and systems that can support 60 cartons per minute in mixed full-case order shipments and 100 cartons per minute in the combined full case/split case modules. A warehouse control system (WCS) allows parallel pick, pack and ship operations across brands, channels and order profiles. The WCS strategically times the release of work and coordinates activities so the correct cartons for an order arrive at the correct shipping area at the correct time, thus minimizing travel and touches by employees.

    Building this facility enabled BRG Sports to work with The Numina Group to design new systems from scratch, thus allowing them to better meet the needs of an ever-changing industry.

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  • Numina Group earns Top TGW Conveyor System Supplier Award

    Numina Group earns Top TGW Conveyor System Supplier Award

    Numina Group earns Top TGW Conveyor System Supplier Award

    Jennifer Maloney
    March 12, 2014

    TGW will present Numina Group with the Platinum Award at Modex 2014

    at a Press Conference in Numina’s Booth 4723 on March 18th at 3:30 pm. Numina Group, a leading supplier of automated order fulfillment for pick, pack, and ship distribution operations and integrator of the full family of TGW conveyors and sorters, has received the top level TGW Platinum Sales Award. 

    Woodridge, IL – Numina Group is honored to announce for the third year in a row that TGW has recognized Numina Group’s design and material handling systems expertise in the utilization of TGW’s wide range of   conveyors and sorters for order fulfillment automation requirements. Mario Herndl, president of TGW, stated that “we are very proud of the relationship and want to recognize Numina Group as one of our select Tier-1 TGW Integrators. We have a strong working relationship that allows the TGW-Numina team the ability to complement each other’s strengths, building   state of the art automated, scalable, cost effective conveyor and sorting distribution automation solutions.”

    Dan Hanrahan, President of Numina Group, stated that “TGW manufactures the broadest family of conveyor technologies from line shaft, 24V DC modular roller, MDR conveyor, mid-speed to high speed sorters coupled   with a full staff of experienced design engineers that support our design efforts.” This was evident on Numina Group’s recently completed 820,000 square-foot Rantoul, IL state of the art distribution and manufacturing operation for Easton Bell Sports.

    TGW provided 2 miles of blended conveyor technologies, taking advantage of their “best of breed” conveyor equipment to meet the demands for four split case zone routing and full case pick modules, automated packing   conveyor lines, and three different sorters required for implementing Easton Bell’s Omni-Channel Fulfillment operation.

    “Scalability of automation is critical to our internet fulfillment and our mid-market customers. They need solutions that are easily tailored to their requirements and that deliver a rapid ROI regardless of whether the solution is Omni-channel, retail or e-commerce order fulfillment” added Dan Hanrahan.

    TGW ‘s advanced conveyor technology, engineering and mechanical installation support Numina’s lean design and automation expertise to provide customers higher order shipment efficiency and accuracy. Numina Group’s Real-Time Distribution Software, RDS™, a Tier 1 Warehouse Control System (WCS), includes a robust order fulfillment automation module that integrates the industry leading Zero Training – Speaker Independent voice picking system. This system manages both order picking and intelligent order routing conveyors to implement single touch pick and pack order validation. Blending the conveyor and automation into a single solution increases   accuracy and eliminates secondary inspection and packing labor.

    Pick to Carton Drives Picking Efficiencies to 250-300 Lines or More per Hour

    RDS™ Cartonization module assures that the “right sized” order cartons are selected prior to starting the order picking and software route orders using the TGW conveyor only to the required pick zones; reducing operator labor and walk time to drive picking efficiencies to 250-300 lines or more per hour. Once picking is complete, cartons travel from the pick module to pack and ship conveyor lines that integrate in-line scan, weigh, and dimensioning order validation.

    Auto pack sheet print and insertion combined with print and apply labeling, streamlines labor throughout the pack and ship process. TGW zero touch accumulation conveyor and 24V MDR modular DC roller conveyors were ideally suited for the in-line pack automation and high volume print and apply labeling lines used for the shipping and retail compliance labeling at   Easton Bell Sports. “At shipping a TGW NBS Narrow Belt Wave Sorter™ was installed to provide high performance sorting of the wide variety of carton sizes and weights used in Omni-channel distribution. The NBS sorter can handle up to 160 CPM at a cost almost 40% below a comparably performing Shoe Sorter, providing clients superior value” stated Dan Hanrahan.

    TGW will present Numina Group with the Platinum Sales Award on March 18th at 3:30pm in Numina Group’s booth 4723 at Modex 2014, the Material Handling and Supply Chain Expo and Educational Event held in Atlanta, Georgia from March 17th to March 20th.

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  • Latest Pack Automation Technology for E-Commerce Order Fulfillment

    Latest Pack Automation Technology for E-Commerce Order Fulfillment

    Latest Pack Automation Technology for E-Commerce Order Fulfillment

    Jennifer Maloney
    August 14, 2013

    LitPack™ Print-Fold-Insert (PFI) of Pack Sheets and Invoice Documents automates the insertion of order specific documents and promotional materials.

    LitPack™ is ideally suited to Omni-Channel Distribution Centers for pack and ship requirements found in B2B, B2C, and Internet Order Fulfillment Operations.

    Woodridge, IL –  Numina Group, a leading warehouse control system and material handling integrator designs and implements lean, optimized turn-key distribution operations and development of cutting edge automation technologies to streamline pick, pack, and ship order fulfillment processes.  The LitPack™ PFI (Print, Fold, Insert) family of packing automation products increases throughput, eliminates errors and reduces labor in Pack and Ship. Packing is frequently the number one bottleneck area causing customer dissatisfaction due to delayed shipment and improper documentation.

    Highly competitive e-commerce internet fulfillment requires the technology to ship orders faster while lowering operating costs.  LitPack™ is the solution to this problem.  Dan Hanrahan, President of Numina Group said that “LitPack™ utilizes the industry’s fastest on-demand laser printing technology to print, fold and insert 8.5” x 11” packing sheets directly into the shipping carton in less than 4 seconds.  This is typically 300% faster than manual operations.”   For high volume DC operations, multiple in-line LitPacks™ can be integrated into an automated conveyor line to process 30 or more shipments per minute.

    The LitPack™ familyprovides a range of options – from simple operator assisted pack sheet print/ validation for use at a void fill and taper station to a fully automated process that auto prints, folds and inserts documents into totes and shipping cartons. Additionally, literature inserters can be combined with LitPack™ to automate inserting sales and shipment specific documents or promotional literature.

    Features/Benefits:
    • “Error Proof” and automate pack and ship document generation with integrated barcode scan validation
    • Insert print on-demand of order documentation from 4” to 28” carton heights
    • Reduces 20 to 50 seconds of labor from each order shipment
    • Increase accuracy and throughput while reducing labor costs
    • Eliminate the bottlenecks in the packing area to accelerate your order fulfillment profitability

    “Supply Chain and Marketing Executives recognize that their first opportunity to touch the customer after the order placement is the arrival of the shipment and the documents presented at the opening of the carton. A high resolution laser printed packing sheet provides the opportunity to print the company logo, clearly describe the product ordered, provide the ability to convey an appreciation of the client’s order, promote future sales opportunities, as well as offer removable coupons and information. Prior to the LitPack™ technology you couldn’t do that without creating a bottleneck in packing, or by increasing labor costs”, explains Hanrahan.

    In addition to literature and packing documentation automation, Numina Group provides the technology and expertise to automate the entire order fulfillment pick, pack, and ship process of printing, folding, inserting, and applying documents to either the inside and/or outside of the carton.  Conveyor systems with in-line automation, including print and apply labeling, combine with LitPack™ to process 700 or more orders per hour in B2B or B2C ship operations.  Numina Group’s technologies reduce over 50 seconds of labor from every order shipment.

    Numina Group’s distribution and order fulfillment automation technologies are powered by Real-time Distribution System, RDS™ a Tier 1 Warehouse Control System, (WCS). RDS™ directly connects to existing ERP and Warehouse Management Systems, (WMS) to automate current or new distribution centers.  It is a highly modular and scalable WCS with unsurpassed performance; proven in hundreds of distribution centers. RDS™ automation modules include receiving, order picking using voice and pick to light, intelligent barcode & RFID directed conveyor routing, sorting, packing, and print and apply labeling.

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  • Voice Picking Demos Innovation at IRCE 2013

    Voice Picking Demos Innovation at IRCE 2013

    Voice Picking Demos Innovation at IRCE 2013

    Jennifer Maloney
    June 5, 2013

    Omni-Channel and E-Commerce Order Fulfillment Automation Expert, Numina Group will demonstrate their latest innovations in voice picking

    to improve order fulfillment operations, during IRCE in Booth 1757. Numina’s Lean Voice Pick, Pack, and Ship process supports multiple distribution channels, streamlining B2C, and B2B order fulfillment.

    Woodridge, IL (PRWEB) June 04, 2013

    Live demonstrations of the latest advancements in voice picking will take place in Booth 1757, at Chicago’s McCormick Place, during IRCE 2013, the world’s largest e-commerce conference and exhibit. Numina Group’s Real-time Distribution Software, RDS™, a Tier 1 Warehouse Control System, (WCS) has a full suite of order management and automation modules, including a voice directed pick module. Numina’s voicepicker directed picking is hands-free and speaker independent with zero operator training requirements.

    Dan Hanrahan, President of Numina Group described the company’s philosophy, “We focus on designing lean, efficient perfect order distribution processes. A lean order fulfillment process automated with the latest voice picking technology delivers higher order accuracies, lower labor requirements and a fast ROI, many times in less than 12 months. Our track record in automated order fulfillment for Omni-Channel, Direct to Store, Retail and E-Commerce repeatedly delivers a flexible distribution operation with proven lower cost per shipment.”

    Numina Group invites internet retailers to Booth 1757 at IRCE 2013 to discuss lean practices for pick, pack, and ship operations. Numina’s team designs and implements lean practices that result in lower operator wasted walk time and touches resulting in increased productivity and lower implementation costs. Numina Group calls this lean process improvement – automation enhanced, resulting in a single lean order fulfillment process that lowers the cost and requirements of material handling equipment. Lean single touch pick and pack process increases productivity and profitability by decreasing error rates and labor costs.

    Numina’s industry leading RDS™, Tier 1 Warehouse Control System (WCS) is an open systems platform. RDS™ has a full suite of order management and automation modules, including pick to carton, using voice picking in combination with intelligent zone routing conveyors or Numina’s Smart Pick Cart™ for single touch pick and pack order validation, eliminating the need for secondary inspection at packing. Smart Pick Cart™ provides an order picking solution utilizing voice picking and the option to enhance the speed of the pick process by combining wireless pick and put to light functionality. The system supports batch picking of 12 or more orders to increase order picking productivity speeds by 30%. It is a cost effective picking process that in many applications has a better ROI than conveyor systems.

    As order volumes reach 2,000 or more shipments a day, intelligent zone routing conveyor, matched with best practices picking and SKU velocity slotting, leads to highly efficient and accurate order fulfillment for a wide variety of distribution requirements, especially for fast growing Omni-channel retail, e-commerce and direct to store order fulfillment. RDS™’s Cartonization Module assures the “right sized” order cartons are selected to match the shipment requirements and route orders to conveyor pick zones, reducing operator labor and walk time, delivering increased operator picking efficiencies of 200-300 lines or more per hour.

    “Voice Picking supported by our WCS software automation modules makes picking automation a simpler choice. The customer can start with a small system, prove out the ROI and expand the solution with the savings obtained throughout the operation. We are looking forward to the IRCE to introduce our solutions to internet retailers,” said Hanrahan.

    Also on display in Booth 1757 at IRCE 2013 will be Numina Group’s automated pack & ship system, X-Press PAL™. This system provides a complete in-line packing automation solution, complete with a full suite of capabilities, including: in-line scan, weigh, dimensioning, pack sheet print and insert or print and apply of the pack sheet and shipping label.

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  • The Numina Group earns Prestigious TGW Award

    The Numina Group earns Prestigious TGW Award

    The Numina Group earns Prestigious TGW Award

    Jennifer Maloney
    May 31, 2013

    Numina Group has been awarded the prestigious TGW sales award for the second consecutive year.

    Numina Group, a leading supplier of automated order fulfillment for warehouse and distribution operations, integrates the full family of TGW conveyors and sorters to streamline pick, pack, ship, and receiving operations.

    Woodridge, IL – Numina Group (www.numinagroup.com)  is honored to announce for the second year in a row they have been awarded the TGW Integrator Sales Award, reserved for top tier integrators. Numina Group designs and implements automated material handling systems, utilizing TGW’s wide range of conveyors and sorters for a variety of installations. Jeff Siebert, TGW Regional Sales Manager, stated that “only the top integrators achieve this prestigious award and very few TGW Integrators have the distinction of earning this award two years in a row.”

    Dan Hanrahan, President of Numina Group, stated that “TGW is a premier material handling supplier with a wide array of technologies, and provides Numina Group an experienced design support staff to assist in our design efforts throughout the project. TGW’s conveyor line is especially well suited for zone routing conveyor used in pick modules for Omni-Channel and E-commerce Fulfillment applications.”

    Numina Group’s industry leading Real-time Distribution Software, RDS™, a Tier 1 Warehouse Control System (WCS), utilizes voice picking and/or pick to light to manage order picking and intelligent routing conveyors, implementing single touch pick and pack order validation, which increases accuracy and eliminates secondary inspection and packing labor.

    The RDS™ Cartonization module assures that “right sized” order cartons are selected to match the shipment requirements and route orders to conveyor pick zones, reducing operator labor and walk time, delivering operator picking efficiencies of 200-300 lines or more per hour

    Using an intelligent zone routing conveyor matched with best practices voice picking and SKU velocity slotting leads to highly efficient and accurate order fulfillment. This approach is a cost effective solution for a wide variety of distribution requirements, especially for Omni- Channel retail, E-commerce and less than case level Direct to Store order fulfillment.Upon completion of order picking, cartons travel from the pick module to pack and ship automated conveyor lines. Integrated into the pack area conveyor is in-line scan, weigh, dimensioning, and pack sheet printers and inserters, combined with print and apply labeling to streamline the pack process. TGW zero touch accumulation conveyor and 24 MDR modular DC roller conveyors are ideally suited for in-line pack automation and high volume print and apply labeling systems. “For shipping, the TGW NBS Narrow Belt Wave Sorter™ provides a high performance sorter that handles a wide variety of carton sizes and weights at sortation rates over 125 CPM. It lowers cost by 40% or more when compared to a comparably performing Shoe Sorter,” stated Hanrahan.

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