OFS Sessions at ProMat Focus on Best-in-Class Order Fulfillment and Omnichannel Solutions

MHI’s Order Fulfillment Solutions (OFS) Industry Group is presenting two must-see sessions this year at ProMat 2017 in Chicago: a review of the “latest and greatest” solutions on the show floor and practical ways to approach omnichannel distribution centers.

On Monday, April 3, Ed Romaine, vice president, sales and marketing at MHI Member SI Systems, will be presenting the session, “Newest Order Fulfillment Pick, Pack & Ship Technologies.”

“Manufacturers are designing systems that increase efficiencies while reducing costs by minimizing labor and space requirements, and that, in turn, provides great return on investment,” Romaine says.

Some of the latest technologies that will be at ProMat include:

  • A pick-to-tote A-Frame system that can fill 4,200 orders an hour. The throughput is tremendous and requires zero picking labor, Romaine says.
  • A vertical buffer goods-to-person system that stores a range of bins or trays that can be retrieved as needed. It provides very high-density storage, and the inventory stored can be brought out to a work station, picked and then returned, or the tote can be routed via conveyor and picked from a remote location.
  • A sorter system that can handle a much wider range than other sorters—from very small items to large items. It’s also handles goods with a gentle touch, so it’s good for most applications, he says.

“People can see what intrigues them, get handouts on the solutions’ benefits and specifications, and then go to the show floor to find more information,” Romaine says. “This session has been extremely popular over the past several years—attendance is usually beyond capacity where we have to turn people away.”

On tap for Tuesday, April 4, is the session, “Addressing Omnichannel Through Intelligent Material Handling,” presented by Matthew Kulp, a principal at MHI member St. Onge Co. and Bryan Duncan, director, solutions sales at MHI member Wynright, a Daifuku North America company.

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert

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