Special Challenges & Common Solutions by Industry

Batch Management: Handling multiple batches of the same SKU makes inventory management and picking more complex.

Lower Inventory Days: High inventory turnover requires strict adherence to the First Expiry First Out (FEFO) method to ensure products are used before they expire.

Temperature Zones: Different products need different storage temperatures, like frozen, refrigerated, or ambient, adding to the complexity.

Pallet Shuttles and Stacker Crane ASRS: These automated systems improve storage density and retrieval efficiency, making it easier to manage different temperature zones and batch requirements.

Seasonal Inventory Management: The fashion industry must rotate stock according to the season (summer, winter, rainy) while also keeping up with fast fashion trends.

High Return Rates: With return rates often exceeding 10%, it is essential to efficiently process and restock returned items.

High SKU Count: The large variety of SKUs with different styles, sizes, and colors requires a sophisticated storage and picking system.

SKU Categories: Different SKU categories have distinct order profiles, making storage and fulfillment more complex.

Storage: Carton shuttles and miniload ASRS provide efficient storage solutions for the wide range of SKUs and pallet shuttle based storage for reserve inventory or bulk order fulfilment.

Picking: Goods-to-person stations streamline the picking process, ensuring both speed and accuracy.

Sortation: Mobile robots and conveyor-based sortation systems handle the high return volumes and diverse product categories effectively.

Diverse Product Sizes: Parts vary widely in size and weight, from a 5mm nut to 5000mm chassis, requiring customized storage solutions.

Varied Inventory Days: Some SKUs may have long inventory days due to regulatory requirements, while fast-moving consumable items such as engine oils, filters, brake pads have much shorter cycles like 

Prepacking: Rebranding and repackaging parts received from vendors add operational complexity.

Storage: Carton shuttles, miniload ASRS, and multi-tier shelving are ideal for small parts, while pallet ASRS is suited for larger items.

Picking: Pick/put-to-light systems, goods-to-person stations, and manual picking streamline the handling of diverse products.

Sortation: Mobile robots and conveyor-based sortation systems effectively manage parts of varying sizes and weights.

Bulky Items: Tires come in various sizes, often large and heavy, requiring specialized storage and handling.

Storage Conditions: Proper storage conditions and specialized pallets, including correct orientation and temperature control, are crucial to maintaining tire quality. 

Stacker Crane ASRS and Pallet Shuttles: These systems are designed to efficiently store and retrieve large, heavy items like tires, while ensuring they are kept in optimal conditions.

Urban Space Constraints: Finding large, affordable spaces in urban areas is challenging, especially for MFCs designed to quickly serve retail stores.

Rapid Order Fulfillment: MFCs must fulfill orders within hours, requiring highly efficient picking, packing, and shipping processes.

Scalability and Modularity: MFCs need to be scalable and modular to adapt to growing demand and changing needs.

Storage: Carton shuttles and cube-based storage systems maximize space efficiency and higher picking speeds.

Picking: Pick/put-to-light systems and goods-to-person stations enhance the speed and accuracy of order fulfillment.

Sortation: Mobile robots and conveyor-based sortation systems are ideal for the quick turnaround required by MFCs.

Diverse Order Profiles: Omni-channel warehouses must manage both retail and direct-to-customer (D2C) orders, each with different profiles and requirements.

Flexibility: Solutions need to be flexible to handle variations in order types, such as apparel, footwear, and accessories, across different channels.

Storage: Carton shuttles, miniload ASRS, and multi-tier shelving cater to small parts, while pallet ASRS and pallet shuttles are used for reserve storage.

Picking: Pick/put-to-light systems, goods-to-person stations, and manual picking ensure flexibility in order handling.

Sortation: Mobile robots and conveyor-based sortation systems handle the diverse order profiles efficiently, ensuring smooth operations across channels.