Ingram Micro Implements OPEX® Goods-to-Person Automation Technology, Increasing Throughput Capacity to Support Its Customers
“The Perfect Pick HD system has been received well by our employees. They are excited about the system and see the advantages it provides.”
Casey Harrison, Director of Operations, Ingram Micro
The Background
Ingram Micro delivers technology products and solutions, including computers, smartphones, and monitors, to approximately 161,000 customers worldwide. With operations in 61 countries on six continents, Ingram Micro has the ability to serve 90% of the global population. The company supplies products from 1,500 technology brands and manufacturers, including popular brands such as Apple, Cisco, Microsoft, and Samsung. Headquartered in Irvine, CA, Ingram Micro has five major distribution centers in the US along with two major distribution centers in Canada for technology services. The company ships around 1.5 billion units each year, earning global net sales of $50.8 billion.
The Challenge
As Ingram Micro continued to grow and receive more demand during peak buying seasons, the company was relying solely on manual labor to keep up with the volume of orders it received and fulfill orders on time. The company’s commitment to rapid order processing and delivery led to an increased need to scale capacity with more manual labor. To improve the service it could provide to its customers and keep up with demand, Ingram Micro knew it needed to implement a reliable, long-term solution that could improve throughput capability and efficiency in its distribution centers.
Key Challenges
Additional labor needed to keep up with demand during peak seasons
Commitment to rapid order processing and delivery
Manual processes limit throughput capacity & order fulfillment speed
The Solution
In 2020, Ingram Micro implemented two OPEX® Perfect Pick® HD goods-to-person systems at its Fort Worth, TX distribution center. The Perfect Pick HD system configured with conveyor systems and additional pick-and-pack modules provides Ingram Micro with significant fulfillment and storage flexibility, as the inside of the totes are configurable and can be customized in size. The Perfect Pick HD provides high storage density in a relatively small footprint, holding approximately 7,000 SKUs that can be accessed using the system’s pick station, rather than requiring employees to walk through the warehouse to pick an item. The Perfect Pick HD systems present totes at a quick speed and assist the operator in picking items for orders, providing increased throughput capacity to keep up with demand during peak seasons while minimizing errors and reducing manual labor needs.
Key Results
3
Distribution centers with Perfect Pick HD installed
9,994
Total totes in the Perfect Pick HD at the Dallas distribution center
36
iBOTS used to retrieve inventory at the Dallas distribution center
The Future
With the successful implementation of the two Perfect Pick HD goods-to-person systems in Ingram Micro’s Fort Worth, TX distribution center, Ingram Micro plans to install additional Perfect Pick HD systems in their distribution centers in Hazelton, PA and Moore, SC. These two new sites will include Perfect Pick HD systems and will store an even larger amount of inventory compared to the original Fort Worth site in Texas, with one of the sites holding around 14,000 SKUs.
Other Resources You Might Find Helpful
Case Study
How Ingram Micro Increased Throughput in a Small Footprint
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Scalable Storage and Retrieval to Match Warehouse Progressive Demands
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Insight
Optimizing Inventory Storage with a Dense ASRS
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