Receiving is perhaps the most important process in the warehouse as all downstream processes depend on proper data entry and accurate labeling.
Take a look at your own warehouse and you may be surprised to discover that many inaccuracies, errors and bottlenecks are a result of unnecessary walking to and from a stationary workstation.
Newcastle Systems, a new IMARK member service provider, has developed workstations that eliminate unnecessary movement, touches and transportation wastes. The mobile, powered workstations are designed to provide workers with true movement within a warehouse, boost dock-to-stock cycle time, increase receipts by as much as 50 percent, reduce improperly labeled products and reduce inaccurate inventories.
The rolling workstations give warehouse workers the mobility they need to process goods directly at the pallet or on the dock to keep docks clear and improve the overall flow of warehouse processes.
John O’Kelly, CEO of Newcastle Systems, came up with the idea for the mobile-powered workstations in 2005.
“With the growth of mobility and wireless, I saw that there would be a need to offer superior mobility inside warehouse, manufacturing and retail environments,” O’Kelly said. “This was combined with the growing focus on having more flexible, just-in-time production and ‘lean’ processes as means to ensure greater responsiveness to changing customer demand and survival in a dynamic market.”
O’Kelly, who started Newcastle Systems in his basement, sold the company’s first NB Series station in November 2005. The business has since grown exponentially and currently occupies an 18,000-square-foot facility in Haverhill, Massachusetts.
Newcastle Systems is now partnering with the IMARK Group to offer members a discount on its full line of mobile, powered workstations and portable power systems designed to make computers, printers, scanners, scales and other hardware completely mobile for eight to more than 12 hours at a time.
“By eliminating the need to walk to a static desk or workstation, operators can significantly increase productivity and eliminate costly errors in receiving, returns/put-away, picking, packing and shipping. Essentially, the operators can wheel their equipment to the point of work, not the other way around,” said Christine Wheeler, Newcastle marketing director.
Problems and frustrations that Newcastle can help IMARK members solve include:
- Not being able to get items off the dock quick enough to prevent trucks from backing up.
- Improperly labeled incoming products that make inventory inaccurate and cause delays for customers who potentially cancel orders and go to competitors.
- Improperly labeled outgoing products that cause delays or don’t get to customers, resulting in unhappy customers who then go and do business with competitors.
- Too much time spent walking back and forth to receive incoming pallets or to print packing slips for outgoing shipments.
“I think everybody is always trying to create a better workplace for their employees,” Wheeler said. “The workstations have a lot of safety benefits for workers too, including improved worker ergonomics and reduced worker fatigue. Some workers walk an average of 5-10 miles a day when they need to be doing other things. On the other side, CFOs or operations directors have profitability on their minds and are looking at the cost of wasted time. The mobile, powered workstations can increase the productivity of workers who now can do more with less.”
Newcastle’s mobile, powered workstations are designed to eliminate unnecessary movement, touches and transportation wastes. The following are typical benefits that result from the implementation of mobile power:
- Increase receipts by as much as 50-60 percent.
- Reduce improperly labeled products by 90 percent.
- Increase pick rates by 30 percent.
- See return on investment in about three to six months.
As a member service provider, Newcastle Systems is providing IMARK members with a kick-start incentive. The discount program has three tiers with order amounts less than $10,000 receiving a 5 percent discount, order amounts from $10,000 to $50,000 receiving a 5.5 percent discount and order amounts totaling more than $50,000 receiving 6 percent off.
Newcastle offers a variety of workstations, including the entry-level EcoCart Workstation, the PC Series stations, which are big enough to carry inventory and power laser printers, and the NB Series with the new PowerSwap Nucleus Lithium power system enabling 24/7 operation. “We have a variety of workstations and they all effectively do the same thing, which is putting your AC-powered equipment and software on wheels, improving accuracy while eliminating footsteps that cost time and dollars,” Wheeler said.
The best way to understand Newcastle System’s products is to watch the two-minute video at newcastlesys.com/warehouse-gamechanger. The video provides a side-byside comparison of receiving product into a warehouse without a mobile, powered cart versus with a mobile, powered cart.
For more information, visit newcastlesys.com.