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The Efficiency Power of AutoStore Systems

October 23, 2024
Is your warehouse struggling with inefficiencies, space constraints or the need for faster fulfillment? The AutoStore system, an innovative goods-to-person storage solution, is designed to tackle these challenges head-on. With its unique cube storage design and robotic automation, AutoStore offers configurability, flexibility, and efficiency for modern warehouses. AutoStore is an excellent solution for companies that need to maximize the storage space within their facility. Partnering with a skilled integrator like Bastian Solutions ensures seamless implementation and optimization of the AutoStore system, revolutionizing your warehouse operations.

3 Key Factors in Goods to Person Throughput Design

January 10, 2024
From a mechanical standpoint, a goods-to-person system certainly can attain the tote delivery rate advertised on a vendor’s website.  However, these advertised rates do not consider the primary determinant for the throughput rate that is actually realized at a goods-to-person work station – the pick cycle time. 

Showcasing Resiliency at Pack Expo 2022

October 12, 2022
Bastian Solutions’ team of engineers can help guide you through your automation journey. You can schedule an in-person meeting to discuss your operational challenges with our experts at Pack Expo International 2022 – October 23 – 26, 2022.

Três fatores principais no design de produção de goods to person

September 22, 2022
Como integradora independente, a Bastian Solutions trabalha com diversas tecnologias e marcas. Como tal, não é incomum ser perguntado pelos clientes: “Quantas linhas por hora posso fazer com um sistema de goods to person?” Quando falamos de GTP (sistemas de goods to person), isso pode incluir sistemas de AutoStore, ASRS, Scallog, Kardex, Servus ou Adapto. Todas essas tecnologias oferecem métodos modernos e facilmente escaláveis de atendimento de pedidos, por meio de diferentes configurações tecnológicas e de design. Portanto, quando se trata de responder “quantas linhas por hora posso fazer”, há muitos fatores que entram em jogo, mas há três elementos principais que ajudam a fornecer uma imagem mais clara e fornecer uma taxa estimada de linhas por hora. Vamos explorar isto.

Micro-fulfillment: From Small Warehouses to Cities

August 30, 2022
In supply chain, decentralization makes it possible to obtain small urban warehouses which help to manage order preparation as close as possible to the end consumer. We are talking about micro-fulfillment warehouses (or micro-logistics platforms), or even nano-fulfillment for the smallest of them.

4 Questions to Ask Before Selecting Goods-to-Person Solutions

August 17, 2022
Over the past few years, the phrase “goods to person” has become mainstream. As distribution facilities look to service customers more quickly, optimize warehouse space, and improve accuracy of order fulfillment, goods-to-person technologies have become a realistic option to accomplish these goals.
Posted in System Automation

¿Qué es el Microfulfillment?

August 11, 2022
Sin duda alguna, el “microfulfillment” es un concepto que se está volviendo tendencia dentro de los esquemas de cadena de suministro. La habilidad de llevar productos a las manos de los consumidores más rápido que cualquier competidor es el objetivo último, así que, no sólo es una tendencia actual, si no que ha evolucionado en una estrategia de descentralización a través de la cual los productores buscan mejorar la experiencia de los consumidores. Entonces, ¿cómo se define?

3 Parcel Shipment Direct-to-Consumer Opportunity Areas

August 03, 2022
It’s no secret that, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, foot traffic in brick-and-mortar stores has seen a dramatic decrease. Recent reports show a slight increase and recovery but it is becoming increasingly clear that online shopping is the way of the future. How are businesses responding to this trend and what does this mean for parcel shipments?

Small Scale Robotic Automation Drives a Big Impact for Gerrie Electric’s Distribution

June 15, 2022
“Our existing 26,000 square foot facility was just not enough.” Gerrie Electric turned to small scale automation to unlock warehouse footprint and productivity opportunities quickly and reliably. The result – error-free picking, a boost in throughput, a trajectory to achieve and beat a targeted 3-year ROI and room to accommodate their immediate growth for additional robots and ports to handle the increased demand. As the largest independent, electrical lighting and automation distributor in Ontario, Canada, Gerrie Electric serves customers ranging from car and steel OEMs, pharmaceuticals and individual contractors performing on-site electrical installations.

L'automatisation à petite échelle génère un grand impact pour la distribution de Gerrie Electric

June 15, 2022
« Notre installation existante de 26 000 pieds carrés n’était tout simplement plus suffisante ». Gerrie Electric s’est tourné vers l’automatisation à petite échelle pour lever les restrictions dues à la superficie d’entrepôt et permettre rapidement et de façon fiable des opportunités de productivité. Le résultat : un prélèvement exempt d’erreurs, une amélioration de la productivité, une trajectoire pour atteindre et surpasser un rendement du capital investi sur trois ans ciblé, et de l’espace pour accommoder la croissance immédiate pour des robots et des ports supplémentaires afin de traiter l’augmentation de la demande.

Workplace Health: Ergonomics, Safety and Health Enhanced by Logistics Robots

May 25, 2022
Post originally published and provided courtesy of Scallog. In order to coordinate and absorb those retail flows as effectively as possible to meet demand, logistics engineers must become more efficient and productive, beyond trading off their resources as an adjustment variable. Automation, and specifically goods-to-person robotics, is a crucial element to ensure efficient logistics without compromising on the operator’s safety and well-being.

Goods to Person: What Works Best, Where and When? [Infographic]

March 23, 2022
The question for today’s modern warehouses is no longer when should we automate, but how and where do we automate for the best impact? To help sort through these cutting-edge offerings, we’ve created a quick visual guide to understanding the basics of goods to person systems, including the different types, their benefits and important factors to consider. View the full-size infographic.

Achieving Success with Goods to Person Starts with Software

March 17, 2022
With all this innovation and growth in the goods to person warehouse automation sector, it’s vital to factor the impact on the whole system’s integration, tied together through software and controls. To compensate, WES systems are getting larger and more complex in order to integrate with new technologies provided by other vendors coming to market. To truly optimize a goods to person system, customers should consider each GTP technology’s merits, but also the software that will manage its operations.

Creating Warehouse Extensibility: Goods to Person and Robotic AI

March 09, 2022
Adapting to uncertain markets, goods to person continues to prove to be a robust foundation for distribution center operations that can grow and adapt.

You Need it When?! The Challenges of Same-Day Delivery

September 22, 2021
With continuing growth in ecommerce sales and mobile device usage, companies will need to master the art of fulfillment in minutes to meet same-day delivery requests.

Richelieu Streamlines Order Fulfillment for Improved Customer Experience

August 05, 2021
Serving more than 80,000 customers in both Canada and the United States, Richelieu aimed to increase customer satisfaction with faster, reliable order fulfillment. As an international importer, distributor and manufacturer of specialty hardware, Richelieu manages over 110,000 SKUs. In addition to a faster and more streamlined order fulfillment approach, Richelieu was able to consolidate external storage by leveraging their Montreal facility. They looked to Bastian Solutions to advise and implement the right combination of automation technology to add to Richelieu’s facility longevity and implement a system that helps them reliably maintain strong customer service.

4 Steps for Evaluating and Deciding on DC Automation

May 26, 2021
If your distribution center has grown in both SKUs and order volume or your typical order has shifted from retail to more ecommerce sales resulting in larger requests for smaller orders; it’s possible your picking productivity isn’t where it should be.

AutoStore: Designing Future-Proof Automation Technology

May 19, 2021
Scalability and flexibility are no doubt the focus of today and the future in distribution and production. Utilizing bins, bots and ports, the AutoStore goods to person technology brings a grid-based approach that allows customers to shrink their storage space exponentially while increasing their capacity for smarter, faster operations. Working together since 2013, last year Bastian Solutions expanded its portfolio of global partners with AutoStore to further support customers wherever they may be, providing them increased capacity, flexibility and accuracy.

Scallog: Creating a Resilient Solution for the Future of Warehouse Logistics

April 28, 2021
Dynamic and easily scalable, goods to person technologies have risen to the forefront of order fulfillment conversation amid rapid ecommerce growth. Answering the challenge of automation for various industry applications and operation sizes, Scallog’s order fulfillment system adds a mobile robotic solution to the mix. Announced late last year, Bastian Solutions, an independent integrator, has added Scallog’s technology to our growing portfolio of automation capabilities. We talked to Olivier Rochet, founder and president of Scallog, for a deeper insight on the technology and future of DC automation development. This French robotic automation system manufacturer, already installed in six countries, offers a goods to person technology based on robots that move shelves around the warehouse.

Scalable Automation: Creating Optimization for Today and Tomorrow at Parts Town

December 16, 2020
Parts Town needed a way to get ahead of their 30 percent year over year growth. Order printouts and manual push carts bustling from one side of the warehouse to another just wasn’t working anymore. Wanting to embrace their success without sacrificing their promise to customers of same-day delivery, Parts Town turned to Bastian Solutions. It was time to envision a new approach and make better use of their space.

Pandemic Accelerated Growth: 5 Ways AGVs and AMRs are an Asset to Your Operations

November 12, 2020
Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are transforming the way manufacturing and distribution centers operate. They are easier than ever to integrate into your operations and are currently seeing a significant boost in adoption.

5 Order Fulfillment Technologies to Keep an Eye On

October 28, 2020
As an independent systems integrator, Bastian Solutions is constantly evaluating the latest cutting-edge technologies. Largely driven by the continued growth of ecommerce, advancements in automated order fulfillment solutions continue at an unprecedented pace. Here are five order fulfillment technologies to keep an eye on…

Using an AutoStore ASRS as a Manufacturing WIP Storage Buffer

October 22, 2020
With the advent of cube storage solutions, non-traditional ASRS have become more prevalent. In certain applications, the cube storage solution can be denser (smaller facility footprint) and less expensive than traditional ASRS.

AutoStore anuncia la campana de micro-fulfillment (Spanish)

January 08, 2020
AutoStore está redefiniendo el servicio minorista y de atención al cliente con una nueva campaña de microprocesos y conceptos de diseño interesantes que ayudarán a los minoristas a mejorar la experiencia de la tienda del cliente.
Posted in General Blogs

Why Spare Parts Distributors Should Consider Goods-To-Person

December 18, 2019
Over the years, Bastian Solutions has partnered with several OEMs & spare parts distributors to improve their order fulfillment systems. We’ve found that goods-to-person systems are a great fit.
Posted in System Automation

Que es AutoStore? (Spanish)

June 04, 2019
Obtenga más información sobre este exclusivo sistema automatizado de almacenamiento de almacén y lo que lo convierte en la mejor opción para maximizar la densidad de almacenamiento.

7 Energy Considerations for Material Handling Automation

March 11, 2019
Automation can provide a wealth of benefits with the right system. Don't overlook these 7 energy-related questions when selecting which automation technologies are best for your operation.
Posted in System Automation

Which Products Should Go into a Goods-To-Person System?

January 03, 2019
Considering a goods-to-person system, but not sure which one to choose or what to put inside? Start by analyzing your data.

Robótica e a otimização de espaço de armazenagem

November 10, 2017
Apesar da tecnologia de armazenagem e retirada automatizada (ASRS) não ser exatamente recente, é notável o nível de desenvolvimento e sua capacidade de solucionar problemas complexos otimizando processos logísticos economizando espaços ao máximo.

Artificial Intelligence: Hype or Game Changer

November 01, 2017
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been in the news a lot lately.  Self-driving cars, smart personal assistants (e.g. Amazon’s Alexa), and recommendation engines that serve up your favorite movies and books, are all exciting AI applications that you have probably heard about.  There are, though, many more, including in material handling automation.

Beyond Conveyor: The Evolution of Material Handling Technology

August 24, 2017
Whenever asked about my job, most questions revolve around conveyor and racking, but I can’t help but wonder why the scope of the industry ends there, or at least the perception of it. Today's material handling technology is impressive and more advanced than ever before.

Configuring Your AutoStore System: 5 Design Parameters

July 25, 2017
AutoStore is an automated, high density warehouse storage system. Its modular design and standard components make its configurability nearly endless.
Posted in System Automation

Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS): A Beginner's Guide

May 31, 2017
Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS) are not new technologies. They actually became commercially available in the 50’s and 60’s. Since then, there have been vast improvements. Is an ASRS right for your warehouse? Let’s dive into this technology to find out. Read: Should You Consider an Automated Storage and Retrieval System
Posted in System Automation

Key Considerations When Designing Goods-to-Person Systems

January 26, 2017
The ever-increasing need to satisfy customers in the world of order fulfillment is causing the warehouse and distribution industries to consider more efficient and cost-effective solutions to satisfy the need. This has lead many companies to implement, or consider, higher-automation solutions that include goods-to-person technologies. Read: Key Considerations When Designing Goods-to-Person Systems

E-Commerce, the Economy, and Our On Demand World

January 24, 2017
A movie, pizza, pair of shoes, microwave…your new material handling system. All these things and anything else you can think of are now available with a few keystrokes and a click of a mouse. All this buying is not only driving the retail market, but also growing other businesses.

Tecnologia Avançada de Separação de Pedidos traz Melhorias para Operadores de E-Commerce

October 07, 2016
Acompanhando o grande sucesso do e-commerce é fácil imaginar como é crítico e eficiente o processo de separação de pedidos de empresas de e-commerce. Seus clientes esperam receber seus pedidos cada vez mais rápido e por outro lado o único caminho de atender as expectativas é usando sistemas automáticos ao invés de operação manual.

Next Generation Goods-to-Person System Extends Beyond the Storage Buffer

March 28, 2016
Goods to person automation is an ever growing field that represents a revolution in the material handling industry – eliminating the costly and time-intensive process of having operators travel throughout the warehouse to pick. There are many options out there, but all of these technologies are representing only half of the goods-to-person concept.

Which Goods-to-Person Technology is Right for Your Operation?

March 08, 2016
With increasingly high customer expectations in the world of order fulfillment, many distribution and warehouse managers are searching for ways to improve throughput, accuracy, and efficiency. To help, we need look no further than the best-in-class Goods-to-Person (GTP) technologies that are changing the face of order fulfillment.
Posted in System Automation

Your Path to an Automated Warehouse: 3 Things to Know

February 23, 2016
Peace of mind, organization, simplicity. These are things we all strive for in life, and of course within the four walls of a warehouse or distribution center. To achieve these goals in your operation, here are 3 steps for implementing proven intelligent technology into your current process.

The 5 Inefficiencies STEALing from Your Distribution Center

March 05, 2015
There are 5 common inefficiencies and resource wasters STEALing from distribution operations everywhere, but today’s goods-to-person technologies can turn those losses into profit in as little as 2 years. Let’s look at these five wastes and how goods-to-person systems are overcoming them.

4 Advanced Picking Technologies Improving E-Fulfillment

December 04, 2013
Following a hugely successful Cyber Monday, it’s easy to see why an efficient and accurate order fulfillment process is critical to today’s retailers. Customers are expecting orders to arrive faster, and one way of doing that is injecting a little automation into an often manual operation.

Enclosed Track Overhead Conveyor: True, Tried and Tested

May 09, 2013
Enclosed track overhead conveyors have been around for many years, some dating back to 1919 when they were used in automotive assembly plants. However, this type of conveyor is not just for moving automotive parts or clean clothes. It provides a host of other benefits as well...

What's New in Goods-to-Person Mobile Robots for Full and Split Case Picking

October 10, 2012
With Kiva serving as a catalyst, in the last 18 months there have been several new entrants into the goods-to-person mobile robot category for full case and split case picking, and for good reason. There are many advantages to implementing this technology in your distribution center...
Posted in System Automation
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