DJ Products, Inc.

For logistics providers competing in a tight economy, process automation is an essential strategy. A MarketInsight study just released by Hubspan, Inc. surveyed more than 200 North American logistics companies with annual revenue between $30 million and $10 billion. Process automation to streamline shared processes, achieve operational efficiency and improve collaboration between customers, carriers and distributors were identified as the most critical challenges facing the logistics industry today.

“The logistics industry recorded strong growth over the past decade due to globalization and an increased demand for imported goods,” said Robert Pease, Vice President of marketing for Hubspan. “However, the industry shifted in early 2008 due to a slowing economy, rising fuel costs and a shortage of qualified personnel. This shift drives the need for logistics companies to apply efficiencies that automate processes and streamline operations to overcome current economic hurdles.”

Incompatible systems and difficulties in integrating systems were cited as the greatest challenge by a majority of survey respondents. “In an industry driven by efficiency, it is surprising that so few logistics providers are able to resolve core integration issues that impact on-time performance, process automation and customer service,” Pease said. “Increasing process automation and system compatibility illustrate two key opportunities for logistics providers looking to outperform the competition and thrive in today’s tough economic environment.”

Utilizing ergonomically designed powered carts and tugs to replace the manual transport of materials and products is one way logistics companies can increase automation and improve production efficiency. With the logistics industry facing a shortage of workers, ergonomic material handling solutions allow each worker to efficiently accomplish a greater workload while dramatically decreasing potential risk of injury. Replacing expensive, high-maintenance, fuel-guzzling forklifts and gas/diesel-powered equipment, with less costly, more maneuverable, electric-powered carts and tugs can result in a considerable savings in high fuel costs. These smaller, more maneuverable carts also provide more versatile solutions to material handling problems. For more information on ergonomic solutions to material handling problems, visit the DJ Products website.

A recent case study of the beverage industry by ergonomic consultant ErgoWeb studied injury risk factors for hand truck operators and prevention protocols. The study’s findings have obvious parallel implications for any business or industry that utilizes manual hand trucks.

The study was prompted by significant musculoskeletal stress injuries — particularly back injuries — reported by delivery workers. Similar injury rates are common in any environment where materials are constantly loaded and unloaded and where hand trucks are used to maneuver and transport materials. Affected businesses include delivery firms, moving companies, shipping operations, loading docks, groceries, retail and big box stores, warehouses, fulfillment centers, storage facilities, auto service centers, manufacturing plants, supply centers and many others.

The study found that maintenance and weight distribution issues resulted in the greatest number of operator injuries. The highest risk of potential injury was attributed to the following:

• Underinflated hand truck tires which placed undue stress on the musculoskeletal system.
• Unequal weight distribution of product cases increased back compressive force during lifting, increasing the risk of back injury.
• Improperly located product required twisting and lifting from un-optimal heights, increasing risk of back and shoulder injuries.
• Improperly balanced hand truck loads placed unnecessary musculoskeletal stress on workers.

While new loading patterns, better hand truck maintenance and improved operator training can help reduce injury risk, a far more effective solution is to replace manually operated hand trucks with ergonomically-designed electric carts and tugs. Powered carts allow a single operator to easily transport and maneuver maximum loads without risk of injury. Adjustable handholds, adjustable speed controls, adjustable beds, scissors lifts, powered platforms and other ergonomic features allow loads to be handled at optimal levels to significantly reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injury. 

If you want to reduce the risk of worker injury in your facility, talk to the experts at DJ Products about replacing your outdated hand trucks with ergonomically-designed powered carts and tugs.

In our last post we talked about automation and how it is changing the face of the warehousing and distribution industries (see our Aug. 4 post). Automation allows businesses to handle greater volumes in shorter time periods. However, a major challenge in automating operations is the accommodation of unique customer requirements. Obtaining a customer’s business can depend upon your ability to meet their unique requirements. Doing so while maintaining a cost-effective operation can require both ingenuity and skillful management of material handling resources.

Tom Kozenski, VP of product strategy for optimization firm RedPrairie, suggested in a July 2008 Modern Materials Handling article that there are two ways to handle customer requirements: increase labor or engineer them into the normal workflow. “The first brings your operations to a grinding halt,” Kozenski said, citing the extreme cost. “The second allows you to differentiate your business from the competition.”

One way of engineering customer requirements into the workflow is to coordinate the delivery of components or raw materials to the production or assembly line with their use, Kozenski noted. Delivering materials to the assembly line in the same sequence that they will be used increases efficiency and production and, thereby, cost effectiveness. A combination of powered CartCaddies and pushers allows for maximum customization of this process.

On an assembly or production line, electric CartCaddy power tugs can be used to push or pull carts loaded with customer’s specific components or raw materials. Carts can be preloaded and delivered to the line in sequence. In a vehicle assembly plant, for example, CartCaddy power tugs can be used to deliver windows, doors and other components to the appropriate point on the assembly line for sequenced installation. In a fulfillment operation, batched orders can be carted and delivered for sequenced processing. Highly maneuverable, ergonomically designed CartCaddy products maximize the load a worker can move safely, thereby limiting the number of workers involved in material delivery.

The CartCaddy electric tug or CarCaddy vehicle pusher can then move carts, equipment or vehicles from station to station down the line. CartCaddy products are available to move equipment across the floor on wheeled tugs or on a rail.�