Operating a forklift or battery powered cart without following the necessary safety guidelines is a huge risk that can result in serious injuries or even death, but not all material handling injuries stem from improper use on the part of the operator. If you allow any employee to operate material handling equipment that you know isn’t functioning properly, you are putting every employee in your business at serious risk.The older a piece of equipment is, the more likely it is to malfunction or breakdown, which can cause delays in the completion of work and potentially lead to injuries. Forklifts and powered carts require regularly scheduled preventative maintenance, but if there is ever a question of proper operation it needs to be tended to immediately to ensure your employees’ safety.Distribution of materials is often a fast paced environment with many activities going on at the same time. There may be dozens of employees scurrying around the warehouse filling orders and receiving shipments while a number of machines are working to load and unload trucks or put away stock – if even one of these pieces of equipment malfunctions it could lead to several serious injuries.In order to keep your fast paced environment as safe and productive as possible, you need to have the safest and most reliable equipment. Battery powered carts and lifts from DJ Products are engineered to be quieter, safer, more reliable and cheaper to operate than traditional forklifts and lift trucks. Each piece of DJ Products equipment is ergonomically designed to prevent many of the nagging injuries often associated with manually material handling and easy enough to use so a single employee can tackle heavy jobs quickly and safely.Truly efficient warehouse and distribution environments don’t rely on equipment that may or may not get them through a shift. In order to be as safe and successful as possible your equipment needs to be the safest around and completely reliable day in and day out – and that’s exactly what DJ Products strives for with every piece of equipment sold, including our battery powered carts.
Tag: Material Handling
Supply Chain Digest Announces Fall Workshops
Supply Chain Digest is pulling out a heavy-hitter to headline its annual fall workshop on improving distribution center and warehouse management and performance. Ken Miesemer, Senior Consultant at St. Onge and former Director of Distribution and International Logistics for Hershey Foods, will lead two fall workshops being sponsored by the industry magazine. “Best Practices in Distribution Center Design, Operations and Management” will be presented in Philadelphia on October 21-22 and in Atlanta on October 28-29.
Author of the book Start-Up of a World Class DC, Miesemer said, “These workshops use outstanding materials that have been extremely well received by logistic professionals, and deliver concepts and insight that aren’t just theory but which have been proven in real-world distribution environments.”
Billed as “hands-on, practical training sessions,” Supply Chain Digest’s popular Professional Education Series workshops encourage interaction between instructors and distribution, warehousing and logistics professionals. In addition to Miesemer, Supply Chain Digest editor Dan Gilmore will review supply chain execution software systems. Course materials include distribution analysis and decision-making tools and templates that attendees will be able to implement in their own operations. The discussion and provision of practical action plans is a hallmark of Supply Chain Digest workshops.
The workshops will focus on the implementation of best practices to improve labor productivity, operations efficiency and inventory accuracy using proven techniques and technology. Course highlights include: building and material handling equipment design, testing design through automation, organizing to minimize bottlenecks, workforce performance management, fostering a culture of continuous development and improvement, differentiating solutions, redefining bid specifications, controlling risk driven margin expectations, and much more.
“Best Practices in Distribution Center Design, Operations and Management” workshop details:
- October 21-22 at Penn State Great Valley Conference Center in Malvern, PA just outside of Philadelphia
- October 28-29 at Georgia Tech Conference Center in Atlanta, GA
Click here for a complete course outline and hotel and registration information.
Surviving and Thriving during Mergers and Acquisitions
Having to cutback, downsize or merge with a competitor has become the reality for many logistics and storage companies if the want to keep their doors open. There just currently aren’t enough customers and enough money/product moving around in order to keep every company busy enough to justify, or even allow, them to operate at the level that they had prior to the economic downturn.
Mergers with competitors can pose a whole host of issues in terms of operations; the most obvious would seem to be the personal and computer program interactions. Adopting a brand new and potentially very different system of daily operations and having to interact with a bunch of new personalities can be a daunting task, but few people view just how much difference their can be in the warehousing and storage aspect and it’s profound affect on the employees involved.
Differences in equipment, inventory control and shipping and receiving practices can be difficult obstacles to overcome. In order for a newly developed company with employees from two different backgrounds to be successful, some operational changes may be a necessity. Customers coming from both businesses will need to see accuracy and speed at least comparable, if not improved, to what they were used to in order to feel confident with the new situation.
Increasing speed and accuracy may require upgrade changes in equipment as well as operations. Outdated, inefficient and unreliable machines could spell doom to a company who is attempting to keep current customers from leaving during a period of transition. The proper material handling equipment will more than pay for itself in a very short period of time with reduced fuel/energy costs and increased employee productivity; and the capability of delivering goods quickly and accurately will keep customers loyal and could possibly increase your bottom line.
DJ products offers affordable, reliable and easy to use solutions for material handling, the exact type of equipment needed for a warehouse to maintain, or exceed customer expectations during the transition period of a merger.
Eliminating Overhead the Smart Way
The economy is still lagging far behind what it was a few years ago and though some industries are beginning to see some promise, logistics and third party warehouses are still struggling to stay out of the red. In order to keep the doors open, many businesses are being forced to find a way to cut overhead because the customers just don’t have money to spend.
Many businesses are moving to smaller facilities, cutting down the inventory they stock and even cutting employees just to lower spending enough to remain profitable. If you slash inventory, move to a smaller facility or cut employees you could be hurting your company’s ability to provide adequate service, but there is a way that you can spend less money while at the same time improving your ability to serve the customer.
Propane powered equipment may seem like the most convenient and efficient way to move material, but when you calculate the cost of fuel and tally up the frequent maintenance and repair costs you’ll see that quite a bit of your budget is being spent on this equipment that is supposed to be saving your company money. A much more economic way to move material is with battery operated carts and lifts.
The lifts and carts offered by DJ Products are quiet, efficient and incredibly reliable and the cost of operation is far less than that of a propane powered forklift. A single employee can easily maneuver around tight spaces with heavy loads of inventory and not ever have to worry about wasting time changing an empty fuel tank – the lifts and carts from DJ can last an entire shift on a single charge.
You don’t need to sacrifice the quality of your service, your capacity to store product or your number of employees to get back into the green – you may be to be able to cut costs and provide better service by running your operation with the right equipment.
5 Tips to Improve Your Warehouse Team in 2015
When attempting to improve efficiency in your warehouse, there are a lot of moving parts that require attention. You must manage the movement of incoming goods from suppliers, maintain accurate inventory, coordinate deliveries to suit your customer’s needs, and protect the safety of your personnel the entire time.
The new year is a good time to implement changes that will boost performance in all areas.
- Ask your team for ideas. You probably have more experience and knowledge than anyone in the warehouse, but they are on the front lines everyday. While looking at the big picture, it is possible to miss seeing some crucial details that need attention.
- Schedule frequent training classes. Humans are creatures of habit. It is easy to develop bad habits that go unnoticed. Formal training classes will keep everyone following proper protocol.
- Use automation to lower injuries and cost. Motorized carts, tugger carts, and electric tugs will prevent injuries and decrease fatigue. Your staff will be more alert and productive throughout the day.
- Offer advancement opportunities. Everyone wants to take pride in what they do. When team members have individual goals, it is easier to accomplish the goals you have for the whole team.
- Cross train personnel. By understanding the different jobs and functions of the warehouse, team members are more inclined to work together.
Regardless of your industry or the size of your warehouse, DJ Products has the material moving carts, cart movers, or other tuggers that will help you operate safer and more efficiently in 2015 and for many years ahead. Call 800.686.2651 to speak with one of our courteous and knowledgeable Sales Engineers.
Material Handling and Distribution Heats Up in the Summer – Literally
Warehouses are generally poorly ventilated buildings with no good source of circulation, many with metal roofs that absorb the heat of the sun, and certainly no provisions for air conditioning. So as the temperatures of the Summer rises, so does the temperature of the workplace.
Open dock and receiving doors let in the Summer heat and the fast pace of the employees and the bustle of the machinery just forces the temperatures even higher throughout the course of the day. In this type of environment it’s critical to have safe and reliable material handling equipment, because the extreme heat will only add to the dangers of manual material handling.
Having the proper equipment to assist in the transport of heavy loads gives your employees the opportunity to complete their work according to (or even ahead of) schedule without having to over exert themselves inside of the scorching warehouse environment. Old, outdated propane forklifts can throw hot exhaust, which can also work to drive up the temperature in an already borderline dangerous environment making a very uncomfortable workplace practically unbearable.
Just because the temperature has risen outside, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to slow down your operation or that you have to compromise your employees’ safety. Reliable, battery operated carts and lifts help to ensure that your employees will have the assistance they need with heavy materials, minimizing the risks involved with manual material handling. Battery operated carts don’t tend to get as hot as propane operated lifts and they also don’t release hot exhaust into the already stifling air.
Your warehouse or distribution center is most likely going to be hot – even with ceiling and floor exhaust fans running it’s difficult to keep temperatures down. It’s up to you to do whatever you can to keep your employees safe and one of the best ways to do that is to operate with the most reliable battery powered lifts. Lifts and carts from DJ Products will help minimize unnecessary excess heat while ensuring that your employees can safely perform their regular duties without the fear of over exertion.
Material Handling Offers Good Job Growth Potential
Particularly in a tight economy everyone wants to know where the jobs are and where they’re going to be for the next decade or so. Material handling and the related fields of logistics and warehousing are growth industries that offer good job potential now and into the future. International development is predicted to drive 5% annual growth in the worldwide material handling industry for each of the next five years (see our Sept. 22 post). In the U.S. retiring baby boomers are creating critical worker shortages in logistics and warehousing. However, automation and increasingly sophisticated technology are also creating a need for more highly skilled and more highly educated workers.
While the value of experiential education is still recognized, a bachelor’s degree is the new entre into a professional career; and a master’s degree, the ticket to climbing the career ladder, according to Mike Ensby of Clarkson University’s Engineering & Global Operations Management Department. “The three most important credentialing letters today seem to be ‘MBA,'” he said in a recent interview with Modern Materials Handling, particularly if you’re aiming for the boardroom.
Companies do still hire people right out of high school, and many professionals who began their own careers that way seem to place greater value on certified skills than college degrees. But material handling is in a state of transition. Industry experts say the drive to automation and integrated systems will increasingly demand a workforce with advanced technical skills. Tomorrow’s warehouse worker is more apt to operate a computer than a forklift.
In the coming decade, high school grads may find themselves stuck in a career track that rarely rises above skilled labor, such as order fulfillment. “Going into the future, not many people will have much success in their career progression without professional development of some kind,” Ensby said.
Next time: What courses will catapult your material handling career to success? What will employers be looking for?
Battery Powered Tugs Position You for Future Success
The woes of the U.S. auto industry should serve as a cautionary tale for the rest of us. To weather the current economic storm, U.S. businesses must embrace the future, maintain flexibility, manage labor and rein in expenses (see our Dec. 12 post). While we certainly hope the economy improves more quickly, economic experts interviewed on CBS’ 60 Minutes last night estimate it could take as long as three years to bring the U.S. economy back to a robust state. Business decisions you make now and in the coming months could well determine whether you’ll still be around to enjoy the economic resurgence when it comes.Moving to DJ Products’ innovative, ergonomically-designed battery powered tugs and electric carts could position you to compete successfully now and into the future.
- Embrace the future. President-elect Obama has made a commitment to American workers to mandate safe work environments. Backed by a Democratic Congress, material handling industry experts predict a quick reinstatement and expansion of the ergonomic workplace safety rules initiated by the Clinton administration but rescinded by President Bush. Being proactive about workplace safety not only positions you to meet future OSHA requirements, it sends a positive message to workers and can be a powerful public relations tool in an era when Americans use purchasing power to support their own political agendas.
- Maintain flexibility. DJ Products’ versatile battery powered tug provides maximum flexibility to meet the changing needs of your business. From heavy-duty assembly line pushers to compact cart pushers that can maneuver around obstacles in populated corridors, our battery powered tug will grow with you to meet future challenges.
- Manage labor. DJ Products’ compact, highly maneuverable, battery powered tugs and carts allow a single worker to perform tasks that often require two to three workers when performed manually. Our ergonomically-designed movers maximize worker safety, eliminating the physical strain associated with pushing, pulling, lifting and carrying tasks. Workers are able to work more efficiently, improving productivity.
- Rein in expenses. Electric and battery-powered tugs are cheaper and more energy-efficient to operate than gas or diesel-fueled lift trucks. But it’s the ergonomic design of our products that will provide the greatest benefit to your bottom line. Ergonomics has been proven to reduce worker injury, reducing expensive medical, insurance, workers’ compensation, disability and lost man-hour costs. Businesses typically recoup their investment in ergonomic equipment within the first year.
To find out more about DJ Products’ innovative battery powered tugs and carts, visit our website. Give us a call and let one of our ergonomic experts show you how DJ Products can help position you to compete successfully in the future.
Safety Breeds Productivity
Too many warehouses and material handling companies view safety as secondary in order of importance compared to customer service – but a clean, safe and clutter free workplace can have a huge effect on productivity.
Organization is key in being able to deliver optimal customer service as orders can be pulled, stationed, packed and shipped much more quickly and efficiently in an environment that is clutter free and safe. There is also a much lower chance of injury in an environment that is organized, properly equipped and well designed.
Warehouse and plant managers shouldn’t wait for fire or safety inspection time to roll around to get their operations organized and clean – the possibility for greatly increased productivity and, in turn, an increase in the bottom line along with a loyal customer base are readily available for business that can provide lightning quick and pin point accurate service.
Employees who work in atmospheres where the equipment is outdated and unreliable are more likely to have to perform the brunt of their jobs manually; this can lead to oversights and errors that may affect the accuracy of orders and of your inventory. It can also result in material being left in areas that weren’t necessarily meant for storage, potentially leading to accidents or injuries.
Upgrading your material handling equipment to battery powered carts that are quiet, ergonomic and long lasting will allow your employees to work at a faster pace without having to worry about resorting to manual handling when the equipment fails. Nothing hurts moral and performance worse than equipment failure during the picking or stocking of a large order when the pressure is on to perform.
Electric Carts from DJ Products have the power to last for an entire, fast paced shift of shipping/receiving without any worry about failure. This means that your employees can fully receive stock orders and put them away, or pull and stage large orders without interruption – with the right equipment; your warehouse will be clean, organized and operating at the highest possible level of efficiency.
A Little Goes a Long Way
When it comes to performing any job, it’s imperative that workers have both the “know how” and the proper equipment to accurately perform every task they encounter. An employee attempting to figure out how to use a piece of equipment as he goes can result in plenty of wasted time and even put people at risk of injury.
Upgrading every piece of computer and material handling equipment at once could bring about too much of an expense for some distribution centers to bear, but taking small steps to ensure that you have all of the equipment necessary and that all of your employees know how to use it is a big step towards optimal efficiency.
Having only one big, bulky forklift that is constantly breaking down doesn’t make much sense when you receive and ship out dozens of pallets worth of material per shift. In the long run, you could save money on operating costs and move more freight if you scrapped the outdated forklift in favor of two smaller battery powered lifts. Battery powered lifts from DJ Products are designed to be safe and easy for any employee to learn how to operate, which could mean a lot less waiting and a lot more working.
These battery powered lifts and carts from DJ Products can also last an entire shift on a single charge, so there is no time wasted changing fuel tanks and fewer moving parts means that there is less chance for equipment breakdown and a smaller budget required for equipment maintenance.
Streamlining or optimizing can sound like overwhelming processes to undertake, especially for a business trying to survive during these tough economic times, but properly training your employees and providing them with the right equipment may be all that needs to be done to make your operation as efficient as possible.