Shipping volumes up and errors down

Picking efficiency has improved by 50% and picking errors have significantly reduced at Yankee Candle's European distribution centre in Bristol as a result of SSI Schaefer's paperless pick-to-light system installation.

Among its benefits, the system calculates the sizes and number of cartons required and prints labels in advance with the content. The system is reliant on using a database of carton volumetrics/packing parameters and is enabled when the operator scans the barcode on the carton label. Multiple orders can be consolidated for a single shipment to a customer.

Bruce Mitchell, operations manager at Yankee Candle was impressed. He says: "Shipping volumes are up by more than 40% on this time last year while the number of errors is down by over 50% of last year's figure."