Other Neat Stuff
About FastFetch!
(Page 5)

Shipping Box Size Determination (Order Cubing)

Some companies choose to pick into totes or into a partition on the cart, and "eyeball" the size of the picked items in a separate packing operation to determine the best box size(s) for each order.  If all item dimensions and weights have been collected using a device such as a "Cubiscan" available from Interweigh Systems Inc, an algorithmic process can be used to estimate required box size(s) for order packing.  Some companies use a WMS/ERP with a box selection feature to estimate box size(s); however, if your WMS/ERP does not have this feature, or if your WMS/ERP estimates poorly, so that boxes must sometimes be repacked, FastFetch's highly efficient algorithm can be used to select box(es) for order packing.  Some companies use the FastFetch algorithm as a standalone module at order entry time so required boxes are known and used to calculate and quote shipping costs while customers are placing orders. 

In order to use the FastFetch algorithm, the following information is required:

1. A set of box sizes with LxWxH, max weight and max percentage fill capacity (to leave room for dunnage).  This information is entered once at installation time.

2. LxWxH, weight and optional "nestable" or "containable" information concerning each line item in the order.  This information is passed to FastFetch in an order/order item file.

3. A packing indicator telling FastFetch whether items are placed into shipping box(es) as they are picked or whether they are picked into a tote and later packed into shipping box(es).

If an item is defined as "nestable" then multiple instances of the item are allowed to be packed one-inside-the-other, with one dimension growing by a specified percentage.  If an item is specified as "containable" then other items can be packed into a specified available space inside the original item.  The FastFetch Optimizer PC uses this information to compute the best set of boxes to pick an order to comply with the dimensional, weight and max fill capacity restrictions while minimizing wasted space.

If the packing indicator specifies items are picked and placed directly into shipping box(es), the Optimizer PC computationally "packs items" using an algorithm (pick sequence) that assumes pieces are placed into box(es) in the order in which they are picked, without having the luxury of removing items already picked and rearranging them in the box during picking.  If the indicator specifies the order is picked into a tote and packed later, the Optimizer PC computationally "packs items" using an algorithm (best fit) that assumes a packer will be able to select items in any sequence and later pack them into box(es) in a more space efficient order. 

If product cube information is not available, the FastFetch system will allow the picker to make a best guess at a box size and begin picking into this box using the guess.  If the box becomes full before the order is fully picked, the picker can press a button on the display of the PDA or Tablet PC to "CLOSE" the box, open a new empty box and scan a unique, temp label bar code (taken from a roll of pre-printed license plate bar codes on the cart) and continue picking.  The bar codes on the original box (scanned at cart setup time) and the overflow box(es), along with the contents of each, will  be reported back to the WMS/ERP at the conclusion of the picking process.

Pre-kitting for Vending Machine Replenishment

Better efficiency to enable more stops & machines per delivery route

     a. Download data from order management system into FastFetch Optimizer PC

          1) Interface with Streamware's VendMAX system is available

          2) Standard interface with any order or warehouse management system (OMS/WMS) is available
    b. Pick onto carts
         1) Each cart represents a truck load (or a partial load)
         2) Each tote (location) on the cart represents a vending machine
         3) Totes are sequenced on the cart by route/machine
    c. Lights are used on (some) picking locations
    d. LIghts are used on all cart locations