Standish, MI -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/30/2014 -- Nearly three-fourths of the total costs of direct store delivery (DSD) rest with warehouse, order assembly, and delivery to retail customers. The remaining 30 percent of costs come from demand and supply planning, manufacturing, order generation, dispatch planning, and transportation.
Mike Brammer, supply chain process manager at Swift Water Logistics, a supply chain process improvement company, insists that today’s delivery systems must provide a safer and more efficient delivery process for employees. This would include reducing overall physical labor, flexibility to service customers of various delivery types, greater delivery capacity, less exposure to the weather, reducing account services, and addressing the rising cost of transportation.
Brammer works closely with material handling companies throughout North America, particularly in beverage delivery. He points out that a systems approach, what he calls “total system thinking,” is required to address all these issues in the DSD process and come up with solutions that meet the needs of everyone involved
And of course, on top of all of this is the importance of safety and maintaining a healthy workforce that is too often plagued by injuries. An aging workforce with great experience and knowledge is being lost due to the inability to endure the physical activity required for DSD delivery. Fuel costs and increasing fleets have also contributed to this complex quality equation.
The current issue of Quality Digest features Magline’s CooLift as a system thinking solution for Swift Water Logistics. When looking at a direct store delivery (DSD) tool that addresses these issues, Swift Water Logistics focused on the CoolLift design combines six wheels, a lightweight aluminum frame, and integrated plastic half-pallets with a hydraulic lift. The six wheels allow for 360-degree maneuverability in store aisles, and half-pallets permit drivers to get through narrow entryways. The result is a direct reduction in physical labor with less driver fatigue, less stress on the body, more ergonomic practices, and a reduction in overall injuries. The CoolLift causes less physical stress on the body due to reducing the number of product touches.
To read the entire article, go to: http://www.qualitydigest.com/inside/quality-insider-article/material-handling-made-elegant.html.
About Magline
Magline, Inc. (www.magliner.com) manufactures a complete line of innovative lightweight route distribution solutions under the Magliner brand. Recently named one of the Great Supply Chain Projects of 2013 according to Supply & Demand Chain Executive, Magliner solutions are used in the beer, soft drink, food service, parcel delivery, home healthcare, and other distribution industries. Magline also offers implementation consulting and solutions for reducing service times and eliminating waste during deliveries. Magline, the manufacturer of the innovative CooLift Delivery System, allows distributors to deliver more product in less time, combining an easily maneuverable and high capacity hydraulic lifting truck with integrated plastic “half” pallets for improved safety and efficiency. Magline was named a finalist in the MHI Innovation Award. Follow Magline on Twitter at @MaglineInc.
Magline, Inc.
www.magliner.com
Andrea Horner
Marketing Manager
PR@magliner.com
800-344-3646 x209