Warehouse Picking Carts with Slanted Shelves – A Case Study

Solution at a Glance

• Services Provided: Custom Product Design, Project Management
• Products Provided: Custom Order Picking Carts
• Location: Aberdeen, MD

Concern: Inefficient Picking

A beauty and personal care products distributor wanted to address picking issues they were having in their 850,000 sq. ft. distribution center. The issues were due to inadequacies with their warehouse picking carts.

Old, inefficient picking cart

The shelf levels of each cart were flat and too close together to see directly into boxes on the bottom two levels. This was causing employees to have difficulty placing items quickly and smoothly into each box at the rapid rate they pick.

Additionally, the large design of the handles was causing the carts to bump into the rack, frequently damaging the carts and putting inventory at risk of damage.

Solution: Custom Designed Warehouse Picking Carts

REB worked with the company to design warehouse picking carts that are better suited to the company’s operation.

New efficient picking cart with slanted shelves

The new carts are larger and able to securely fit 10 of the company’s standard shipping boxes on each level of the cart, giving them available space to fit 30 boxes total. This is 6 more boxes than the old cart.

Each shelf level is built at an angle, making placing items in each box a smoother process, as well as easier viewing of contents in each box.

The handles are custom made to be less obtrusive and provide easier maneuverability. Bumpers were added to the handles to avoid the wear and tear that the original carts were experiencing.

New efficient picking cart with slanted shelves

Outcome: Increased Pick and Ship Speeds

The new picking carts with slanted shelves have several positive effects on the company’s distribution operation. These include:

Decreased error rates: Because the carts have slanted shelves pickers can clearly see into the boxes on every shelf of the cart. This eliminates employee error due to lack of visibility.

High pick rates and throughput: Employees are picking items faster because they no longer need to bend down and examine the boxes to view where each pick goes. This has raised the number of items the company can pick and ship per day.

Increase safety: The custom cart handles with bumpers eliminates the damage that was happening to the old picking carts. Because of this, products are more secure, and the company does not have to frequently replace carts.

How You Can Improve Pick and Ship Speed in your Warehouse

If you need material handling products that will make your distribution center more efficient, contact REB today.

Our dedicated team of material handling experts will work with you to provide a solution that will optimize your picking operations. We are highly experienced in identifying inefficiencies and implementing improved systems.

We’d appreciate the opportunity to help you further, whether that be more information or a quote. Fill in the contact form on this page or call us at (800) 252-5955 to get in touch with a REB representative.