ProMat is the largest material handling show in North and South America. It is held every other year in Chicago. You can learn a ton about where material handling and logistics is headed by walking the show floor. This year is no different.
Reducing strain on workers, improving supply chain efficiency, using more robotics even working alongside humans, lean manufacturing principles, and more autonomous processes, all of these were hot trends.
For example, there are several autonomous forklift vendors with equipment that can eliminate the need to train operators altogether. And in case you were wondering, a few autonomous vehicle providers have ventured into outdoor and uneven terrain applications. One robotics journalist suggested to me that there might be a driverless lift truck moving material in your pallet yard sooner than later.
There is even an automated loading system that companies like Heineken are using to load and unload semi truckloads of beer in three minutes flat. I would guess that it would work great with stacks of pallets if bottom boards were reasonably intact and stacks were stable. But there is always the sticker price to consider, and what might be affordable for a global brewery might not make sense for a local pallet provider. For what it is worth, the vendor told me that if a company unloads three trucks per hour he can demonstrate a one-year ROI.
For a lot of companies, especially smaller ones, I can imagine that checking out Promat can be a little like the way I feel going to a new car lot. I test drive the high-end models and experience a glimpse of the best before begrudgingly settling for something basic or used. Things are changing, however. More and more solutions are designed to be flexible and scalable, making them more affordable for small and medium businesses—like a lot of pallet operations. And whether you have a mind to buy or just to absorb some great ideas, there were value bombs aplenty at the show.
Shades of Iron Man
Do you remember Robert Downey Jr. in the Iron Man movies? He would get into the suit and it would give him superpowers. There is a relatively new technology called the exoskeleton which is sort of similar. You strap them on, but they are more like an external skeleton than a full suit. They enable workers to lift more weight and maintain awkward positions without as much strain. Some automotive companies are using them on the assembly line where workers have to hold their arms up a lot over their head, for example.
Of course, there are inexpensive ways to improve ergonomics, improve productivity and increase employee retention, one presenter shared. Think about the presentation of material to the worker, whether by adjustable conveyor or lift or tilt table, etc. Try to keep lifts in the “gold zone” between shoulder and knees, minimizing steps, touches, and twisting of the torso. One ergonomics equipment vendor stressed that there is simply no such thing as “the average employee.” That’s why adjustable work stations are so important to keeping workers happy and productive.
Maintaining Uptime
The same presenter emphasized the importance of maintaining uptime and reducing costly breakdowns through preventive or even predictive maintenance. There are preventive software maintenance programs being used by pallet operations, as we have covered in the past in Pallet Enterprise. Predictive maintenance is becoming an increasingly visible option, with sensors attached to machines which can better optimize maintenance operations.
Another time-saving recommendation was the better organization of parts and supplies. A 5-S program with dedicated locations for all tools can help reduce search time and keep workers more productive. Various parts and supplies storage locker systems were also on display at the show. They can also help employees to more quickly find the things they need.
Edge Computing and Field Mobility
Handheld devices are increasingly being used to help workers become more efficient and speed up operations at the “edge” of your business—in the yard or on the road. From receiving to shipping to inventory control to delivery, the new generation of mobiles can make a difference for quickly scanning bundles of material. They are lighter, easier to use, more powerful and more durable than ever before. Those clunky old “brick on a stick” scanners are quickly becoming a thing of the past. With the capability for barcode scanning, RFID interrogation as well as regular cell phone functionality, the new generation units are opening up new opportunities to increase productivity.
Employee Scheduling Software
One speaker, the logistics VP of a book publishing company, gushed about how much value she got from employee scheduling software which allows employees a degree of flexibility in choosing their shifts, and which allows part-time employees to find work when they have time. She said there was significant push back initially from operations managers when they instituted the flexible scheduling software because they were used to set shift patterns. The results have been very positive. Her company has been able to take advantage of highly capable employees with unusual shift patterns looking for extra work, such as firefighters and even a nurse. Shift scheduling software also frees up front line managers from the administrative burden of scheduling and is also associated with higher job satisfaction and retention.
The Importance of Relationships at Work
And finally, we close with a productivity idea that doesn’t require a capital investment as much as one of time and empathy. Marcus Lemonis, star of The Profit television series on CNBC and with a net worth of $900 million, provided a hilarious at times yet heart-tugging performance before a lunchtime audience of over 3,000 people. In contrast to the ProMat show itself, his narrative had nothing to do with equipment—or for that matter, anything like one would expect from a business session. He spent most of his hour exploring the importance of workplace relationships while having dialogues with various audience members. He somehow managed to get polished business people to really open up about their fears, regrets, past experiences, and aspirations.
Beyond the technology, Lemonis suggested that relationships are the most critical element of successful workplaces. Simply put, people come to a job with a lot of problems and enduring scars. When they feel inadequate, they may over-compensate to protect themselves and shed themselves of that feeling, like the bullied person turning into a bully, for example. Or bosses who are afraid of admitting that they don’t have the answer to a problem so they come up with a quick decision no matter what. Even if it is a bad one.
No one has all the answers, he said. He encouraged attendees to take the time to better get to know the people they work with, in order to build the trust needed to move the workplace forward. Whether you’re talking about technology at the edge of your business or workplace relationships that don’t scratch much beneath the surface, powerful communications can make a difference toward a better performing organization.
