The Kaizen Mindset- Implementing Continuous Improvement with Unex

Posted on May 22, 2013 by kcupples

First

Toyotetsu manufactures metal frame parts for Toyota vehicles. They stamp metal for vehicles like the RAV4 or the Corolla, as well as for Lexus vehicles. Toyotetsu practices a Japanese method called Kaizen, which basically translates to continuous improvement or change for the better.  The goal of this method is to involve all employees-from CEOs to order pickers-in the streamlining and improving of processes in order to eliminate waste.

Fourth

At Toyotetsu, components are stored in boxes and hand totes and are sorted based on their weight and size. This means workers must be able to properly pick and apply parts of varying size without interrupting the flow of their work. After a tote is picked, it is loaded on to a tugger and delivered to the welding area in the plant. Tugging tractors at Toyotetsu work on a 30-minute cycle. This means that pickers must get into the pick zones, identify the parts they need, load those components on the cart, and transport them to the welding area. This process must happen as quickly, safely, and accurately as possible.

Third

When Toyota approached Toyotetsu with a proposition to dramatically increase the number of parts manufactured at the plant, the production control team recognized a significant lack of space for the increased production. This projected growth would greatly limit the space in the tugging zones. The production control team at Toyotetsu needed a complete system that would allow them to save floor space while increasing storage density in order to house the new parts. They also needed a solution that fit their Kaizen mindset. Toyotetsu required a product that would evolve and improve alongside the changing needs of the plant.

Fifth

Unex provided Toyotetsu with a custom-designed flow rack system that eliminated an entire tugging aisle by greatly increasing storage density, doubling rack lengths, tightening spaces between roller chutes, and seamlessly integrating the new flow rack with Toyotetsu’s existing systems. This solution provided the plant with 10% more floor space and allowed Toyotetsu to implement bi-level storage. This created enough dynamic space for Toyotetsu to accommodate a 30% increase in business.

Seventh

The flow rack system implemented by Unex provided a designated storage area for every part in the plant. It allowed Toyotetsu to clearly mark products, making it much easier for order pickers to locate the needed part and keep the process moving along smoothly. By eliminating the need for more tugging zones, Unex’s flow rack system decreased the need for tuggers to maneuver down extraneous aisles, which further increased the efficiency of Toyotetsu’s operation.

Second

Ease of use and installation was another feature Toyotetsu required of the new flow rack system. As the production control team evaluates the efficiencies of their operation, the need may arise to rearrange and reconfigure their roller racks in order to maintain their Kaizen philosophy of continuous improvement. The flow rack solutions provided by Unex are constructed of portable material and are designed to be easily deconstructed, reconfigured, and reconstructed. Toyotetsu was able to use their own staff to install Unex’s flow rack systems and implement them into Toyotetsu’s operation.

Eighth

Unex products are perfectly designed for companies that practice the Kaizen mindset. They eliminate overly taxing work by making it easier and safer for order pickers to find and collect the parts they need. Unex systems are implemented workstation by workstation and focus on improving the efficiencies of the individual in order to increase the overall efficiency of the operation. Continual implementation of Unex products in order to produce small increases yields large results for the companies that utilize them. If you or your company subscribes to the Kaizen mindset, then using Unex solutions to implement this philosophy is a no-brainer.

Sixth

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Show Don’t Tell- Unex Solutions at Work

Posted on May 15, 2013 by kcupples

FirstFresh Direct is an online service that delivers groceries directly to the doors of residents of New York City. They process approximately 63,000 orders per week from their two warehouse locations.

SixthFresh Direct’s warehouses contain thousands of different products, requiring a carton flow system that is both versatile and durable. Not only did they need a solution that would allow all of their products of various sizes to flow perfectly, they needed a product that could dramatically increase the storage density of their existing warehouses.

FifthPreviously, Fresh Direct had utilized a carton flow system supported by plastic wheels. Items would get stuck or fall through the shelves due to the extra spacing between wheel rails. When Fresh Direct turned to Unex, they chose a product that would flow products properly as well as keeping the warehouse floor clean. That product was Span-Track.

SecondThe pitch of the Span-Track created a more efficient product replenishment system for Fresh Direct. Unex helped implement a first in, first out process where the product is loaded into the back and rolls smoothly forward.  This allowed pickers to easily access the products needed in their orders without interference from workers who were replenishing the shelves. These improvements allowed Fresh Direct to greatly increase their pick rates.

SeventhWith solutions provided by Unex, workers at no longer had to reach deep into the shelves or use hooks to retrieve products and pull them forward. This increased the efficiency of the order pickers as well as decreasing the physical stress of the pick on the employee.

Unex_FreshDirect-105Using a phased-in approach, Unex replaced the carton flow system at about 4,000 product locations at Fresh Direct’s Borden Avenue warehouse. When Fresh Direct opened another facility to accommodate an increase in orders, Unex fitted the entire 70,000 square foot facility with Span-Track. This enabled Fresh Direct to increase their available products and add 500 SKUs in just a year.

ThirdSpan-Track helped Fresh Direct minimize the amount of floor space required to successfully operate an order picking system. This was an absolute necessity for Fresh Direct- they simply did not have the option of expanding the size of their warehouses in one of the biggest, most crowded cities in the world.

FourthUnex has maintained its relationship with Fresh Direct, who continues to expand its product line as it takes on new customers. Unex has provided Fresh Direct with solutions beyond Span-Track, including a knuckled flow system that provides an ergonomic point of pick for the order picker.

Unex_FreshDirect-126Even though installation took place several years ago, the Span-Track rollers and channels still look and work like new. Unex’s seven-year warranty guarantees that companies like Fresh Direct will have a product that provides convenience and efficiency for years to come. Unex can bring these solutions to any warehouse or distribution center, regardless of size or amount of SKUs. Whether you need to outfit 70,000 square feet or even just a few bays, contacting Unex will put you on the path to growth and success.

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Business is Personal at Unex

Posted on May 8, 2013 by kcupples

Running a business is about much more than your bottom line. For some, running a business means continuing a legacy that one’s family began many years ago. This is the case for Unex Manufacturing, which has been owned and operated by the Neuwirth family since its inception in 1964. At Unex, doing business means working with family, as well as making every employee and customer feel as though they are part of that family. I sat down with Unex President Brian Neuwirth to discuss his path in the company, how his business philosophy was inspired by his family values, and his goals for both the present and future of Unex Manufacturing.

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Brian began working with the company when he was just sixteen years old. He would spend his summers working in the factory, supplying materials for the manufacturing and assembly processes. Brian also worked as an installer when they needed an extra set of hands. After obtaining an undergraduate degree, Brian worked full time for the company for a year and a half before heading off to business school. He spent over twenty years working in media, sales, and marketing. In 1997, Brian returned to the company and became president. His father, Frank Neuwirth, took the chairman position.

“My dad wasn’t around a lot when we were young,” said Brian. “It wasn’t just a nine to five for him. If he was out selling, he was out selling. I learned from that that you had to have a strong work ethic to succeed.” When Brian returned to the company, it gave him and his father a unique opportunity to work and spend time together. “The most satisfaction I had was working with my dad for about eight years before he passed away,” said Brian. “He was really busy when we were growing up, and after high school I was busy too. Working together really gave us time to talk about a lot of things-about work and life-and it was very rewarding.”

Frank’s drive and work ethic helped inform Brian’s philosophies on running a business. “He was a brilliant man who knew engineering, sales, and marketing,” said Brian. “He was self taught and always had a tremendous amount of accountability.” Owning up to your mistakes and sacrificing convenience in favor of long-term viability were important values in the Neuwirth family. “You had to clean up your own mess, and you had to eat your vegetables. You may not like it, and it may not be easy, but in the long run, you benefit.” These early lessons play a major part in Brian’s business philosophies to this very day. “When push comes to shove, are you going to spend money to right a wrong, even though you’re going to lose money? We may have to go overtime and move some things around, but we’ve got to fix it as soon as possible,” said Brian. While it may not seem to be in the company’s best interests at the moment, going out of one’s way to ensure customer satisfaction is an advantage in the long run.

Although Brian learned many valuable lessons while working with his father, he also began to see a difference in their management styles. “I wanted more of a team approach,” said Brian. “My father would sit for a long time thinking about something, talk to people individually, and then call everyone in and say ‘Okay, this is what we’re going to do.’” While Brian admired Frank’s ability to take on a project head-on, he believed that one person can only have so much of an effect. “Even if you’re Bill Gates, you can only do so much on your own,” said Brian. “He had four or five people report to him, where I really feel I work for our people. I see myself as a facilitator.”

Brian’s experiences learning from his father and taking on the task of running a family business greatly increased the value and importance of his work. “I have a long range perspective,” said Brian. “I’m not just here until I retire- I’m here to make sure this business transitions. I’ve always loved what I’ve done, but this is much more of a personal connection.” He believes that establishing that connection is not just important for him-he wants everyone at Unex to feel that personal connection. “We want everybody to share that pride. I try to create an environment where our employees really feel like part of the family, and that we’re here to take care of each other.” However, this personal connection can sometimes feel like a bit of a burden. “I’ve got 65 people out there, and when business gets slow, it’ll keep me up at night,” said Brian. For Brian, Unex is not just a company- it’s a family legacy, and helping that legacy grow is his number one priority.

Working with family in business presents some unique challenges. Brian learned very quickly that in order to balance his work and family relationship, he had to learn how to compromise. “You don’t compromise on the big things, like your ethics,” said Brian, “but you do compromise tactically. You fine tune, and you make adjustments.” He also learned the importance of making mistakes. “You have to allow people to fail,” said Brian. “There’s nothing wrong with failing. I didn’t believe it until I lived it many times, but I learned far more from my failures than I did from my successes. If you’re having more successes than failures, the mistakes tend to stick with you, and you remember those failures with much more clarity.”

As the last of six siblings, I find myself fascinated with Brian’s story. The amount of coordination just to get us all in the same room is nearly impossible. The idea that we could all collaborate and contribute to starting a successful business seems unreachable. Yet Frank Neuwirth was able to take the chaos of family and turn it into the well-oiled machine that is Unex Manufacturing. Brian was able to continue the success his father started while taking the company in his own direction. The growth and success of this company means the growth and success of the family. For everyone here at Unex, and especially for Brian Neuwirth and his family, business is personal.

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Flexibility with Flow Cell

Posted on May 1, 2013 by kcupples

You’ve ordered a tube and joint dynamic storage unit for your facility. You’re standing in front of a pile of steel tubing that has to be measured, cut, and fitted. You glance at your watch and start to mutter.

Flexibility and ease of use are the top priorities of any manufacturer, especially in the automotive industry. Designers are consistently adding new features and products, as well as updating the standards of their vehicles. Manufacturers need a work space that can be quickly rearranged while maintaining the efficiency of their operation in order to meet the changi

ng demands of designers. For Johnson Controls, an automotive manufacturer based in Georgia, this challenge led to Unex’s patented Flow Cell workstations.

The Flow Cell workstation offered many benefits that appealed to the operations managers at Johnson Controls. As a dynamic storage unit, Flow Cells increase space utilization by 50% and pick rates by up to 30%. Flow Cell units decrease reach distance while simultane

ously increasing pick access, shaving valuable seconds off of the order picking process. Flow Cell’s first in, first out design allows the unit to be replenished without interfering with the order picker’s work. The return lanes allow for the order picker to dispose of or move totes and cartons without stepping away from their work

FlowCell

stations. Flow Cell units offer several advantages that Johnson Controls was able to exploit, which helped them step up from 55 jobs an hour to 60 jobs an hour.

Johnson Controls required a product that was highly durable as well as mobile- they needed a unit that could be moved and adjusted without completely disassembling the unit. Typical tube and joint structures were not an option, as they did not offer the mobility presented by Flow Cell units. While a tube and joint structure would need to be taken apart and reassembled in a new location, a Flow Cell unit on casters could simply be rolled from one station to the next. Reconfiguring a Flow Cell for a new workstation is a very simple process, and can be reconfigured three times faster than similar tube and joint structures. These Flow Cell units are capable of carrying three thousand pounds per unit, making them ideal candidates for a facility such as Johnson Controls, where heavy parts can produce stress on a storage unit. Simply put, Flow Cell’s structural integrity, coupled with its ease of movement and ease of reconfiguration, made it a far more superior product than typical tube and joint structures.

For Johnson Controls, Flow Cell units present three extremely valuable features- efficient use of space, uninterrupted work flow, and reusability. By maximizing floor space, keeping productivity high, and being flexible enough for any job, Flow Cell units provided Johnson Controls with the tools they needed to increase the value of their products. On top of all that value, Johnson Controls was able to assemble 41 Flow Cell units in less than a half hour each, saving the operation even more time and money.

Stop cutting steel tubing for your tube and joint structures. It’s time-consuming, costly, and frustrating. Flow Cell units are specifically designed to ensure you spend more time picking and a lot less time cursing under your breath with a pile of steel tubes lying in front of you.

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Helping People Help Themselves- Unex and Open Door Rehabilitation Center

Posted on April 24, 2013 by kcupples

Giving back to the community has long been a priority for Unex Manufacturing. While there are many causes out there worthy of support, the story of Open Door Rehabilitation Center in Sandwich, Illinois struck a chord with us in a profound way. When the ODRC was searching for ways to increase productivity in their assembly operations, Unex was eager to help them in any way possible.

Open Door Rehabilitation Center provides vocational, residential, day and community support services to adults with developmental disabilities. The goal of the center is to increase and maintain skills in the least restrictive environment in order to help people achieve their maximum potential.

The Open Door Rehabilitation Center began in a basement workshop in Sandwich, Illinois in 1963. As the program grew in size and scope, the community collaborated around the program to fund it and move it into larger facilities. Over time, Open Door Rehabilitation became a widely renowned center for vocational training and income for the region’s developmentally disabled residents.

A cumbersome carton handling process was slowing down workers at the center’s assembly facility, where participants learn job skills and assemble small automotive clips for hoses and other parts.

“This is a repetitive pick and assembly process,” said Jim Porter, Open Door Rehabilitation Center’s production manager. “Our workers assemble more than a million of these components each year, which can result in considerable wear and tear on the body.”

Components reside in containers of various sizes, weighing up to 25 pounds and holding up to 11,000 tiny pieces. In the past, cartons were stacked several feet high on sheets of plywood. Workers often had to climb a ladder to access the cartons and move them forward to the picking area, which took considerable effort and time. Span-Track reduced the time, space and effort needed for carton accessibility.

The Span-Track system also helped maximize space at the center, which frequently adds new programs and classes for the disabled.

“About 30 percent of our assembly space has been recently transformed into an exercise room and classrooms so that clients can learn skills like math and sewing,” said Porter. “Space is at a premium here, and Span-Track helps us get the most out of our facility.”

While we are proud of the impact our products have on our customers’ operations, being able to provide solutions for the Open Door Rehabilitation Center was a particularly proud moment for our company. Working with an organization with such a positive and admirable mission has been a rewarding experience for everyone at Unex. We very much look forward to continuing our collaboration with those who seek to improve and enrich our communities.

To learn more about the Open Door Rehabilitation Center, visit their website at www.ODRC.org.

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It’s a Small World- Maximize Your Chunk of it With Unex

Posted on April 17, 2013 by kcupples

The world we live in is a small place. Populations are exploding alongside technologies that allow us to interact with the international community. This presents distributors with a double-edged sword- while more people means more business, more people also means less space. The challenges distributors must overcome are two-fold. How do you maximize the space you currently have while adding more products to meet the growing needs of your customers? This is the unique challenge that Pine State Trading Company had to overcome when moving into their new facility.
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Pine State Trading Company was founded in Augusta, Maine in 1941 by Charles F. Canning. Over the years, the distributor grew larger and larger. The distributor moved from a garage office to larger warehouses, acquiring new products as the company grew in size and reach. When the distributor moved to its most recent location in 2012, management sought to solve a problem the distributor had been grappling with for a long time- how could they accommodate their 10,000 SKUs in the face of an oncoming 50% increase in volume? Pine State Trading Company’s product line consists of everything from cigarettes to soda pop to make-up. Therefore, the distributor was required to make the space they already had as flexible as possible. The solution to Pine State Trading Company’s problems came in the form of a one-two punch featuring Unex’s Span-Track and Flow Bed carton flow systems.

561 levels of Span-Track were installed at Pine State Trading Company’s new location. Due to the durability of the Span-Track line, the distributor was able to reuse track from their previous location. Unex also provided Pine State Trading Company with 568 levels of Flow Bed. Its simple drop-in design, coupled with its ability to allow for a diverse mixture of carton sizes to flow freely, provided the flexibility the distributor needed for its varying product line. Flow Bed’s strength and durability saved the distributor even more space and capital, as it does not require intermediate beams for support. Unex’s Flow Bed also provided a label holder which made it easier for the distributor to rearrange and re-label products as they saw fit. This meant that Pine State Trading Company no longer needed to reconfigure their operation in order to add more items to their product line, saving the distributor valuable time and money.
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Pine State Trading Company experienced zero issues or missteps during the installation of the Span-Track and Flow Bed systems. In no time at all, the distributor was fully prepared to add new product lines without an overhaul to their picking operation. Pine State Trading Company was able to maximize the efficiency of their entire operation- products were being shipped on time and materials were well-packaged, saving the distributor even more space and money. Pine State Trading Company was more ready than ever to service the 5,000 New England convenience stores that require their services.

If you are starting to feel the walls closing in on your operation, fear not- Unex provides products and solutions that will allow you to maximize the space you already have. Every step in the Unex process is designed to save you money by dramatically increasing functional floor space, reducing footsteps from one pick to the next, and by completely eliminating the need to rearrange your operation in order to expand your product line. Give us a call, take a deep breath, and enjoy the wide open spaces provided to you by Unex.

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Solutions, Ahoy! How Unex Can Bolster Productivity

Posted on April 10, 2013 by kcupples

Do you know the number one time-waster in order picking? It’s footsteps.  Every time a picker has to leave the line to retrieve items or conduct an exhaustive search to find an item, your operation’s productivity starts to sink. These extra footsteps add up, decreasing the efficiency of your operation which negatively impacts your profit margins.

Think for a minute about the situation at your business- be it a manufacturing plant, or a distribution center. Are you adding new products? Do you anticipate growth or changes in products in the near future? Can you honestly say it’s “smooth sailing” through your pick aisles, or do you sometimes feel like you are the captain of a shipwreck? If it’s the latter, you can steer your ship back on course.

Let’s take a look at a national food wholesaler. This company was experiencing explosive growth in their product line, which in turn created chaos in the warehouse. To make room for new products or SKUs, slow moving items were taken from the pick aisle and shoved here and there- in corners, on shelves, anywhere they could find some space. Pickers were leaving the pick line, wasting precious seconds and footsteps, and feeling rather frustrated playing hide-and-seek with the products. In short, their pick line had sprung a leak, and it was only a matter of time before the operation was underwater. If this scenario feels familiar, fear not- Unex possesses the tools and the know-how to rectify these troublesome issues.

The wholesaler turned to Unex for a solution. Our first step was to implement Unex’s software known as SKUBE. This unique program analyzes the movement of every product and produces out a detailed report, dictating  which items should be assigned to pallets, carton flow and shelving units. Armed with this data, we were in a position to assist the wholesaler in developing a more productive and efficient pick line.

With the right storage identified for every product, we redesigned the pick line, bringing together a perfect mix of pallet positions, carton flow and shelving. We also opened up bays where we installed mobile rack units called “pick tunnel carts.” The pick tunnel carts are loaded off the pick line and rolled into pallet rack bays. These carts eliminated the need for the picker to travel up to an additional of 500 feet. These saved footsteps allowed the wholesaler to greatly increase their efficiency.

After all of Unex’s solutions were put into place, the wholesaler was able to reduce travel time on the pick path by 80%, reduced the average pick time by 42%, and opened 456 pallet positions to make room for new SKUs. Their sinking ship was saved.

These solutions can also be applied to your operation. Are you maximizing floor space? Are your pick paths properly designed and efficient? Or can you feel the leaks starting to spring in your order picking processes? If so, Unex possesses the solutions you need to sail off into the sunset of success.

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Case Picking: Spotlight on Discrete Order Picking

Posted on January 21, 2012 by unex_blogger

Case picking is one of the most labor-intensive parts of the product distribution process. Depending on the type of operation, there may be a few different types of products or hundreds which need to be picked and shipped to the customer. Choosing the right picking system is important for efficiency; however, the most efficient method is different for every operation. One method used is discrete picking.

This is where one employee handles the order picking for a single customer order. It has a relatively low error rate, and is efficient in distribution centers with a smaller distribution volume and minimal product selection. Discrete picking can be used efficiently in conjunction with a gravity conveyor system. Cartons can be picked and placed on gravity rollers for transport. This eliminates the need for order pickers to put items in a cart and wheel them to the order packaging, shipping or loading area. Instead, they can stay in a limited area without having to leave every time they complete an order. Shelving design and product location can be coordinated so that the order picker has minimal reach and minimal travel to assemble the orders. This reduces time and increases efficiency and accuracy.

When there are errors discovered in the discrete order picking process, they are simple to pinpoint. Typically, the error is either on the picker in the number or type of product, or on the person placing or taking the order –  within the accuracy of the order itself.

When designing a layout for discrete order picking, it is important to consider factors like product weight, size and location to make the process more efficient. Once these have all been considered and addressed, case picking will be less labor-intensive and more reliable.

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Modular Workstations Make Line-Side Assembly More Efficient

Posted on January 16, 2012 by unex_blogger

Organization is key to efficiency and productivity, especially in line-side assembly. In many operations, this is where most of the manual work is done. It requires the highest amount of human production and can be costly when stations are not organized in an efficient and ergonomic manner.

 

Using a modular workstation can solve that problem by helping a worker find and use all of the assembly parts needed for that line step quickly. What makes Unex FlowCell modular workstations unique is that they can be configured to hold parts or products in the most convenient set-up. For example, the workstation can be used as a picking cell with gravity conveyor rollers to make parts picking faster, or it can be used as a multi-level storage and feed unit. When gravity conveyor shelves are installed, the parts are automatically shifted forward on the rollers to the most convenient and easy-to-reach area on the modular unit – the front. Not only does this reduce picking reach and time, it creates a more ergonomic workstation for the employee.

 

As product moves through on the line, workers can determine which parts need to be assembled or added to the line product, quickly retrieve the parts and install them as necessary. Management can determine which parts or SKUs should be stored and where on the FlowCell unit by studying inventory or conducting a study of the most-used parts. Unex has sales consultants and engineers that can help to determine the best layout for the FlowCell depending on needs of the individual company’s operation.

 

Learn more about our FlowCell products here.

 

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Adjusting Carton Flow to Dynamic Storage Units

Posted on January 10, 2012 by unex_blogger

Many factors go into choosing the right type of dynamic storage units for an operation. The size, weight, width and frequency of use all affect how cartons should and can move from one area to the next. Because each carton flow operation is unique, its design needs are unique. Let’s take a look at some of the variables involved in designing dynamic storage units.

Adaptability
Dynamic storage requires some flexibility in how it is set up to accommodate changes in the number and type of products moving through the operation. At some point, the units will need to be moved or reconfigured. When these changes are quick and easy, the company saves time and money, as there is very little down time involved.

Structure
The size and durability of the unit should be large enough and sturdy enough to handle the carton flow. Before choosing a system, all product sizes, shapes and weights should be noted and compared to the weight and size capacity of the storage unit. The width of the rollers or use of wheels will affect contact, efficiency and cost.

Putting It to Work
Once the guidelines for dynamic storage units has been established, the equipment needs to be ordered and assembled. After assembly, product is loaded. Unex has engineers that specialize in ways to increase the efficiency and carton flow of your operation. When properly designed, your operation can see a true impact from this change in storage strategy. If you are considering a changeover from static to dynamic storage units, one of our team members can help you determine what your needs are and how to best fill them.

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