As supply chains move away from inventory-heavy fulfillment strategies, slotting strategies are emerging as a way for companies to improve customer service while reducing carrying costs. A new opinion paper from consultants at KOM International, “Racking Up Savings with the Right Slotting Strategy,” analyzes various approaches including:
- Fast/slow picking
- Dedicated pick/reserve
- Alternating pick/reserve
- Store friendly
- Engineered layout
- Very narrow aisle vs. multi-level
- High-density storage
- Group or batch picking
- Ergonomic
“Choosing the right slotting strategy in any given situation is paramount to successful execution of the slotting process,” says Keith Swiednicki, COO of KOM International. “It not only defines the rules that dictate execution of the slotting process, but it also determines the layout.” Aisle and rack layout considerations are presented along with product flow and traffic pattern analysis. The white paper also warns of potential limitations of slotting software, including the challenge of handling the large number of constraints and rules involved in strategy selection.
The document suggests it may take 10 to 12 weeks to develop the appropriate strategy for a particular application and two to three weeks to move from strategy to final slotting.
For a copy of the document contact Denise Beamish at [email protected].
