When
should you
CUBE
and
WEIGH?
There’s a lot to be said for collecting weight and dimensional data
right before an order is shipped. But that’s just part of the story.
In today’s high-velocity distribution centers, there’s no room for guesswork. That’s par- ticularly true when it comes to the size and
weight of products stored and handled at the site.
Having accurate weight and dimensional data can
help you calculate outbound shipping costs correctly, determine your exact storage and material
handling system needs, and catch mispicked
orders before they go out the door.
But where and when should you gather cube
and weight data? Most people would say it should
be done at an outbound packing station just prior
to shipment. While there’s much to be said for
that approach, it’s not the only answer. There are
good arguments for cubing and weighing at other
times and places in the DC. Here are four recommendations from those in the know:
1. During a one-time inventory audit.
Data on the exact size and weight of every product you handle can be helpful in optimizing your
material handling and storage systems and for
choosing the best picking mechanism for those
products. But not all companies have that information at their fingertips, says Bob Babel of the
systems integrator Forte.
“In particular, small and medium-sized companies usually don’t have good, accurate sizing
information of products that move through their
material handling system,” Babel says.
If that’s the case in your operation, a size and
weight audit of active inventory might be in
order. Babel notes that this could be as simple as
renting or buying a static dimensioning system
and setting it up near receiving. As items arrive,
