DC Velocity - December 2017

HC;FL

The HC-FL catchweigher is a combination of two single-interval scales working together both simultaneously and independently of each other, essentially creating 3 sets of scales. Even on vibrating floors, the AVC technology allows for the most precise weighing results, optimal for the CEP sector.

INCREASING THROUGHPUT UP TO 60%

INCLUDING ACTIVE VIBRATION COMPENSATION

wipotec-ocs.com

returns processing area by installing its modular conveyor platform (MCP) solution and semi-automated processing systems, including its RollerDrive solution, which is used to power the belt and roller conveyors that run throughout the facility. The modularity of the conveyor systems allowed Popken to customize some of the project—primarily to improve ergonomics and ensure a seamless connection with the automated packaging machines.

To further enhance productivity, the project connected Interroll’s MCP to employees’ workstations. Combined with the automated packaging machines, this allows Popken to package up to 3,600 articles of clothing per hour, Cwiak says.

But it doesn’t end there. The new system is also helping to reduce costs in the distribution center. The driving factor is Interroll’s RollerDrive solution, which utilizes zero-pressure accumulation, a technology that divides the conveyor system into zones that are switched on and off as needed—via sensors and intelligent controls—so that the system is only moving when there is material to be conveyed. This cuts down on energy costs and reduces noise as well as wear and tear on equipment. The system uses the same technology to create buffer zones that handle peak and seasonal needs.

In the end, it all adds up to a better-run facility and improved customer service, according to Popken. As Wetter explains, the 30-percent productivity improvement means that products are returned to inventory and ready for delivery even faster— ensuring that customers get what they want, when they want it.

“The Popken Fashion Group’s main focus when it comes to logistics is making the customer number one,” explains Wetter. “[We] are always interested in improvement in order to deliver the product to the customer as quickly as possible.”

RETURNS: A KEY TO CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

The returns process is front and center at Popken Fashion Group because of its direct influence on customer satisfaction—and it is taking on even greater significance in an omnichannel environment.

“Having an effective returns man-
agement process has always been
a strategic factor for Popken,” says
Stephen Cwiak, senior vice pres-
ident and head of subsystems at
Interroll, which provided the equip-
ment for the project. “However,
the recent [omnichannel challeng-
es] have made it even more critical
for the company to have a sound
returns management infrastructure
that can increase speed and improve
processing capability so that the
returns are fed back into the contin-
uous distribution process.”
To that end, Popken decided to
heavily automate its returns process,
with conveyor systems and packag-
ing machines that have increased
productivity in the fulfillment cen-
ter by about 30 percent. Employees
inspect returned items for quali-
ty before entering them into the
automated system, which returns
them to inventory or sends them off
to a new destination for shipping.
Popken implemented a modular
flat conveyor system that moves
the merchandise—most of which
is polybagged for flat conveyance
by the new packaging machines—
throughout the facility to its final
destination. The solution’s flexible
design allows the company to pro-
cess a variety of types of goods,
including boxes, containers, and
textiles, in addition to the polybags.