ping cartons and envelopes using print-and-apply machines.
After labeling, the cartons and envelopes are sent to 36 packing stations. Meanwhile, cases of SKUs needed for batches
are selected from the forward rack locations according to
directions transmitted by radio-frequency (RF) devices. The
cases are then sent to the packing stations, with each station
receiving only the products needed for a single batch.
At the pack station, a worker removes the product (or
products) from the case and places them into the prelabeled
cartons and envelopes. All of the orders being processed at
a pack station at any one time contain the same items in the
same quantity to expedite the packing process and minimize
the chance of errors. “It’s easily controllable,” notes Jackson.
Completed orders are then placed onto takeaway conveyors
for transport to sorting.
Orders that don’t fit the profile of the batch orders being
processed at that time—either because they contain different products or because they include multiple SKUs—are
processed in a pick-to-light area that includes about 100
locations in flow racks. Lights illuminate in the pick-to-light
area to direct the picking of orders into totes, which are then
taken to 28 dedicated pack stations. This pack area can scale
to 34 stations to allow for growth.
At the pack stations, shipping cartons are labeled using
Zebra label printers and the orders are packed. After the finished cartons are weighed on Mettler Toledo scales, they’re
placed onto a takeaway conveyor that feeds a vertical lifting
conveyor supplied by Qimarox. The lift is used to raise the
cartons to an overhead conveyor line that’s high enough to
allow lift trucks transporting products needed to replenish
the pick-to-light flow racks to pass below. In Ohio, Crown
lift trucks are used, while Toyota forklifts are deployed in the
California DC.
Completed cartons and envelopes from both the main
packing area and the pick-to-light packing stations are
transported via roller conveyors to a sliding shoe sorter
supplied by Hytrol. The cartons are sorted to 36 destination
bins based on ZIP code. (The company also employs routing
software from Creative Logistics Solutions.)
Bastian used a similar sorting layout in the California facility, with one difference. At the Torrance building, it installed
a Bastian ZiPline high-speed cross-belt sorter, rather than
the sliding shoe model. (The sliding shoe sorter, which has
a high capacity, was chosen for Ohio to accommodate the
higher volumes processed at that facility.)
As for how it has all worked out, Dollar Shave Club says it
has been very pleased with the productivity and flexibility it
gained by opening its own distribution facilities. The company is meeting its goal of shipping orders within 24 hours
of receipt, and it views both operations as a step up from the
days when the e-tailer relied on a third party for fulfillment.
“It’s all about the member experience. When they place an
order, we can ship it as quickly and efficiently as possible,”
says Jackson. “We are able to now offer the same high level
of service to all of our members across the country.”
