NAME A COMPANY WITH A FLEET OF COMMERcial trucks, trailers, or defense or industrial vehicles, and
it probably sources some of its automotive parts from
Meritor Inc., a 111-year-old manufacturer based in Troy,
Mich. Meritor supplies drivetrain, suspension, and braking
systems and components for manufacturing, service, and
maintenance operations run by global clients such as AB
Volvo, Navistar International Corp., Kenworth Truck Co.,
and Mack Trucks.
One of the key nodes in the company’s fulfillment network is its DC in Florence, Ky., which serves as the distribution hub for its global aftermarket business. From the site,
Meritor ships out orders for heavy truck components to customers throughout the U.S.,
Canada, and Mexico.
Keeping the 440,000-square-foot Florence
DC operating smoothly is critical to Meritor’s
business, so the company recently upgraded its
warehouse management system (WMS) while
adding voice-directed picking devices and new
handheld scanners. However, managers soon
realized that simply investing in the mobile
devices wasn’t enough. They also had to find a
way to manage those assets. The mobile devices were frequently being misplaced or accidentally damaged, and workers sometimes failed to fully charge
the batteries. What the operation needed was a system for
tracking the units and ensuring they were in good working
order at the start of each shift.
In 2015, Meritor installed five asset-management lockers
from Cincinnati-based Apex Supply Chain Technologies
LLC. The automotive company’s 80 warehouse associates
now gather at a locker location before their shift and scan
their ID badges to retrieve handheld scanners and fresh
batteries. At the end of the workday, they scan their badges
again to return the equipment.
The lockers create a record of each transaction through
Apex’s cloud-based inventory tracking platform, recording
who checked out each piece of equipment, when it was
returned, and whether it was plugged into a battery char-
ger. Importantly, it also alerts an asset-control technician if
equipment isn’t returned or a device is damaged so that it
can be sent out for repairs right away. “The system provides
all that information to an administrative person on our
operations team, and she interfaces with an outside person
who does repairs,” said Steve Ammerman,
director of operations and industrialization at
Meritor. “So I know who’s got what scanner
and which scanner needs to be fixed. It really
is a hands-on system.”
Meritor uses four Axcess 6000 asset-man-
agement lockers for its handheld devices and
a MegaStore 9500 high-density dispensing
system for battery management. Together, the
lockers and associated software platform have
helped the company get damaged scanners
back in use within days instead of weeks and
identify employees who have had equipment
checked out for more than 12 hours. On top of that, the
new system has helped extend the life of the scanner equip-
ment by ensuring that every battery kept in a MegaStore
cabinet is fully charged before it is used on a shift.
“We can ensure that batteries are returned, charged,
and dispensed as needed,” Ammerman said. “Previously,
employees were picking up half-charged batteries, but now
all devices are fully charged for an eight-hour shift.”
Automotive equipment provider turns to “smart” lockers to solve problems with misplaced and
damaged scanners.
Meritor shifts asset management into
high gear
racks in production, with full capabilities to reach and
move materials. On top of that, the changes have enabled
the company to significantly boost its production and
reduce the number of forklift touches per skid.
Completely reworking the racking system and switching
out the trucks in its fleet was a huge culture change for
Bonide and an ambitious project to embark on. The com-
pany is pleased with how Pengate and Raymond contrib-
uted to its success. “We have no hesitation in continuing
to work closely with Pengate on future projects and to find
Raymond solutions to improve our business even more,”
Szalkowski said in the statement.
