Electronic Components
Established in June 1984, ElectroMechanica is a specialist direct importer and wholesale distributor of industrial electrical products, motor control switchgear and electronic automation products.Working with over 40 high-quality brands including Lovato, Finder, Delta, Hager, Socomec and Scame, ElectroMechanica is considered a leader in the market.
The company recently acquired the Tarsus premises in Wynberg consisting of several office blocks and a large warehouse. This is where ElectroMechanica’s new DC is situated. This DC will receive all imported shipments, de-stuff the containers, purchase receipt and put away the stock. The four ElectroMechanica branches countrywide will, in turn, draw off stock through supply chain transfers into their fine picking environments for customers’ orders.
What is unique to DC is two-fold. Firstly, zoned put-away prompts the operator to always try and put incoming stock into the same category product zones. For example, motor control gear will be allocated a zone whereas metering products will be located into another zone.
Secondly, area-based picking was implemented. The pick slip for the same customer order can be split into three pick slips and picked simultaneously by three different pick operators.
The three areas include the following:
- Heavy items on the warehouse floor are picked with a forklift truck.
- Fast moving items are picked from the second shelf using trolley jacks.
- Slow moving items are picked from racks three and above using a man-up unit.
Although the fast-moving shelf is not set-up as a pick face, normal replenishment takes place from the bulk shelves into this area. Additional pallet labeling has also been included which will further assist with ElectroMechanica’s shipments to their branches.
New functionality allows for the import of the supplier’s barcode which can easily be linked to ElectroMechanica’s stock code allowing for picker scanning of every item during the picking process, thus improving picking accuracy immensely. In this way small boxed items do not need to be labeled using general labeling in WMS, consequently reducing bottlenecks on receipt.
ElectroMechanica is constantly looking for ways to improve customer satisfaction. The implementation of DC is yet another example of how the company goes the extra mile to increase accuracy, productivity, and speed of service to its customers.
