Prior to installation of the Lucas Work Execution system, the warehouse management system (WMS) provided RF-based work execution for all DC processes. The WMS also integrated with conveyor and sortation systems, and a pick-to-light module for each picking.
Despite using RF and pick-to-light, “The picking processes were complex and inefficient,” says Chris Rufa, Senior Director of Global Distribution. “Everybody was working overtime.”
In addition to suboptimal picking, work release was also highly manual. The WMS would print the labels for all orders for the day and a planner would sort the labels by carrier and shipment. The pickers would ultimately decide the sequence in which orders were picked, which sometimes caused items to ship late, among other issues.