We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • SUBMISSIONS
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • CSCMP EDGE 2022 Startup Alley
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • CSCMP EDGE 2022 Startup Alley
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
Home » ProMatDX 2021: Crocs takes the fast track to automated picking

ProMatDX 2021: Crocs takes the fast track to automated picking

Project to implement AMRs for added capacity went from concept to live in less than 90 days.

Warehouse worker at Crocs
April 12, 2021
Supply Chain Quarterly Staff
No Comments

Business leaders at footwear company Crocs needed to find a way to meet surging demand for their products in 2020—and they needed to do it fast. The makers of the popular foam clogs faced “exploding” e-commerce demand as the pandemic hit, according to Rob Fauerbach, the company’s director of distribution and logistics. Automating its largely manual picking process would be essential to handle the growing volume and prepare for added spikes during peak holiday shipping season. Building a complex, infrastructure-heavy system would take years, so Crocs turned to robotics firm 6 River Systems and material handling system and warehousing consulting firm Sedlak to develop a long-term solution in short order.

“Heading into peak [season] of 2020, we needed to expand capacity,” Fauerbach explained during one of the first education sessions at this year’s PromatDX conference, being held online this week. Automation would help streamline the onboarding of temporary help during peak season and speed throughput at its 500,000 square-foot distribution center in Dayton, Ohio.

Representatives from Sedlak and 6 River Systems explained that Crocs required a flexible solution to scale up and down to meet demand. They chose 6 River Systems’ configurable and autonomous robotic platform, which uses AMRs called “Chucks,” and applied it to Crocs’ picking process. The AMRs are integrated into the company’s warehouse management system (WMS)—and they don’t require any new infrastructure or the need to change your warehouse layout.

The collaborative, goods-to-person system cuts down on associate travel throughout the facility by automating much of the picking process; in some cases, the Chucks travel alone, delivering products to associates in different zones throughout the warehouse. Within the zones, the Chucks lead associates through the picking process until the assigned tasks in that zone are complete. Once orders are complete, the Chucks travel autonomously to the packing area.

Jerome Dubois, co-founder and co-CEO of 6 River Systems, said the system typically reduces associate travel time by 50% and doubles productivity when compared to manual systems. And that’s exactly what happened for Crocs: Pick rates at the Dayton facility improved from 55 units per hour to 111 units per hour after implementing the AMR system. New-hire onboarding also improved: Training time went from an average of one week down to one day, according to Fauerbach.

From conception to go-live the project took about 90 days, but the on-site implementation only took about six weeks of that time, including piloting, testing, and launching the system, Fauerbach also said.

“The biggest win for us really was the timeline,” Fauerbach said.

PromatDX: 2021 takes place April 12-16 online.

KEYWORDS 6 River Systems Crocs Sedlak Management Consultants, Inc.
  • Related Articles

    ProMatDX 2021: The benefits of reusable packaging on optimizing automation

    Cimcorp Partners with GEODIS to Introduce Automated Layer Picking as Innovative Warehouse Solution

    Cimcorp to Highlight Automated Order Picking Systems for Maximizing Product Freshness at ProMat 2019

Recent Articles by Supply Chain Quarterly Staff

Intermodal sector weathered a “challenging” year in 2022, IANA says

Freight sector missed the boat on strong U.S. economy in Q3 and Q4, FTR says

Freightos completes plan to go public on NASDAQ exchange, raises $80 million

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Most Popular Articles

  • Forecasts call for freight rate slumps in 2023

  • Projected U.S. recession in early 2023 will soften freight market

  • Inflation drops again as interest rate hikes hit home, NRF says

  • How to avoid the next crisis: A new approach to supply chain agility

  • New Jersey truck fleet says Freightliner tractors will deliver safety as well as freight

Featured Video

20221107korber large vs

Enhancing Customer Experience with Your Supply Chain Strategy

Viewer Contributed
With the rise of e-commerce, many businesses have had to transform their warehouses to handle online orders in addition to regularly scheduled inventory shipments. This means warehouses need more information than ever before to ensure they can meet customers' needs. As a result, companies need to select warehouse...

FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

  • Guide to Pallet Rack Safety

  • 3PLs: Complete Orders Faster with Flexible Automation

  • A shipper's guide to navigating post-pandemic holiday freight

  • THE NEW WAY TO WAREHOUSE: 4 Innovations in Automation & Robotics to Boost Warehouse Productivity

View More

Subscribe to Supply Chain Quarterly

Get Your Subscription
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • E-NEWSLETTERS
  • ADVERTISING
  • CUSTOMER CARE
  • CONTACT
  • ABOUT
  • STAFF
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Copyright ©2023. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing