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•Lighting Up The Lean Supply Chain: Pick-to-Light In Manufacturing Applications

In February, 2009, Modern Materials Handling magazine conducted a survey on behalf of Lightning Pick Technologies, a provider of parts and order picking, kitting and sequencing solutions, to examine how supply chain manufacturing operations are adopting and optimizing order fulfillment technologies to increase productivity and improve customer satisfaction.

Background: About the Respondents and Their Facilities
Respondents to the study are top materials handling professionals and are predominantly warehouse, distribution, or logistics management, plant management, and plant engineers. They are employed across a range of industries and work in warehousing, distribution centers or manufacturing facilities.

A mix of company sizes are represented in the study. Overall more than one-half reported that their 2008 revenues exceeded $50 million; 28% are large organizations and report revenues in 2008 to be more than $500 million. Over one-half of the companies studied (56%) employ at least 250 people.

Assembly and Logistics Procedures
Businesses are adopting strategic initiatives to promote greater effi ciencies in their manufacturing and warehousing/distribution facilities, and are embracing structured business disciplines such as continuous improvement (71%) and lean principles (55%) to improve production and inventory competencies. Methodologies such as Six Sigma (34%) and Total Quality Management (29%) are also management strategies that companies are supporting to achieve their goals.

The most common manufacturing and order fulfi llment processes at these businesses are build-toorder and assemble-to-order production methods. Lean and built-to-stock are also fairly common practices.

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•Lighting Up The Lean Supply Chain: Pick-to-Light In Manufacturing Applications