With the resumption of activities, I think it is urgent to also resume the matter of automated warehouses, tools that I now view to be essential in our line of work. In fact, during the course of 2019, we had already designed two different versions: one particularly robust and equipped with 4.5 metre long drawers, with a capacity of 750 kg each, mainly destined to the storage of raw materials; and the other with the same capacity, but featuring 3.5 metre drawers that we intend too use for all the rest. This choice has allowed us, over the last few months, to gather information that we didn’t have before or, in any case, we hadn’t given that mush importance.
Let me explain. As I am sure you can imagine, only one operator can work at a time in each automatic warehouse. So, for example, if someone is picking an order list for assembly work, a second operator cannot access the warehouse to pick a bar. Now, if we consider that a picking operation can take about twenty minutes, the deployment of time, due to the overlapping of operators can become quite considerable.
This analysis, has therefore led to two different considerations:
The FIRST is that
we have to integrate a third automated warehouse in MICROingranaggi, which we intend to order shortly so it is operational from January 2021.
The SECOND is that – on the basis of the information gathered using the first two warehouses on a daily basis – we will be able to further optimize the organization of materials.
We do in fact believe that it is
vital to divide the content of each warehouse, not only on the basis of its actual utility, but also depending on how often and how exactly the operators use the same.
This is why we will dedicate the third warehouse entirely to assembly work, i.e. the department that needs more time for each picking operation.
During the last twelve months, we also realized that
automated warehouses could also be very useful for storing production equipment
(therefore toolholders, machine spare parts and so forth).
And so we set ourselves the objective of slowly eliminating the storage cabinets which are currently located in the vicinity of the machines.
Some of you may ask, why would we make this choice given that having production tools stored alongside the machines is undoubtedly more practical? The matter is linked more than anything to a further optimization of costs and expenses: in fact, the moment in which an operator has to pick a tool, the automated warehouse records the picking and the subsequent replacement activities. So we now know exactly who took what and for how long; and we also know exactly where each tool is at any moment in time.
Now, if we consider that some of these tools and equipment cost thousands and thousands of euros, the fact that they have a designated place in a well organized warehouse, on the one hand protects them from random damage that otherwise could occur at any time and, on the other hand, allows the company to have full control over what is and what is not available by simply sending a warehouse query.
