Automating Dimensioning & Weighing

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The final 100 feet of your warehouse is the best place to start improving outgoing shipping operations.

Contributor: MHI’s SLAM Industry Group

One of the fastest ways to save money is to automate your final 100 feet. Here’s how to take charge of your cubing and weighing tasks.

If you’re looking for a surefire way to improve your outgoing shipping operations, the best place to start is with the final feet of your warehouse. Here is where your associates perform the scanning, labeling, applying, and manifesting (SLAM) tasks. When you automate this area, you’re a step ahead and well on your way to savings.

Integral to success in the SLAM arena is getting a handle on your cubing and weighing tasks. Each are a large component of the overall SLAM operations and can make or break your efficiency there. “In the manifesting line, one of the requirements is that you provide dimensions and weights for all your packages,” says Craig Bailey, director of integration and automation services at Cubiscan. “Your software interface with your carriers generates a transaction and shipping label that includes dimensions and weights. So, automating this area is of interest to everyone doing it.”

Parcel carriers receiving the outbound packages from your final 100 feet require this information and charge based on the information contained on that label. “When you automatically capture the weight, height and other dimensions, the software allows you to rate shop,” explains Pat Hanrahan, vice president of business development at Numina Group. “If you use multiple carriers, you can determine the most effective shipping method and partner, driving savings.”

Much of this savings comes from the fact that, with the correct dimensions and weights, your carrier partners will not charge you for any errors. If you had performed these tasks manually, you would literally be putting the package on a scale for weighing, taking out a tape measure for dimensioning, and then entering that information into a manifesting terminal, according to Hanrahan. This is not only slow, but subject to errors as well.

The result? You might have the wrong weight listed for a parcel, for instance. The carrier would then charge you back for that extra weight. Over time, these chargebacks add up substantially. Automated cubing and dimensioning equipment can help you avoid that. “For some customers who ship lots of packages, these charges can add up to thousands of dollars every month,” says Bailey. “There’s a strong business case for automating these tasks.”

WHAT TO EXPECT

When you add automation to your cubing and dimensioning activities, you’re including several components. “When you’re considering adding this equipment, it’s important that you know the largest size package you typically handle so that you can spec the scale to that size,” says Hanrahan. “This will allow you to dynamically control two different scale zones at once.”

In general, this portion of your SLAM line is usually confined to a small area that includes a scanner and the scales. “Another advantage of automating this section is that it can accurately determine the size of packaging, no matter what that looks like,” says Bailey. For instance, odd-shaped polybags and envelopes don’t lend themselves well to accurate measuring if performed manually.

When you work with an OEM partner or integrator to establish the right SLAM equipment for your needs, it’s essential that they are asking you all the right qualifying questions. “We have a guide mentality,” says Bailey. “We have a broad product line and we fit customer applications to the right products instead of trying to shoehorn every customer need into a small number of products.”

This customized approach is essential as SLAM operations will vary greatly from one company to another. Hanrahan adds that the goal with cubing and dimensioning automation is to save on shipping costs. “You’re going to be charged the right amount by your carriers because you’re eliminating surprises at the end of the month,” he says. “You should be able to achieve anywhere from 15 to 60 cartons per minute, depending on the amount of throughput required.”

You should expect a rapid return on investment from this equipment, too, adds Hanrahan. “Our philosophy is that automation should pay for itself,” he explains. “You should be able to justify a positive cash flow from day one. If not, maybe it doesn’t make sense for you right now. When you match the automation to the requirements, it pays for itself.”

Bailey also sees rapid ROI for most customers. “It’s not a hard business case because you’ll be eliminating chargebacks,” he says.

Not only that, but you can see substantial labor savings, as well, when you upgrade from manual to automated operations. “Those are your two main savings,” says Bailey. “In some cases, we’ve seen payback within 30 days.”

In this day of labor shortages — and with big chargebacks looming — there’s every reason to consider automating your cubing and dimensioning tasks. WMHS

MHI’s SLAM Industry Group (www.mhi.org/slam) provides education and thought leadership for “the last 100 feet” of warehouse and distribution operations. The group is made up of the companies that make the solutions and technologies that go into e-commerce fulfillment processes.