With Maybury's Help, Orders are Moving Faster Than Ever at J. Polep Distribution Services

Before (right): Polep's shipping and receiving were performed through one set of doors. After (above): All products arrive at a common induction point, where orders are picked and then conveyed directly onto the trucks.

J. Polep Distribution Services, located in Chicopee, Massachusetts, is one of the largest distributors of convenience store products, serving thousands of customers across six states. Founded in 1986, Polep has experienced phenomenal growth over the past 14 years, due to hard work and exceptional customer service. By 1999, this growth had led to a dilemma. New products, more customers, and the need for faster movement had exceeded the capacity of Polep's existing order picking system. Their 92,000-square-foot distribution center was bursting at the seams. The company had to make decisions regarding their future growth and capacity and determine whether to invest in a new facility or utilize their existing one.

Maybury Material Handling was asked to look at the existing system and provide insight as to what could be done to structure a more efficient facility. Maybury formed a team of design, engineering, and product-handling specialists to review Polep's operations and evaluate different approaches for improving product flow in the facility. We examined all facets of warehouse operations, including receiving, order handling, order picking, auditing, and shipping.

Maybury determined that the key to updating Polep's facility was changing the existing shipping and receiving process. At the time of our consultation, both receiving and shipping were performed through one set of doors. After analyzing the various product lines, as well as the entire process circulation, we developed a concept which called for receiving at one dock and shipping from another. This would allow for continuous product flow through the building and generate a more productive and time-efficient process. J. Polep Distribution Services decided to go with this approach to solving their dilemma.

Cigarette order packing before (left), and after (top).

Maybury designed a two-level pick module utilizing Interlake Material Handling's rack, conveyors, and carton and pallet flow units, integrated with a Maybury mezzanine, and Quantum Conveyor's automated induction and sortation systems. This module would provide state-of-the-art order picking, accumulation, sortation, and delivery to the loading dock, as well as automated verification of product shipped to Polep's customers. Says Paul Marusek, Vice President of MIS, "This system will allow us to implement RF and other new technologies throughout the process as we move forward."

A variety of equipment was integrated to provide efficient and productive storage and handling for each of Polep's diverse product lines. The recently-installed system accommodates more than 10,000 different items and is capable of handling a nightly cycle of more than 100,000 picks. Units picked range from individual healthcare items to full cases of beverages and paper cups. Candy is picked from carton and pallet flow racks into totes and transported on gravity and power roller conveyor; bulk goods are picked directly to a belt conveyor; and cigarettes are conveyed from pick locations to tax stamping machines and then to overhead accumulation lines.

All conveyable products arrive at a common induction point, where a computer-controlled sortation system picks them from the accumulation conveyors. Items are scanned for order verification and billing confirmation, then sorted to gravity conveyors, to allow loading of up to four trucks at a time. When each of the 30 trucks per night arrives at the loading doors, the proper orders are released and conveyed directly into the truck. At this point, as they are stacked in the truck, the orders receive their first human handling since they were picked.

State-of-the-art order picking is made possible by this new two-level pick module from Maybury.

With its new Maybury-designed and -installed system, J. Polep Distribution Services has been able to increase the volume of product movement through the facility, in terms of both number of items and number of picks per item. "The new system has already made a positive contribution to our productivity, and also provides an audit trail from each container we ship out of the building," commented Bill Fitzsimmons, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. This has been accomplished in conjunction with a significant reduction of labor hours. The new design and equipment have provided the capacity J. Polep needs to remain in their current location as their business continues to grow.

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