Heriot Watt universitySchool of Management and ScienceMSc in Logistics and Supply Chain ManagementOrder picking systems in Magazine Distribution Reality and relativity from theoryA report reflection of magazine distribution order picking reportLecturer: Mr.Marchant CliveModule code:Student ID: 081448766Date: 03.04.1009Word count: 1450Table of Contents2Table of Contents 3Table of Figures 4Introduction: 4Findings: 6Methodology/ approach: 7PART I: Finding differences between suggested solution and adopted solution 71. 1 Suggested strategy by group 91. 2 Adopted solution by menzies adopted at the time 11PART II: Evaluating Vertical Carousels and Gravity Flow Racking system 13Table of Referen ...view middle of the document...
By doing reflection, several external factors had huge influence in Menzies order picking system choice at 1980, which is shown in Figure 1.
Year
Customer (shops in branch to serve)
Titles
Throughput (cases)
Menzie's in 1980
1,980
800
150
26'000
Currently (including all branches)
2,008
22,000
2,800
26,000,000
Each branch (currently 19 hubs in UK)
2,008
1,158
147
1,368,421
Source: Marchant assignment guide (2009), Menzies distribution report (2009)Figure 1 External factors chart (e.g. daily throughput) of menzies distribution (1980 VS 2008)According to these highlighted main factors, solution may have big influences when not only Gravity flow racking were not applied in industry, but also conveyor was about to be produced.) f there were such alternatives of order picking systems, with developed logistics science, Menzies might choose to implement Gravity flow racking system.In the other hands, online market is developing vastly in this time, none of the magazine, newspaper publisher will be optimistic and expecting growth, leads Menzies not having highly unknown, new technology, Vertical Carousels.
Daily intake wave caculation
Gravity Flow Racking throughput
Shop
In indiv magazine
In titles
Units per hour
Shops
800
26,000
150
3,000
Waves
Hours needs to work
8am-10am
70%
18,200
105
6
Evening
30%
7,800
45
3
Total
100%
26,000
150
9
Table 1. Rough cut calculation of Menzies in the case study timeThe paper tried to see things from order picking theoretical way (shown in Table 1), as well as the nature of business.Methodology/ approach:The main approach is in the cause and root analysis, to asses the cause of short period implementation of order picking system, regardless to switching cost.The reflection paper will follow following structure:Figure 2: Structure of the Individual ReflectionRecapturing differences of systems, finding out the reasons to choose different system than suggested strategy, revision from report will be discussed followed by actual choce of Menzie's which can change and holds the biggest key of reasons, in its throughput volume etc., Ends up with recently adopted system, discussion for its robustness with conclusion.Finding differences between suggested solution and adopted solutionAs mentioned earlier, by having 'Time' valued product, large number of order in same time, short 'Lead time', 'Urban oriented' locating requirement, magazine distribution industry is highly dependent on process, speed, therefore need to have robust order picking system, which is flexible enough to cope with sudden changes. Although, distributor individually manages ordering decision made by forecasting from previous records, on time storage picking has been causing large amount of problems, which may lead the increase of distribution cost per magazine due to too much labour and increased use of space. As well as, increased rate of order performan...
