It’s a good bet that Steve Jobs and the folks at Apple haven’t yet cataloged all the ways in which their new iPad device is being used in the enterprise. It’s also a good bet that a lot of manufacturers don’t see the fast-selling tablet computer as a boon to their operations.
But in Elkhart, IN, Tim Markley is already thinking about how he will use the iPad next. The president of Markley Enterprises, a manufacturer of sales and marketing support products, sees the Apple tablet computer as a means to more efficient warehouse operations and supply chain execution. The company has already outfitted its swing-reach forklifts with iPads, a move Markley says has improved the put-away process. Now, instead of jotting down notes with a pen and paper and then walking to a terminal to log put-away locations, operators tap their iPad screens and enter the data into the company’s RedPrairie warehouse management system on the spot. The system updates in real time, allowing other workers to see put-away locations immediately.
To measure the effects of this iPad-based automation, Markley even outfitted operators with pedometers. So far, they’re taking 30% fewer steps to complete their tasks. That may put a kink in the corporate fitness program, but it certainly boosts productivity.
Next he plans to add iPads to the carts used for picking. The administrator of the WMS will decide which orders to fill, output that plan to a spreadsheet, and email a customized spreadsheet to each iPad, using the device’s unique email address. The picker will open the spreadsheet on the iPad and find his or her work instructions.
At this point, some manufacturers are probably rolling their eyes and trotting out the compatibility argument that has kept Apple products out of the operations picture for years. But cloud computing changes all that, Markley says. His company’s WMS software is cloud-based and platform agnostic. Warehouse workers access the system through a web browser on the iPad.
And as more businesses embrace cloud computing, “all of your [applications] become platform independent,” Markley says, “because as long as you can access the Web, you’re there.”
Of course, durability is a separate issue, but Markley says the iPads are working well so far.
What about you: Can you think of ways in which the iPad would enhance your operations?
3 Comments
Mr Nader’s comments are the result of not understanding the actual situation. We do use RF in our warehouse and yes it has been available for a long time. However, all windows mobile devices that I have used have required a stylus for input – this is quite inefficient and users get very tired of this…. this ususally ends up in people choosing to walk to a work station vs using the mobile device. The touch interface on an iPad is very natural and efficient – this results in saving many steps and therefore is a great enhancement to our efficiency. (navigation on an iPad is effortless – windows mobile devices make it painful)
As far as emailing the pick list….. we do this because we like to export all picks to a spread sheet and then sort and arrange them for best efficiency. We have a multi-tennant warehouse so we like to also break picks lists up by tennant…. this also allows us to combine items for multiple orders on a single pick list so that we can compress travel time to a minimum. Perhaps Mr Nader’s WMS system does this for him…. our system does not.
Keep in mind we are a small 3PL and when we don’t have all the bells and whistles that big guys have we are required to be creative – I think we could give Mr Nader’s warehouse a good run for their money!!!
Maybe i have totally missed the ‘trick’ in this article, because i do feel shocked do read such an article in our magasine!
Did Mr. Markley ever heard of RF terminals? they have been in the market for 20 years.
i don’t understand how the ipad is more pertinent or robust to be used in the warehouse environment.
i also though i was hallucinating when i read the email version of pick lists! if they had a WMS (a cloud one), why do they need to export to spreadsheet and send by email? why can’t the WMS make each task / pick list available to the worker it is assigned to? especially that the worker is already logging into the system to update the put-away location in real time.
this is ridiculous!
Why not use an RF? It’s functionality that’s been available for years and they link right into your WMS. And, to the point made in the article, not sure about the durability of an iPad in a warehouse operation.
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