Tote Diversion Optimization for a Leading Apparel Retailer
A Manhattan WMOS Case Study
ITOrizon helped a major Apparel Retailer with $650 Mil. in revenue solve a long-standing material handling issue in their Distribution Center. By optimizing the integration between their Manhattan WMOS platform and Material Handling Equipment (MHE), the client achieved a 100% tote diversion success rate.
1. Customer Challenges
The client, which utilizes the WMOS Platform, faced a critical issue with tote diversion failures occurring immediately after conveyor induction.
The challenges resulted in significant operational inefficiencies:
- Manual Intervention: Additional labor hours were spent manually carrying the rejected totes from the jackpot location to their intended destination.
- Operational Delays: The delay in replenishment caused by the manual handling led to delays in subsequent order fulfillment processes.
- System Failure: Totes were constantly being rejected and redirected to the jackpot location instead of their designated destination.
2. Project Objective
The top customer objectives were to:
- Resolve tote diversion failures occurring after conveyor induction.
- Prevent totes from being rejected and redirected to the jackpot location.
- Completely eliminate this critical issue that had plagued the operation since the project began.
3. Solution Offered by ITOrizon
ITOrizon resolved a long-standing routing issue between the WMS and the MHE.
The unique steps taken by ITOrizon included:
- Deep Diagnosis: Initial troubleshooting revealed a failing MHE message within WMS, but rule adjustments alone did not resolve the persistent tote rejection. A deeper analysis uncovered that successful diversion required two distinct MHE event messages.
- Targeted Configuration: ITOrizon precisely updated the message rules to accommodate both required messages.
- Automated Flow Restoration: This action ensured accurate communication between WMS and MHE, which eliminated the tote diversion failures, prevented unnecessary jackpot routing, and restored smooth, automated operations across the conveyor system.
ITOrizon’s solution was differentiated by its targeted, rule-based approach tailored to the unique MHE messaging structure and its demonstration of deep system understanding and agility in WMOS configuration and MHE Integration.
4. Project Outcome and Customer Benefits
The implementation of ITOrizon’s solution yielded immediate and complete success in the client’s DC.
Measurable Results:
- Success Rate Surge: The tote diversion success rate surged from 0% before deployment to 100% after implementation.
- Eliminated Manual Handling: The project eliminated manual interventions and significantly reduced error rates.
- Perfect Diversion: All totes successfully diverted to their designated destinations.
- Operational Efficiency: Reduced labor hours and improved processing speed.
ITOrizon Inc., a global end-to-end IT supply chain ecosystem service leader based in Atlanta, with offshore locations in India and Dubai, has been helping clients ensure success for more than 10 years. We maximize the value of existing ecosystem investments while outpacing the competition with a human-first service delivery client experience. Industry analysts such as Gartner, ISG, and ARC Advisory have recognized us for our high-performance services team, built to scale and delivering strategic advisory, implementation/integration, digital transformation, and managed support services.
