Creative Max improve work-flow with MiniSell and MiniPick

Q1: What issues were there with the previous sales order taking and picking process?

First off, the reps would often order items which were out of stock... there was also the risk of orders being lost via fax or post, and sometimes the reps would also order items in the wrong unit of measure, ordering individual packs instead of whole cartons. This meant that packs were regularly removed from the cartons leaving them incomplete, resulting in stock being lost or wasted... Using hand-written picking lists it could be hard for the pickers to decipher the reps' writing, which slowed down the picking process when the wrong item or quantity was picked. This resulted in more work for the people processing the orders who had to unpack and check every order before sending it out.

We also found it took longer for new pickers to be effective as the order processing supervisor had to spend a lot of time showing them where items were located.

Q2: What areas have actually improved as a result of implementing MiniPick and MiniSell?

We spend less time re-checking orders... and because the MiniPick handhelds show the orders in pick sequence the pickers are able to 'flow' through the warehouse much more efficiently... When picked orders are returned to the MiniPick server we can also see if and why items weren't picked, which not only helps us to identify stock discrepancies, but also means that the supervisor can see who may need extra guidance. Consequently, communication within the warehouse has improved. 

We've also found we spend less time resolving customers' order disputes. With MiniSell and MiniPick we always have the information we need to hand to see exactly what the reps ordered and what was picked which means we can quickly identify what's happened.

Q3: Have there been any other knock-on benefits since you implemented MiniPick?

Yes, not only have we expanded the number of brands that we offer, but because MiniPick reporting shows the most frequently picked items, we've rearranged the picking warehouse, moving the most popular items to the front and the more seasonal items to the back, which has helped to improve the work-flow within the warehouse.

The fact that the pickers are able to process the orders far quicker, without having to re-check everything, has really impressed management. This has had a really positive effect on morale once feedback has been passed on.

Q4: What advice would you give to any company looking to invest in MiniPick and MiniSell or HHTs?

Make an effort to time all of your processes and then do it again after you have implemented the software. We have halved our man-hours, from the reps taking and sending each order back to the office, right through to it being picked in the warehouse. 

We used to have 3-4 people picking the orders and then another 4 people on desks unpacking, checking, scanning and then re-packing them. We now have a core team of 4 people in the warehouse and we no longer need to employ part-time staff.

Chris Mclelland - Creative Max, commented "We have halved our man-hours, from the reps taking and sending each order back to the office, right through to it being picked in the warehouse."