- Panasonic Blog
- 3 mins
There’s only one reason to get your material pick process up to date — modern consumers demand it.
When manufacturers could produce the same parts over and over and switch over lines on their own schedules, paper-based picking systems were fine. It didn’t take much to edit, print and distribute new parts lists to operators and stick new paper labels on bins when line changes were predictable.
Paper pick systems are still used by 60% of manufacturers even though they are inefficient:
- Use static information and manual scanning
- Need custom software integration that doesn’t tie to your other workflows
As demand for customization grew, manufacturers realized they needed to save time and increase flexibility with systems that used visual or even audible cues to lead operators to the right part instead of relying on costly, time-consuming or even messy paper or handheld systems.
Pick to Light is now used by 30% of manufacturers and Pick to Voice by 8%
- Neither fully integrate with other workflows
- Both are costly to set up and reconfigure.
Pick to Light and Pick to Sound systems try to match picking flexibility to consumer demand, but neither can keep up.
Now people can order any part at any time. They’ve come to expect products to be made exactly as they want them and delivered right when they want. That requires batch-of-one and just-in-sequence manufacturing. That means you must be able to reliably get the right part, to the right place, at the right time all day long. That takes smarter material flow and smarter processes tied to customer demand. That led to the first Pick to Tag system.
Pick to Tag is Like Pick to Light Only Better. Way Better.
The Panasonic Logiscend Pick Application is the smartest way for just-in-sequence manufacturers to get the right part to the right place at the right time. Panasonic VIEW tags provide wireless, two-way communication—operators can receive pick instructions on the e-paper display and the IIoT tag can be tracked and updated in real time through Logiscend software.
It’s All About the IIoT Smart Tags from Panasonic
Instead of static paper labels or a wired light system, you just stick smart tags on shelves or bins:
- They’re wireless so you can move shelves any time and you don’t need to bring in electricians or programmers. Operators can do it.
- RFID on the tags always report exactly where they are.
- Visual displays can be updated with changes, any time to better instruct operators,
- A button lets operators confirm picks or order replenishment.
The Six Reasons to Revolutionize Your Picking with a Pick to Tag Solution
The entire Pick to Tag application can be up and running in just a few days, with extraordinarily little training and minimal disruption to the workflow. On average, you’ll see a full return on investment in just nine months because the savings start coming from every direction right away:
- Eliminating paper can save you $60-$140k every year in consumables
- Tags can reduce 50% of your labor costs through more efficient picking
- Wireless tag systems reduce labor even more by setting up in 2 hours instead of 2 weeks
- Tag systems reach 99.8% picking accuracy
- On-screen instructions reduce training time up to 90%
- Manager dashboards and IIoT device data enable continuous improvement and lead to 28% quality improvement
Once again, the real reason to change to Pick to Tag is that it enables you to better serve your customers and their consumers. But there’s nothing wrong with gaining some cost- and time-saving advantages for your own operations along the way.
