asb0306HowToC.qxd 02|07|06 16:08 Page 30 Advertisement Q u a l i ty How To Error Proof Your Manual Assembly, Kitting and Fulfillment Processes ost of us have heard the statement, “To err is human,” time and time again. Be it said by Alexander Pope, Benjamin Franklin or Mae West, it never ceases to be true. However, to have an efficient operation it is crucial to have systems in place that limit the opportunity for human error. Nearly all manual assembly, kitting and fulfillment processes could benefit from and eliminate many of these type mistakes by utilizing some form of Pick-to-Light System. M Consequences of Not Using Pick-to-Light Increased training time, rework cost and lost market share are among several negative impacts a company not using pick-to-light systems could face. Increased Training Time Training production personnel can be very expensive. Time really is money. Having pick-to-light systems in place can often turn multiple hours of initial supervised training time into minutes. Rework Cost Rework costs have labor, materials and inspection cost associated with it. Products that fail inspection often have to be disassembled, repaired, reassembled and then quality inspected again, if they are even repairable at all. Lost Market Share Excessive warranty situations can lead to loss in business and market share. The customer is the final quality check. The worst business situation for any company is bad product delivered to the customer. Oftentimes, you may not ever hear from a dissatisfied customer, they simply make the decision to go with a different product or vendor; a cost that is nearly impossible to quantify. 30 M A R C H 2 0 0 6 ASSEMBLY • How-To Guide 02|07|06 16:08 Page 31 Q u a l i ty asb0306HowToC.qxd Steps to Pick-to-Light Implementation Identify Your Most Problematic Area Higher volume workstations or lines, especially those that are used to build several different models of a product, typically can benefit the most from pickto-light sytems. Organize & Consolidate Eliminate loose boxes and assign specific locations for each part/bin in a rack or shelving system. Select & Install Overall dimensions of the picking area, number of rows, bins, operators, assembly variations and bin sizes should be considered. Applications with numerous small to medium sized bins and assembly variations are typically best suited for the Smart Frame™. Scenarios with larger parts, bins or skids can be accommodated most efficiently with a Smart Gate XL™ system. And the Smart Bin™ is designed for batch builds with a small number of small to medium sized parts. Enjoy Increased Productivity Improved Quality Reduced Use of Paper The Virtually Elimination of Missing or Incorrect Parts Six Sigma Cost Savings eInquiry 308 How–To Guide • www.assemblymag.com M A R C H 2 0 0 6 31