QSR May 2023

SPONSORED BY SSI SCHAEFER

Leveraging Automation for Mixed SKU Case Palletizing and Route Sequencing

How restaurants can get the right mix of products on every pallet.

pallet for each storefront makes sense. Since automation saves on la bor and eliminates picking errors, it will also increase profits, too. An automated case picking sys tem can be integrated with a high bay warehouse system or can be leveraged as a complete standalone solution. Cases of each SKU are de palletized and loaded into a robotic shu le system. e soware knows which product is needed for the cus tomer order and will retrieve cases from the shu le system for palletiz ing. Each case is then picked and pal letized robotically. It does this case by case and uses a sophisticated pal letization soware to build the per fect pallet. It only must know the dimensions, weights, and whether, when, or where to place the exact products on the pallet. It can even handle sensitive products such as glass bottles. Product is also opti mized to get the most on each pal let to increase the cube utilization within a trailer. is intelligent so lution enables a faster way to build pallets, but it also enables a route se quencing order for distribution. For distribution routes that are mapped out via distance, traffic routes, and more, the soware un derstands which pallet should be built first so that it is loaded onto the truck for distribution first, sec

Given the ever-increasing array of brands and beverage flavors that cater to consumer preferences today, ge ing the right product mix to the customer at the right time is ge ing more and more dif ficult. is is especially true in manual applications that were orig inally set up to handle the more traditional fulfillment types, like full pallet and layer quantities. is is where automating an expen sive process such as building a mixed SKU order pallet and leverag ing a warehouse management soware ( €) or warehouse control system ( ƒ€) solution to pull the right product and build the right pallet in the right order comes into play. is saves on labor, opera tional costs, and helps to boost bo om-line profits. For distribution of beverages, a pallet full of soda can easily be picked and shipped. While this may be true for one or two brands or flavors, this certainly isn’t the case when adding in water, raspberry lemonade, Frappuccinos, and more. ings quickly start to go awry when figuring out the correct mix and sequencing for these com plex orders. is is when using automation to help build the perfect

Since automation saves on labor and eliminates picking errors, it will also increase profits, too.

ond, last, and so on. is helps speed up distribution delivery. e same can also work with any chilled or frozen goods as well depend ing on the type of truck. ◗

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MAY 2023 | BEVERAGE SOLUTIONS & EQUIPMENT