The issue:
We took over this role from another major services provider who found they couldn’t keep up with the demand. When we took over, the process was: staff would pick any box (they’d go for the smaller boxes), scan it and stack it. It was slow and cumbersome and it put our more experienced staff at risk of being disheartened by the slower speed the new recruits worked, so we needed a better system.
The solution:
We brought in a conveyor belt and streamlined the process. Instead of having each staff member pick a box, scan it and stack it, we assigned ONE person the job of scanning boxes – they then added the scanned box to the conveyor belt to be stacked on a pallet by staff waiting along the belt. This way, it’s the scanner who sets the pace and staff aren’t able to be tempted into taking the smaller boxes, meaning control of the situation and everyone involved at all times!
The result:
The resulting production line was far more productive and motivating for staff. Having one person scanning instead of 5 scanning and 2 stacking led to amazing results for the client – we went from an average of each person processing 200 units over an 8-hour shift to 700 units in the same timeframe!