Mr. Jay Cornmesser This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. IDSystems.com: Carlisle Food Service Products Goes on a DC Upgrade Roll

   www.idsystems.com/reader/1999_ - [Cached]

   Published on: 12/1/1999   Last Visited: 6/14/2001

   "It was an absolutely optimal start-up situation, with a brand-new work force, building, and system," said Jay Cornmesser, Carlisle's logistics operations manager, and project manager for both Charlotte and the upcoming OKC implementation.
   
   Several factors--among them, Y2K readiness--prompted Carlisle FSP's ambitious expansion, Mr. Cornmesser explained. Before the Charlotte DC was built, the company's U.S. distribution relied on an older WMS at OKC that took four to five days to fulfill East Coast orders. "We did have RF but not real-time processing," noted Mr. Cornmesser. "We were using an AS/400-based inventory management system, developed in house, with a lot less flexibility. It was our goal to reach all of our customers within two days."
   
   ...
   It was an almost perfect fit with our business," said Mr. Cornmesser. The new DC's platform is an AS/400 running LogisticsPro, interfaced to a Teklogix 900 MHz spread spectrum RF network supporting one controller and 35 wireless terminal/scanners.
   
   Inbound: Receiving and Replenishment The Charlotte DC divides its distribution functions by shift: Picking and shipping take place on the first shift, and receiving and most replenishment occur during the second.
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   According to Mr. Cornmesser, orders come into OKC headquarters primarily by phone, but are also placed by EDI (electronic data interchange), fax, and soon on the Internet. Orders are processed by customer service and transmitted via frame relay to the LogisticsPro system in Charlotte in real time.
   
   "Sixty-five percent of product coming into the Charlotte DC is received via ASN [advance ship notice] from our manufacturing sites in OKC," explained Mr. Cornmesser. "For these we simply scan the bar code license plate on the pallet [a serialized Code 128] to enter it into inventory. We also receive containers from China and LTL shipments from Mexico via purchase orders [POs]."
   
   For these shipments, operators manually verify the quantity and U.P.C. product serial number by case against the PO. After verification, the operator scans the U.P.C. case code and keys in the quantity to enter it into inventory. From this point on, all incoming product is sorted by drop zone, and the system generates a case bar code that includes drop zone and specific sort position identification.
   ...
   "Our goal is to get 75 percent of all picks out of six aisles," noted Mr. Cornmesser.
   
   CARLISLE FOOD SERVICE PRODUCTS' distribution center generates labels that conform to a variety of LTL and parcel carrier standards. Shown here is an example label for an order that UPS will deliver. Figure information courtesy of Carlisle Food Service Products.
   
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   According to Mr. Cornmesser, the DC must deal with seasonal fluctuations: The peak period is May through October because of restaurant shows and school openings. "But the WMS lets us handle the extra load with the same staff," he said.
   
   Carlisle FPS picks to order and batch, predominantly by pallet. "Picking and shipping are all label/bar code driven," added Mr. Cornmesser. We modified LogisticsPro to fit our system, using a uniquely formatted 5-by-7-inch combination pick and ship label."
   
   Incoming orders are pooled within the WMS, which allocates orders based on available inventory and transportation method. Customer orders are consolidated, the need for emergency replenishments is determined, and carrier assignments are made, according to customer request or based on the lowest available rate. Dock spots are assigned based on the chosen carrier. All LTL carriers are separated, based on volume, among three dock areas covering almost 300 pallet positions.
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   "Improving order accuracy was a key part of the original warehouse expansion decision," said Mr. Cornmesser. "The whole process, from receiving, putaway, picking, and shipping, is [bar code] label driven, leaving almost no room for error because there are so many checks and balances. Inventory accuracy has increased dramatically and right now is in the 99.7 percent range. This means order integrity is up and everything flows much more smoothly." As for order turnaround, which in the old OKC facility took as long as five days, "We pride ourselves that orders placed by 2:00 [p.m.] go out the same day."
   
   The Charlotte implementation was a successful warm-up for Mr. Cornmesser's next project, the new OKC site, which will have added complexities.
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   Mr. Cornmesser explained that there will be a mass movement of products to the new facility over four days. While the new facility begins shipping, remaining product will gradually be moved over a period of two weeks: "We'll be running two systems concurrently for about a month while we train and ramp up business in the new DC. After four start-ups, I've learned that training is the most important element, without a doubt. The more employees know about the system the better off we'll be. And not just understanding their job function, but the concepts behind it."