Page 235 - DMGT523_LOGISTICS_AND_SUPPLY_CHAIN_MANAGEMENT

Logistics and Supply Chain Management

Notes and attraction. The plastic bags can be made of any materials but PP film should be
preferred in the interest of better product presentation.

Miscellaneous Packaging

Exporter can make use of wood, textiles, straw, leaves or any other locally available materials
for packaging of the goods. Specially made wooden boxes can be used to package traditional
ceramics, woodcarvings, various gift items, pieces of jewellery, etc. If wooden packaging is used
as a gift or retail package, it has to be made with as much care as the product itself. This means
that it should be smooth, clean, and dry, with any hinges or locks well made and functioning. It
is also important to pack the product with sufficient cushioning material into a wooden package,
so that the product is not damaged during transport. Before using wood as packaging material,
one should always check, whether there are any regulations concerning the treatment or
certification of wooden materials.

Did u know? Paperboard cartons or boxes can be covered or lined with cloth to give them
a more decent appearance. Bags made of jute; cotton, velvet or other fabric could be used
for the packaging of products, which do not need much protection. Baskets made of local
materials can also provide very attractive packaging for handicraft products.

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Caselet AGVS Eases Traffic at the Home Depot

he home improvement business at The Home Depot (HD) Imports Distribution
Centre in Savannah, Georgia, has grown to an estimated $365 billion business.
TEstimates take into account total purchases of do-it-yourselfers and professional
business customers, including construction trades people and building maintenance
professionals. Don Harrison, HD’s public relations director, says, “We stock upward of
50,000 different kinds of building material, home improvement supplies, and home and
garden products. The 1.4-million square foot distribution centre services approximately
500 stores located in the eastern half of the U.S. Imported products range from ceiling fans
and window blinds, to table saws and park benches. Containerized shipments from many
countries in Europe and the Far East arrive by sea, at either the Port of Charleston or
Savannah Harbour. Some items arrive by air freight.”
Marc Schumacher, maintenance manager at the distribution centre, says, “Material
receiving, incoming product storage, and order picking activities are handled smoothly
using conventional distribution strategy and techniques. It’s at the shipping end of the
supply chain where advanced automation tools are considered imperative to expedite the
final distribution step maintaining a steady stream of merchandise out the door and on its
way to HD retail stores.” A seven-vehicle AGVS has simplified traffic patterns and
coordinated individual AGV moves to remove potential for shipping floor gridlock. Each
AGV can handle two full pallets at a time. The “main street” for AGV travel is 113 mile
long. Located on one side are six pallet pickup zones, each having room for two pallets. On
the other side, 100 shipping lanes await delivery of full pallet loads. HD’s TRACE (Traffic
Routing AGV Command Executive) system assigns an available AGV to a request for
pallet movement, commands the AGV to perform proper sequences of movement to carry
out the request, monitors the status of the AGV throughout the process, and prevents
vehicles from colliding.
Contd...

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