Case Study: S. Abraham & Sons

The Goal

S. Abraham & Sons (SAS) had many objectives in mind when they decided to expand operations into a new facility in Greenfield, Indiana. From a corporate perspective the objectives were clear:

• Reduce transportation costs
• Provide capacity for growth for the next 5 to 7 years
• Reduce overall operating costs
• Provide superior customer service - place SAS closer to the customer
• Synchronization of cooler, freezer, and ambient order line items

SAS wanted to have the ability to receive inbound freight and ship orders 24 hours a day, reduce transportation and overall operating costs, and increase warehouse efficiency. Their most important objective however was to place the new SAS facility in an area that would best serve their Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky customers as they continued to grow over the course of the next 5 to 7 years.

To achieve these goals the management team at SAS turned to ASAP Automation and Bastian Material Handling to create a warehouse layout based on SAS’s specifications. After reviewing the objectives, a computer simulation was developed by Anshul Singh at ASAP Automation to show how the proposed system would operate, according to Vice President of Distribution Larry Derdaele, “We never would have known what the staffing requirements would have been with an automated warehouse without the simulation study.”

Just The Facts

The new Indianapolis facility called for 1.5 miles of conveyor, 2 three-level pick modules, 1600 square feet of returns processing, and over 25,000 square feet in refrigerator/freezer space. Blue Arc Engineering, a sister company of both ASAP and Bastian, was tasked with creating a custom designed cigarette sortation area which is unique to the industry.

Technologies employed to achieve the desired requirements:

• Over 6,000 installed
• ASAP Acculight Pick-to-Light devices
• Automated In-Line Cigarette Case Sorter
• Two 3-level pick modules
• 1.5 miles of conveyor throughout facility
• High Speed Shoe Sorter at 400 feet per minute
• Warehouse Control System (WCS) Software
• ASAP software interfacing solution with Manhattan WM Module

The Results

• Synchronized 20 minute order waves
• High throughput, robust material handling system
• Improved order accuracy for retail store deliveries
• System increased service levels due to more efficient handling logistics

While the project was challenging, Larry Derdaele is pleased with the new facility. He commented, “I’m not sure I would change a lot about the upfront planning, design, layout or simulation. We did underestimate the learning curve that would be required of operators. We needed to put more money upfront toward training and not respond to it after the fact.” Larry continues that the success of the project was due to “the comfort level we had dealing with Bastian and ASAP, the people and their experience. We found them very confident and professional.”