SABMiller Subsidiary: Amalgamated Beverage Industries (ABI): Pallet Packing
OPSI systems has performed a feasibility study for a common problem in shipments using pallets: how to pack the pallets to minimize unpacking at a customer to get at the desired stock.
In the case of ABI, the products shipped on pallets are cases of soft drink. Currently, there is no attempt made to prepare the pallets so that the first stops are on top and later stops below. OPSI has taken a test route of real data involving about 1000 cases of beverage and proposed a solution which allows pallets to descend simultaneously. The most difficult aspect of the problem involves stacking constraints between products of different pack sizes. Typically, larger stronger cases, such as 2 liter bottles, go below and smaller cans go on top. This can present a problem if the 2 liter bottles are stop one for example, requiring that the entire pallet be unpacked to get at the stock for the first stock. Likewise, if a small bottle on top is for stop 20, it needs to be removed at each stop 1 to 19 in order to get at the stock below.
The solution proposed by OPSI minimizes such unpacking and gives reports to both the warehouse for pallet preparation and to drivers for deliveries. It also shows the warehouse where to place each pallet on the vehicle so as to minimize the need of the driver and assistants to move around the vehicle at each stop.
