The common perception when talking about stacking software tools is that the main goal is to optimise stacking in order to minimise transport costs. Optimal stacking leads to the best distribution of your products in boxes, on pallets, in containers and in lorries, thus minimising the volume sent.
Certainly not unimportant, but the benefits of good stacking software go beyond that:
First time right
Stacking is not only done optimally but also correctly in one go. Time lost through manual fitting and measuring is a thing of the past. As a result, productivity will increase considerably.
Less damage
Transport losses (or DOAs) occur when fragile products are not packaged carefully enough.
Advanced stacking tools can take into account specific product characteristics such as “fragility” and “do not stack”, minimising the number of transport damages.
“Just in time” planning
High-end stack software can be linked to ERP, WMS and/or TMS. This makes it clear what the shipment will look like soon after it has been entered.
With this information, you can inform the logistics department in time and this information can be used to plan the transport accurately.
Anyone can stack!
Due to the visual 3D output from the stacking software, no training or in-depth knowledge is required. Employees receive stacking instructions in a simple way. The result is greater flexibility among your employees.
Satisfied customers
Your warehouse staff cannot possibly know all the specific needs of the products and customers. Advanced stacking software allows you to define requirements per customer or even per destination. Each customer will receive his products in the way he desires.
The previously mentioned link with ERP can also contribute to customer satisfaction. Because when entering the order, it is already clear how it will be delivered, you can inform your customer accordingly. This enables them to plan their capacity and warehouse space. You can even go so far as to inform your customer where specific products are located. This can be relevant if you deliver full truckloads with a large mix of products.
So you can see that stacking software has long ceased to perform a purely volume optimisation function and that the benefits go much further.
Faes has an in-house developed stacking tool StackAssist. Click here for a demo.
