Modern Material Handling
A New Pick-to-Light System Speeds Operations at DOTS, Allowing the Clothing Retailer to Stay Up-to-The-Minute in Fashion.
Megan McCoy, Associate Editor
DOTS, the retailer of extreme-value trend merchandise for women is certainly accustomed to change. The store’s offerings change frequently with the latest styles and seasons. But with over 300 stores in 22 states and aggressive plans to expand even more, DOTS needed a change in its distribution center as well.
For years, DOTS’ 110,000 square foot distribution center in Solon, Ohio had used a pick-to-light system, but it eventually became outdated and inefficient. Often the system lost track of order trays. Data updates were slow, impeding picking. And the entire system often had to be restarted.
The situation called for a new pick-to-light system, which was supplied by AL Systems. Within six months, DOTS saw significant improvement in quality, and a 20% bump in productivity. Furthermore, the system keeps precise track of the picking trays as they move on the conveyor between stations. The system’s response time to a new order is almost four times faster than before.
