Package Handling
DCS’s design and engineering team has more than 40 years of experience creating unique parcel handling systems for diverse customer applications. With installations including semi-automated handling in small city distribution centers and fully automated, integrated hubs with advanced conveyor and sorter equipment, DCS routinely thinks outside the box.
E-Commerce and Multi-Channel Fulfillment
DCS designs and implements end-to-end warehouse automation solutions for e-commerce and multi-channel retailers that address numerous workflow challenges. This includes solutions for receiving, putaway, storage, replenishment, order fulfillment, picking, packing, sortation, and outbound shipping. Our custom integrated warehouse, distribution, and fulfillment systems draw from a deep pool of conventional, semi-automated, and automated material handling technologies.
Various Distribution Applications
Whether an operation is considering the construction of a new distribution or fulfillment center, or a retrofit or expansion of an existing facility, it’s important to create a solution that fits the overarching supply chain strategy. DCS has four decades of experience designing and integrating comprehensive, end-to-end material handling solutions that meet a multitude of operational goals. Whether conventional, semi-automated, or fully automated, DCS can help your organization implement a custom solution that meets its goals while maximizing return on investment (ROI).
Supply Chain Consulting
The DCS Supply Chain Consulting team offers a range of services to help your operations address the challenges it faces. Working in partnership with you, DCS consultants analyze your business data- existing workforce, workflow processes, inventory, order data, operations, and more- to determine a strategy that addresses your unique needs. Whether you need an operations assessment, process improvement recommendations, or distribution design services, DCS consultants will help guide you to the material handling system or operational solution that best meets your current and future needs, as well as your budget.
Customer Support
Keeping your warehouse operations and material handling systems running smoothly and at the peak of productivity are the goals of DCS’ Customer Service Team. By partnering with DCS, your warehouse automation solution is supported from commissioning to end of life. You’ll receive comprehensive in-house training of your personnel, including specialized training of your designated internal system expert. Plus, DCS offers a complete package of spare parts and expert system troubleshooting support from qualified engineers dedicated to your installation.
System Design & Integration
DCS offers a broad range of material handling equipment and automated system design, installation, and integration services for a multitude of projects. These include retrofits, expansions, upgrades, and more. While every project is unique, our system design and execution processes are the same, encompassing meticulous attention to detail, frequent communication, and a dedicated partnership with our clients.
Lifecycle Services
Stop reactive repairs. Lifecycle Services provides expert preventive maintenance and 24/7 technical support to protect your automation and MHE availability.
Life Science & Healthcare
Pharmaceutical, healthcare, and life science companies face mounting pressure from evolving regulatory requirements, rising fulfillment costs, and intensifying accuracy demands. In this environment, automation isn’t optional—it’s essential. Designed Conveyor Systems (DCS) helps distributors of these critical products stay compliant and competitive.
Pet Food
Pet food distribution operations are anything but standard. From bulky kibble bags to delicate fish tanks, stock keeping unit (SKU) complexity and fulfillment pressure are always on the rise. Designed Conveyor Systems (DCS) partners with leading pet retailers to design and engineer automation, software, and material handling systems that keep operations agile, accurate, and ready for what’s next.
Home Improvement
When your distribution center handles everything from hammers to hot tubs, operational complexity isn’t a challenge—it’s your daily reality. Home improvement retailers face intense pressure to meet rising consumer expectations across multiple channels—from in-store pickups to last-mile delivery. At Designed Conveyor Systems (DCS), we specialize in engineering material handling and automation solutions that help home improvement distribution centers keep pace, reduce cost, and drive accuracy at scale.
Sporting Goods
Navigating the unique demands of the sporting goods retail industry requires a distribution strategy that’s both agile and precise. From handling seasonal surges to managing a diverse range of products—from bulky equipment to small accessories—your warehouse operations are the key to a seamless customer experience. Our expertise helps sporting goods retailers streamline their distribution warehouses, improving order accuracy, boosting productivity, and ensuring your team can efficiently move products from the receiving dock to the final customer, no matter the season.
Footwear
In the fast-paced world of footwear retail requires a distribution strategy that can handle a vast array of styles, sizes, and seasonal trends with precision and speed. From managing a high volume of SKUs to ensuring accurate order fulfillment and returns processing, your distribution center is the engine that drives customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. Our expertise helps footwear retailers streamline their distribution centers, improving inventory management, accelerating order processing, and ensuring your team can efficiently move products from the receiving dock to the final customer, no matter the season.
Wholesale & Industrial Distribution
Designed Conveyor Systems (DCS) partners with wholesale, industrial, and electronics distributors to design efficient, optimized fulfillment solutions. Every operation DCS designs streamlines end-to-end functional processes—from inbound receiving and putaway to picking, packing, and shipping. Designed Conveyor Systems (DCS) partners with wholesale, industrial, and electronics distributors to design efficient, optimized fulfillment solutions. Every operation DCS designs streamlines end-to-end functional processes—from inbound receiving and putaway to picking, packing, and shipping.
About Us
Designed Conveyor Systems (DCS) has 40 years of experience serving major clients in multiple industries by providing material handling, full-scale warehouse operations, and conveyor design solutions that are custom crafted for their needs. DCS does not sell ready-made conveyor systems but builds relationships that empower collaboration to craft custom warehouse designs together. DCS utilizes consulting, engineering design, project management, installation services, and client support to ensure our customers can keep their promises to deliver on time.
Projects
With more than 40 years of experience providing automated system design, installation, and integration services, DCS has created solutions for companies throughout the United States in a broad range of industries and markets. We’ve completed more than 1500 projects ranging from greenfield facilities with completely new systems to expansions and retrofits of existing operations.
Upcoming Events
Designed Conveyor Systems values building strong relationships with our clients. Join us at our upcoming events to collaborate and discover how we can design a custom warehouse solution tailored to your unique needs.
Consultant or Integrator? Which is Right for My Company?
Consultant or Integrator? Which is Right for My Company?
There’s been a trend in recent years of companies moving away from employing a team of specialized, strategic supply chain professionals. That means you might be considering engaging either a warehouse consultant or integrator to supplement the knowledge and skills of your existing team. Therefore, I’ll answer the question posed above right off the bat.
That headline is click-bait.
BOTH supply chain consultants and integrators bring tremendous value when a warehousing, distribution, or fulfillment operation is looking to solve a challenge. Further, for the vast majority of projects, the greatest value — and best return on investment — nearly always comes from partnering with a good consultant and with a good integrator. I’ll explain why in a few paragraphs, but first, let’s define the two terms, supply chain consultant and material handling systems integrator.
What is a Supply Chain Consultant?
Generally speaking, a supply chain consultant (or consulting firm) offers a range of services. Some focus on specific industries or service offerings. These might include evaluating and implementing supply chain solutions that foster a lean operation, such as labor analysis, transportation services, business analytics, distribution automation, fulfillment strategies, network optimization, real estate procurement, regulatory compliance, and more.
Organizations typically partner with a supply chain consultant who brings expertise in an area outside their core focus to help them solve a challenge or to provide a service. A consultant will analyze your business data — your existing workforce, workflow processes, inventory, order data, operations, and more — to determine a strategy that addresses your unique challenge (or challenges). That strategy will include a set of business rules that help guide the implementation of a software or system.
What is a Material Handling Systems Integrator?
A systems integrator, on the other hand, primarily offers design, installation, and integration of material handling systems and equipment within the four walls of a facility. Supply chain integrators usually have a team experienced in project implementation. This includes site superintendents, project managers, safety experts, and licensed contractors. Some focus on specific technologies, such as software implementations. Others specialize in providing specific services, such as construction management.
System integrators may be aligned exclusively with a specific original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or brand for more favorable pricing. Others are system agnostic. This gives them the ability to leverage equipment from different OEMs to create the optimal solution for a facility while being even more cost competitive. Either way, an integrator will develop a solution internally or take the strategy specified by the consultant and configure your final system solution to satisfy the specified business rules.
Why Use Both?
On occasion, when a facility has a very obvious challenge that management can clearly define or knows precisely the type of system they want to install, an integrator may be all that’s required. But if the effects of a problem are widespread and the source is difficult to pinpoint, a supply chain consultant would be advisable. Both can bring a lot of experience to the project. They have likely observed and worked on hundreds of solutions across multiple industries. There’s tremendous benefit from having a third-party cast an unbiased eye across your operation.
By the way, as you evaluate potential partners, note that some integrators have begun to offer consulting services. And, likewise, some consultants have begun to offer integration services. That’s a trend we’ve been seeing over the past decade. Regardless of what they call themselves, consultants and integrators should be honest with potential customers about their own business boundaries.
The Benefits of a Consultant and Integrator Partnership
Ultimately, the best arrangement is when the supply chain consultant and the system integrator both approach a customer’s situation without bias and without a preconceived strategy. They should partner to support the operation with a solution customized to meet its unique business needs.
Further, an OEM or brand-agnostic system integrator can offer access to a broader selection of technologies. That enables the supply chain consultant to provide more options. By leveraging the expertise and offerings of both, you receive the solution that is optimally tailored for your organization. That’s the situation that will deliver the most value to you, the customer.
Looking for more ways to improve your operational performance or supplement your team’s expertise? To learn more about working with DCS, we invite you to connect with us.
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Author
Matt Ferguson, President,matt@designedconveyor.com
Matt Ferguson serves as the President of Designed Conveyor Systems. He leads the company with his 15+ years of industrial automation experience and five years in material handling. Matt received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Clemson University and began his career as an electrical and controls engineer for a systems integrator specializing in material handling and process automation. He has since grown through progressive roles within system integration, including project management, sales, and leadership. Outside of the office, you can find him spending time with his wife and six children.