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.
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.

9 Tips for Efficient Warehouse Design

9 Tips for Efficient Warehouse Design & Layout

They say time is money, and that’s certainly true of warehouses. Every moment lost due to poor warehouse design and layout is another package not sent, or another piece of inventory not stored. Another unsatisfied customer. Warehouses are critical to keeping entire businesses running smoothly, and your business could suffer if your warehouse isn’t designed properly. Here are some warehouse design and layout tips to promote efficiency.

Consider Your Needs

How much inventory do you expect to hold once your warehouse is running? How much do you plan to hold in a year? Two years?

Be clear about the goals and objectives of your warehouse design. What’s most important to your business? What’s absolutely essential, and what can you live without?

Thinking critically about your needs beforehand can save you money and make your warehouse more efficient in the future.

Focus on Safety

Technically this isn’t an efficiency tip, but there’s something more important than efficiency-safety.

Before anything else, focus on safety. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), The fatal injury rate for the warehousing industry is higher than the national average for all industries. They list safety hazards like improper forklift use, poor fire safety, and many other concerns that warehouse managers have to be on the watch for. Read their post for tips.

Efficiency is important, but protecting your employees is even more so.

Follow Local Building Codes

It’s critical that you follow the building codes in your area to the T. Don’t take shortcuts. If you’re caught, you may have to make major renovations. If you aren’t caught, you may create a safety hazard.

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Consider Your Location

Ideally, you should build your warehouse close to where your customers live to minimize shipping costs. You will likely have addresses for many of your customers that they gave you when ordering. Also, if your business already has other warehouses, think about where they’re located and be strategic when choosing a location for this one.

Rural places will usually have cheaper land, but these places may have poor access to transportation which can cost you in the long run. You’ll need to take both the cost of the property and the ease of transportation into account when deciding where to build your warehouse.

Invest in Conveyor Systems

Conveyor systems can cut down on the amount of time and man-hours it takes to transport materials through your warehouse. There are a lot of different types of systems. See some here.

Use a Warehouse Management System

A Warehouse Management System (WMS) is a software that helps keep track of all your inventory. Using this data, your WMS can give you recommendations about how to improve your warehouse. Maybe you could organize your inventory in a better way. Maybe your isles could be arranged differently. Computer programs can sometimes find counter-intuitive solutions that humans overlook.

Automate

There are different levels of warehouse automation. Not every warehouse needs a supercomputer running thousands of little robots.

Yet many warehouses could benefit from increased automation which will reduce mistakes and decrease the need for labor. It’s less expensive than you probably think, and it should pay for itself in just a couple of years. Automation isn’t right for every warehouse, but it may be right for yours and could save you a lot of time and money. Click the link above to learn more.

Remain Flexible

No one knows the future. We make our best guesses, but unforeseen problems and opportunities occur all the time. Maybe sales will unexpectedly double next year. They might drop by a third. Maybe the company will be bought out by a new manager who wants to completely change directions.

Your warehouse should be flexible enough to adapt to unpredictable circumstances. Make sure you have enough dock doors for example. Also, mezzanine floors can make your warehouse more efficient and flexible by helping you utilize your space.

You can also buy a flexible electric system like a busbar strip. Also, consider buying more versatile equipment as opposed to niche-use machines.

Talk to Experts

Even if you’ve designed a warehouse before, getting another set of eyes never hurts. Talk to experts about the warehouse design and layout, and ask them for advice. Anytime people collaborate, one person may notice something the other missed.

You can ask your material handling company, and you can call us. DCS has almost 40 years of experience in the industry, and we’ve worked on both small projects and projects worth tens of millions of dollars. Our warehouse design consultants will help you design your warehouse or review the plans you already have.

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