Materials handling evolution

摘要

This month in Modern we find two eye-opening stories that paint a clear picture of how materials handling systems and the people who manage them are evolving to meet the needs of today's more dynamic business environment.First, executive editor Bob Trebilcock takes us inside the operations of Eagle Rock Distributing Co.'s 100,000-square-foot facility in Stone Mountain, Ga. Like many other distributors in the beverage industry, Eagle Rock had, for years, relied on floor storage, lift trucks and other manual systems to run its operations.But with the launch and success of a recent growth initiative, including the acquisition of two distributors outside its traditional sales territory, Eagle Rock found that it was facing a game-changing challenge. With the integration of the distributors, it was now carrying an ad-ditfonal 185 SKUs of beer along with 425 SKUs of wine and 30 SKUs of distilled spirits.