Slotting: Creative Memories improves fulfillment accuracy rate

Creative Memories, based in St. Cloud, Minn., is a leader in the memory celebration industry, selling premium quality photo albums, scrapbooking supplies, digital photo books and software.

The company markets its products at in-home parties through more than 40,000 independent sales consultants worldwide. Submitted by phone, fax or online, a consultant’s typical order contains about 10 to 20 different SKUs, which makes for a steady, high-volume flow of product through the facility.

Handling the demand is no problem. Orders flow quickly and systematically through each part of Creative Memories’ technology infrastructure thanks to a fully integrated software solution (HighJump) that includes a slotting tool.

Overall inventory management is critical, so the company added the slotting solution to its system to optimize the use of warehouse space and re-slot inventory once each month. “It’s important that fast-moving items are in the ‘golden zone’—the easiest location for workers to reach—to promote both efficiency and safety,” says Dan Perlinger, Creative Memories’ distribution team lead.

The system also manages the process of cycle counting to keep inventory accuracy high. “Depending on the item, it is counted either once per month, once per quarter, or once every six months,” Perlinger says. “We never do physical inventories. Our auditors have confidence in the system.”

Creative Memories has seen measurable benefits from re-slotting its warehouse monthly. Before the slotting solution was in place, the company picked between 45,000 and 50,000 lines per day. Now, it consistently picks 55,000 lines per day and achieves peaks over 140,000 lines per day.

In addition, the company’s fulfillment accuracy rate consistently exceeds 99.95%, which is instrumental in helping the sales consultants grow their independent businesses with satisfied customers.

Slotting: A bumper crop of benefits for Nature’s Best
Warehouse management solution uses several slotting principles to control accuracy, production and overall pallet quality.