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An analytical model for A-frame system design

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  • Jennifer Pazour
  • Russell Meller

Abstract

An A-frame system is a highly automated piece-level order-fulfillment technology. A systematic analysis is performed in this article in order to understand the design decisions of using an A-frame system in a distribution center. A math-programming-based approach to determine the amount of A-frame infrastructure investment is presented along with the assignment and allocation of Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) to the A-frame. Then throughput considerations are explicitly considered by developing analytical models for the throughput of an A-frame and heuristics to adjust the allocation and assignment of SKUs in order for the A-frame to meet a throughput constraint. The proposed heuristic approach performs well as compared to the exact solution approaches for small problems. Since the proposed methodology is capable of solving industrial-sized problems it is applied to a case study from the pharmaceutical industry. Design testing indicates that A-frame systems provide the greatest potential in labor savings when a distribution center has high item commonality, small order sizes, and high skewness levels and in throughput when many small orders have low item commonality and low skewness levels.

Suggested Citation

  • Jennifer Pazour & Russell Meller, 2011. "An analytical model for A-frame system design," IISE Transactions, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(10), pages 739-752.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:uiiexx:v:43:y:2011:i:10:p:739-752
    DOI: 10.1080/0740817X.2010.549099
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Boysen, Nils & de Koster, René & Weidinger, Felix, 2019. "Warehousing in the e-commerce era: A survey," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 277(2), pages 396-411.
    2. Shahab Derhami & Jeffrey S. Smith & Kevin R. Gue, 2017. "Optimising space utilisation in block stacking warehouses," International Journal of Production Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(21), pages 6436-6452, November.
    3. Boysen, Nils & de Koster, René & Füßler, David, 2021. "The forgotten sons: Warehousing systems for brick-and-mortar retail chains," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 288(2), pages 361-381.
    4. Nils Boysen & Konrad Stephan & Felix Weidinger, 2019. "Manual order consolidation with put walls: the batched order bin sequencing problem," EURO Journal on Transportation and Logistics, Springer;EURO - The Association of European Operational Research Societies, vol. 8(2), pages 169-193, June.
    5. Derhami, Shahab & Smith, Jeffrey S. & Gue, Kevin R., 2020. "A simulation-based optimization approach to design optimal layouts for block stacking warehouses," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 223(C).
    6. David Füßler & Nils Boysen, 2019. "High-performance order processing in picking workstations," EURO Journal on Transportation and Logistics, Springer;EURO - The Association of European Operational Research Societies, vol. 8(1), pages 65-90, March.
    7. Bhanuteja Sainathuni & Bradley Guthrie & Pratik J. Parikh & Nan Kong, 2019. "Distribution planning for products with varying life cycles," Flexible Services and Manufacturing Journal, Springer, vol. 31(1), pages 41-74, March.
    8. Kaveh Azadeh & René De Koster & Debjit Roy, 2019. "Robotized and Automated Warehouse Systems: Review and Recent Developments," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 53(4), pages 917-945, July.

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