Introduction
The new process, digitized and orchestrated by LOJIST, has led to total paper elimination and has allowed the company to drastically reduce errors and operators’ training time.
Whirlpool facility in Melano
In 2021, in part thanks to the partnership with KFI, the plant obtained “Bronze Level” certification for its commitment to continuous improvement in terms of safety, quality, productivity and efficiency within the “Word Class Manufacturing” program.
Customer
Objectives
Error reduction
Improved ergonomics
Process digitization
Achieved Results
Zeroing out errors
Training time reduced by about 80%
Increased comfort and safety for workers
100% elimination of paper
The challenge
Zero imperfection goal: starting with picking
At the Whirlpool plant, the production cycle for hobs is distributed over 4 assembly lines, supplied by 2 supermarkets structured to accommodate up to 4,500 different components. Manufacturing handles the complexity resulting from the assembly of over 600 different products, with a paper-based picking process that produced errors, not-always reliable data, and the risk of losing or damaging the paper support.
The solution
LOJIST, the software platform that optimizes process logics in the intralogistics industry
The project team decided to intervene in one of the supermarkets by opting for the Pick-by-Light technology of electronic labels. The ESLs employ different LED colors to guide the work of multiple operators simultaneously and update their displays, indicating the quantities to be picked and the number of the current mission.
The integration of the solution with Whirlpool’s SAP MII management system is guaranteed by Spark, the KFI Software platform that enables the use of the most advanced field technologies according to optimized process logic. Client-side, the app displays the list of work orders in chronological order on the terminal, forcing the operator to follow a certain consequentiality, while the administrator views the operational process data in real time. This allows the progress of activities to be monitored through graphical dashboards.
LOJIST
Through its WES platform, KFI excels in integrating Pick-to-Light technologies into business processes and systems for item picking and sorting.
Acting as an interface with ERP, WMS, MES, and other management systems, LOJIST provides centralized access to data from order fulfillment solutions, streamlining business process orchestration.
The results
Zero errors and reduced training time thanks to the ESL
During the first few weeks after implementation, no incorrect components reached the production line, and staff training time dropped by about 80%. In addition, data digitization has resulted in optimized management, improved operator ergonomics and a complete abandonment of paper, with positive effects on sustainability.
“Initially, the change brought some resistance. The more experienced workers were used to relying on their memory but now, thanks to the LEDs, they work better and they feel more confident.”
Gaetano Porticone, WCM Engineer
“The strength of such a solution is that it is extensible on a large scale to the whole warehouse, and this is the direction in which Whirlpool is moving. It is a project that we are very proud of, and we are always happy to present it to colleagues from other plants or visiting members of Management”.
Eleonora Notarpietro, Supply Chain Manager
