An analytical model for A-frame system design

Jennifer Pazour and Russell Meller

IISE Transactions, 2011, vol. 43, issue 10, 739-752

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.

Date: 2011
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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DOI: 10.1080/0740817X.2010.549099

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