I thought a new inventory system was just hype until we tried it in our Austin warehouse.

We were using a basic spreadsheet for years and I was sure a fancy system was a waste of money. After a big shipping error cost us a $2,500 client, we tried a tool called Sortly. It cut our picking time by half in the first month because everything was barcoded. Has anyone else made a switch like that and seen real results fast?

3 comments

3 Comments

jesse7733mo ago

Yeah, that "cut our picking time by half" part is wild. I read a case study about a small auto parts place that had the same thing happen when they finally got rid of their paper lists.

thomas2913mo ago

Seriously? That's a huge jump. Was it just the speed of scanning a screen versus flipping pages? Or did the new system change the actual pick route to be more logical? I always wonder if the real gain is from smarter organization, not just ditching paper.

the_joel2mo ago

My buddy runs a small warehouse for a plumbing supply company and they had the same thing happen. They switched to a voice-directed system instead of paper or screens and their pick times dropped like a rock. But here's the weird part (and I think this is what you're getting at) - their old paper system had them walking past the same aisle three times because the list was just grouped by order number. The new system grouped everything by location so you grab all the items from one section at once. So yeah, the technology helped but the real magic was just not making people zigzag across the building like idiots.