With the revamped system, which was designed and implemented by SSI Schaefer, an order can bypass a zone if no stock-keeping units (SKUs) from that section are required. One drawback of the pick-and-pass workflow was that it required order totes to be routed through all of the zones whether items were needed from those areas or not. "With pick-and-pass, you're only as fast as your slowest picker," says Rogers. The goal in this case was to speed up the order fulfillment process. The first of those projects took place in 2004, when the company retooled the facility's picking area to convert it over from a pick-and-pass setup to a zone-bypass design. In fact, operations at its 240,000-square-foot Spartanburg DC have undergone several major overhauls in the past seven years-all designed to increase accuracy and turn customer orders faster. We have to be better than others to compete," explains Isaac Rogers, the company's vice president of operations.įor that reason, Smith Drug hasn't been shy about introducing process improvements aimed at helping the company maintain its competitive edge. To separate itself from the pack, the company has chosen to play the service card, filling orders with speed and accuracy that's second to none.
The Spartanburg, S.C.-based distributor operates in the Southeast, serving 1,200 independent pharmacies, regional hospitals, and long-term care facilities. In the highly competitive world of pharmaceutical distribution, regional players must find a way to differentiate themselves if they hope to compete with the big national firms.
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