System simplifies material handling in furniture industryEvery company today is trying to increase speed, reduce costs and improve profitability. And with that as the target, each company is coming to the realization that there is no single, magic bullet. In those industries where people have to move large items effortlessly, one solution which seems to be overshadowing the rest is the Kietek Roller Bed System, available only from SKF.

   This system, which can be used to move heavy items effortlessly, has proven itself time and again in applications ranging from tractor-trailers to warehouses. One installation where the results have been quite noticeable is the Cort Furniture Rental Warehouse in Capitol Heights, Maryland. In this warehouse we move 35,000 to 40,000 pieces of furniture a month, says Tom Mattingly, director of operations. For quite some time we’ve been looking for a way to decrease handling time, and the roller bed system is exactly what we were looking for.

   As an example of the system’s success, he recounts a story about a recent shipment of desks.

   “We had a return of 150 desks, which hit the floor at one time. In the past, it would have taken us three days to put that stock back on the shelves. With the roller system we did it in three hours!

   To understand how this is possible, you have to look at the differences between the old and new systems. In a conventional system, each desk has to stand on its end with a frame covering the top. The frame is there to protect the top and to provide space when packing each piece against the other on the shelf. The rack and the forklift platforms are covered with carpet so that damage to the desks is minimized as they are slid from one spot to the next. The carpeting also makes it easier to slide the desk.

   “As you can see, we’re starting with two problems, continues Mattingly. First, you’re sliding a heavy desk over carpet, which is never easy. And secondly, you’ve got to get the right frame for each desk, put it in place, and make sure you don’t damage the frame or the desk during transport.”

   Another disadvantage to the old system, says Mattingly, is that a conventional system won’t let you plan your warehouse so that it makes sense logistically. You have to plan storage according to the size and weight of each piece. To illustrate his point, Mattingly talks about the heaviest items they have to move: executive desks.

   “Our executive desks weigh about 300 pounds each. They are not high movers and yet we had to place these desks on the lowest rack because it would be too dangerous to do anything else. The desks are too hard to move with one or even two people, and we didn’t want anyone to slip and fall from a rack while they were trying to move one. That was just too risky.

   “With the Kietek system, however, we are able to put the large desks up top where they belong. Using a special platform with rollers on it, we can load the desks on the forklift, take them to the correct shelf and slide them into place effortlessly.”

Realizing the payback
One of the greatest benefits of the roller bed system, says Mattingly, is the quick payback. “It’s not a tough sell to the management team when you can show how quickly the system will pay for itself. In our case, we determined that we would recoup our costs within 2.6 years if we only calculated productivity. If we added in the space savings, the payback dropped to 1.6 years.” He adds, “We didn’t recalculate to include the savings we’ve realized from reduced back injuries.

   “When storing heavy objects,” says Mattingly, “you typically have to leave room between pieces so that people can maneuver. With the roller system, you don’t need to leave space. One piece can be pushed right up against another without having to worry about pinched or squeezed fingers or maneuverability. For Cort’s warehouse, the roller system was able to take 9,500 square feet of inventory and compress it to 3,900 square feet. That’s a savings of about 59 percent.

   “I think the people who are reaping the benefits of this new system are the folks working in the warehouse,” he continues. “I don’t think they would let us take this system out and replace it with the old system. In fact, they’re constantly making suggestions about how we can use rollers in other applications.”

   Cort Furniture Rental, headquartered in Capitol Heights, Maryland, is the largest and only national provider of high-quality office and residential rental furniture and related accessories. The Cort coast-to-coast network, which covers 32 states and the District of Columbia, includes 109 rental showrooms, 72 clearance centers and 72 distribution centers. The typical Cort distribution center is is between 20,000 and 30,000 square feet.

   Cort’s business is fairly evenly divided between residential and commercial. The typical lease is for 10 to 12 months. “Our challenge as a rental company is to get maximum use from each piece of furniture we have,” says Mattingly. “Our objective is to get three to five rentals from each piece before we sell it. That goal is almost totally dependent on our ability to move, ship and store each piece without damaging it.”