Industrial Automation Supply Boosts Picking Speeds with a VLM

Industrial Automation Supply (IAS), based in Portland, Maine, distributes electrical components, ranging from power supplies to terminal blocks, to companies throughout New England.

Problem

Management of the IAS warehouse was exclusively manual, requiring operators to search for items on shelves throughout the warehouse. They often used ladders to reach the topmost shelves, increasing the risk of accidents in the process. Following an increase in volumes, the current warehouse became too small and the company had to consider investing in a move to a larger building.

Solution

With the installation of a Modula vertical warehouse, all the company’s warehousing problems were resolved. The distributor was able to store 85% of its products on a footprint of only 96 square feet. Not only were they able to consolidate storage to fit their space, they also increased their picking speed and accuracy and could continue to grow without disruption.