By Lori Gibson, VP Strategic Services, Hy-Tek Intralogistics
Customers typically fall into one of two camps when it comes to supply chain automation – they aren’t sure where to start or what to do, or they have a pre-determined path they believe will yield the best results. For both of these customers, the answer is somewhere in the middle; balancing curiosity for new technology and software with what you know to be true about your operations.
Here’s where Hy-Tek can help. Our low-risk Operational Assessments give customers a detailed look at their operation’s potential at the network and facility levels. It’s a short-term tool designed to provide a long-term roadmap full of sequential opportunities prioritized by potential impact for your supply chain. In short, it’s an outside, expert look at both quick wins and longer-term strategies for your business that can often be hard to identify while operating your supply chain.
A Tailored Approach with a Foundation Rooted in Best Practices
While our assessments can be tailored to the specific needs of your operation, there are fundamental areas our teams explore for every customer. We look at productivity and efficiency gains, capacity, visibility, service, system enhancements, and product flow in four basic phases that include a high-level data profile, an onsite workshop, collaborative review and alignment, and finally, engagement. Here’s what you can expect:
The High-Level Data Profile builds the assessment requirements profile
Our Onsite Workshop, a collaborative session with you, reviews your network and facility operations from end to end, collects valuable input from stakeholder interviews and leverages lean process methodology
The Review And Alignment Phase assesses opportunities and categorizes them by cost/effort and benefit, prioritizes and sequences the opportunities also accounting for complexity and lead time, creates a strategic move forward plan, and most importantly, gains alignment with your team
The Engage Phase brings in expert Hy-Tek Intralogistics team members where needed to support or supplement the plan
Immediate Results, Lasting Impact
There are both short- and long-term benefits from a Hy-Tek Operational Assessment, and they are sequentially mapped out for you. In the near term, customers can expect targeted lean improvements to boost efficiency, capacity, and service while achieving key goals like labor reduction, cost reduction, and improved safety. We also map out automation recommendations for material handling equipment (MHE), automation, and robotics that deliver ROI and streamline your operation. And finally, there are long-term strategies for growth that identify continued improvement opportunities like labor management systems and standards development, SOP development and capacity planning, WMS/WES enhancements, and network optimization.
“We know from customer feedback that one of the most unique aspects to our assessment is the sequencing and migration planning,” added Lori Gibson, VP Strategic Services, Hy-Tek Intralogistics. “We don’t print a laundry list and hand it over to our customers; we create a collaborative plan that goes beyond what to do and layers in the when and why. It’s a plan designed to grow with you.”
Flexible Options to Fit Your Needs
Hy-Tek offers different options so that you can have an assessment best tailored to where you are and where you want to go. “We offer our core operational assessment, or we offer more comprehensive assessments that delve deeply into critical aspects of your facility and network,” said Gibson.
While the immediate goal is to equip our customers with the information and insights needed to move forward with confidence, the longer-term win for us at Hy-Tek is the investment our teams are making in long-term customer relationships. “Our goal is to work with our customers throughout the full growth cycle of their supply chain, from those first recommendations to ongoing optimization,” added Gibson. “Over time, our customers come to rely on the counsel of our teams and the automation success we help them realize.”
Ready to Learn More?
If you’re going to be at MODEX, we’re ready to get the conversation started. We’re holding 15-minute operational assessment conversations in our booth to share information and learn more about what you need. To schedule your 20-minute meeting, at MODEX booth #B16306 visit Optimizing with Strategic Advisory Sessions and You can also learn more about our assessment and all it can deliver for your supply chain here.