Etienne Aigner

Systems Integrator: Century Conveyor Service (Edison, NJ)

Expanded facility, upgraded conveyor system helps Etienne Aigner meet key operating goals at its national distribution center.

Etienne Aigner ships to department stores, independent accounts, and its own retail outlets across North America out of a single distribution center. No wonder, then, that the company insists that this D.C. be reliable, efficient, and productive at all times.

Etienne Aigner is a leading designer and distributor of women's footwear and accessories. The company ships out of a modern distribution center in Edison, NJ. This facility includes an efficient flow-rack picking system; a rack reserve storage area of more than 15,000 pallet positions stacked six levels high in 31 aisles; and two separate shipping areas. An integrated conveyor system ties it all together, enabling the D.C. to smoothly and accurately ship in excess of 400,000 cartons a year.

The Edison facility has always been able to support the company's shipping requirements. But with a major upgrade and expansion that took place in January of this year, it made a quantum leap forward in productivity-as much as 50 percent in some picking lines. A big part of that increase can be attributed to the installation of new conveyor equipment from Hytrol.

Upgrading the System

Prior to installation of the new system, the Edison distribution center was not operating at the level management wanted it to. Gravity conveyors in the pick areas were not well integrated with the powered units, which themselves were inadequate for a facility of Edison's size and throughput requirements.

In addition, there was too much manual movement and handling-not just of the orders, but also of the packing and corrugated material to be discarded.

Management recognized that it needed to address the situation. Working with Century Conveyor Service, Inc., of Edison, a full service systems integrator and Hytrol Distributor, the company embarked on a major expansion and upgrade to the facility.

The project included new flow-rack equipment, expanded storage areas, and additional conveyor lines in the floor picking and mezzanine areas. Trash takeaway conveyors were installed to quickly and efficiently remove packing material, thereby keeping the work areas clean and eliminating manual trash removal. A new shipping area was added, too. The D.C. now has two separate shipping areas for maximum flexibility and productivity. Order flow throughout the 275,000 square-foot facility now is streamlined thanks to automated systems controls developed by Century Conveyor Service.

Of particular importance to Etienne Aigner, the installation went quickly and smoothly. Thanks to disciplined project management on behalf of Century, and the close involvement of Etienne Aigner's management, the distribution center was able to continue shipping and meet order demand all during the installation process.

Smooth Order Flow

The Edison facility incorporates a series of horizontal live roller and belt conveyors utilizing Hytrol's EZ Logic accumulation modules. The unique EZ Logic feature senses product presence and controls the accumulation and release of product from zone to zone.

Orders are picked in several locations in the multi-level facility. Shoes and handbags in the lower level pick module are picked to empty cartons, which are manually moved from zone to zone along horizontal gravity conveyor lines. When the order is completed, the picker places a strip of retro-direct reflective tape on the trailing edge of the last carton of the order. The cartons then are transferred to the horizontal accumulation conveyor feeding the incline belt conveyor that exits the pick module. The orders from this level are conveyed to the old shipping area.

The recently launched Easentials line of comfort footwear is picked on the upper level pick module. Orders are picked on gravity conveyors, applied with the reflective tape, and then placed on the powered takeaway conveyor. These merge with bulk pick orders, which are transported on an incline conveyor from the floor picking area to the upper level. A photo eye determines the flow of the orders from both levels through the merge by reading the reflective tape. These orders are conveyed to the new shipping area at the opposite end of the building from the existing shipping area. A switch was installed to route all cartons to the existing shipping area when volume is slow.

At both of the shipping locations, cartons are manually sorted to the various pack-out stations. Once pack-out is completed, they are scanned, metered, and fed through the carton sealer. UPS orders are transferred via overhead pusher and conveyed by horizontal transport conveyor to a dedicated UPS line. The other shipping lines are used for other parcel carriers as well as for LTL and full truckload shipments.

This streamlined and flexible operation is helping Etienne Aigner meet its objectives of improved throughput and efficiency. Executive Vice President and CFO Michael P. Cangemi reports that the new system to date has fully met his expectations. "We selected Hytrol because we considered their conveyors to be the Mercedes-Benz of the industry in terms of reliability and productivity. We have not been disappointed."

And because the system is designed to handle significant increases in order volume, Etienne Aigner can look forward to enjoying these benefits for years to come.

The Etienne Aigner D.C.

Orders are picked in several locations in the multi-level, 275,000 square-foot facility. Shoes and handbags in the lower level pick module are picked to empty cartons on gravity conveyor pick lines. These orders move to the old shipping area. The "Easentials" line of footwear is picked on the upper level. These orders merge with cartons from bulk picking and then are scanned and transported to the new shipping area. At both shipping locations, cartons are manually sorted to the various pack-out stations. Once pack-out is completed, they are metered and fed through the carton sealer. Overhead pushers automatically move the cartons to the appropriate shipping line. Overhead trash takeaway conveyors keep the facility neat and clean.

Facts and Figures on the Distribution Center

Company: Etienne Aigner Group, Inc.
Facility: National Distribution Center
Location: Edison, NJ
Size: 275,000 square feet
Employees: 102 (two shifts)
Executive V.P. & CFO: Michael P. Cangemi
Director-Distribution Center: Stephen J. Moran
Product handled: Women's footwear, handbags, and accessories
Throughput: Approximately 400,000 cartons a year
Shipment method: Parcel Post, LTL, Truckload
Conveyor supplier: Hytrol Conveyor Inc., Jonesboro, AR
Systems Integrator: Century Conveyor Service, Inc., Edison, NJ