Standard

 

DMM 106 - Materials Handling Management

Course Description

Provides an opportunity to acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for the successful management and handling of materials.  Emphasis is placed on basic functions and organization, as well as traffic management, shipping and receiving, materials identification, and storage systems.  Topics include: motivation and incentives, measured standards, freeing bottlenecks, reducing handling times and travel distances, quality control, cube utilization, handling of materials, and traffic management.

 

 

 

Competency Areas

ADD COMPETENCY Motivation and Incentives

Hours

 

Measured Standards

Class

9

Freeing Bottlenecks

D. Lab

2

Reducing Handling Times and Travel Distances

P. Lab/O.B.I.

0

Quality Control

Credit

10

Cube Utilization

 

 

Handling of Materials

 

 

Traffic Management

 

 


Prerequisite:

Provisional admission

Corequisite:

 

 

Course Guide

 

Competency

After completing this section, the student will:

Hours

Class

D.Lab

P.Lab/

O.B.I.

MOTIVATION AND INCENTIVES

10

0

0

Working conditions

Give examples of workplace conditions that promote the development of employee competence.

 

 

 

Output criteria

Discuss the factors involved in determining a performance standard.

 

 

 

Feedback

Describe an acceptable feedback process.

Discuss the negative results when feedback does not occur.

 

 

 

Job situation

Give an example which includes the factors which must be present to substantiate an acceptable job situation.

 

 

 

Personal skills

Discuss the impact untrained workers have on production.

 

 

 

Participatory circles

Describe a typical participative management procedure in a materials distribution center.

 

 

 

Incentive system

Describe a typical incentive system for a materials distribution center.

 

 

 

MEASURED STANDARDS

10

0

0

Historical standards

Give examples of a historical approach to establishing unit standards for a materials distribution center.

 

 

 

 

Discuss the drawbacks which historical standards present to a materials distribution center.

 

 

 

Predetermined standards

Give examples of predetermined standards in use at materials distribution centers.

 

 

 

Observation techniques

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of stopwatch standards developed for a materials distribution center.

 

 

 

 

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of regression analysis as a method of establishing work place standards.

 

 

 

Guidelines

State the principles used to develop measurement systems for a materials distribution center.

 

 

 

FREEING BOTTLENECKS

10

0

0

Causative factors

State the causative factors contributing to bottlenecks at materials distribution centers.

 

 

 

Forecasting

Discuss how forecasting aids in eliminating bottlenecks at materials distribution centers.

 

 

 

Idle workers

Discuss the indicator of a bottleneck that idle workers represent.

 

 

 

REDUCING HANDLING TIMES AND TRAVEL DISTANCES

10

5

0

Item handling

Describe the tradeoffs involved in reducing the number of times an item must be handled.

 

 

 

Flow

Give some examples which are used to smooth the flow of materials from suppliers to consumers.

 

 

 

Productivity improvement techniques

Explain how reducing distances traveled, increasing unit size, scheduling round trips, and improving cube utilization are used to increase efficiency in materials management.                                             

 

 

 

New technology

Give examples of how the introduction of new equipment and scheduling techniques have affected the flow of materials.

 

 

 

QUALITY CONTROL

10

5

0

Checker

Explain the role of the order checker in processing materials.

 

 

 

Picking errors

Discuss the three actions where the majority of picking errors occur.

 

 

 

 

State the four principal requirements for avoiding picking errors.

 

 

 

Item location

Discuss the six-digit location system and the meaning of the digits.

 

 

 

Item identification

Describe the quality control check made to assure item identification is correct.

 

 

 

Quantity

Describe the process for verifying order quantities.

 

 

 

Picking document

Discuss the function of an order picking form used by materials distribution centers.

 

 

 

Order identification

Describe the major components of an order fitting document used by materials distribution centers.

 

 

 

 

Design an order fitting document for a materials distribution center.

 

 

 

CUBE UTILIZATION

10

0

0

Assigned storage

Give an example of under-utilization caused by improperly assigned storage space at a materials distribution center.

 

 

 

Cost per square foot

Discuss change in cost per square foot when the height at a warehouse is increased.

 

 

 

 

Explain the effect on travel time when cube utilization is increased for a materials distribution center.

 

 

 

 

Give examples which limit the maximum cube utilization for a materials distribution center.

 

 

 

Aisle space

Discuss the tradeoff involved when adjusting aisle space to maximize cube utilization for a materials distribution center.

 

 

 

HANDLING OF MATERIALS

20

5

0

Receiving and shipping

Describe a typical receiving function for a materials distribution center.

 

 

 

 

Give examples of actions necessary to minimize receiving losses for a materials distribution center.

 

 

 

 

Describe a typical shipping function for a materials distribution center.

 

 

 

Receiving tally

Describe the use of a receiving tally document for a typical materials distribution center.

 

 

 

Damage claim

Describe a procedure commonly used to document a properly stowed order.

 

 

 

Order picking

Contrast discrete versus batch picking methods used at materials distribution centers.

 

 

 

 

Discuss the procedure used to design an order picking system for a materials distribution center.

 

 

 

Equipment and live storage

Discuss the criteria used to select equipment for a materials distribution center.

 

 

 

 

Describe the operation of a gravity flow rack at a typical live storage materials distribution center.

 

 

 

 

Contrast gravity flow, carousel, and conveyor equipment usage for materials distribution centers.

 

 

 

Mobile equipment

Discuss the factors involved in selecting mobile equipment for materials distribution centers.

 

 

 

Automated handling

Contrast the cost/benefit relationship of automated handling systems for materials distribution centers.

 

 

 

Unit loads

State the basic principles of efficient unit handling.

Name the designs used in pallet construction.

 

 

 

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

10

5

0

Clerical procedures

Describe the factors which contribute to an efficient office environment for a materials distribution center.

 

 

 

 

Give examples of data collected and generated by the clerical staff at a materials distribution center.

 

 

 

Computer hardware

Name the computer hardware features required for traffic management in materials distribution centers.

 

 

 

Computer software

Describe the procedure used to define requirements of computer software used in materials distribution centers.

 

 

 

Electronic identification

Explain bar codes and how they work in a materials distribution center.

 

 

 

 

Suggested Resources

 

Suggested Resources include textbooks shown below or most current edition.

 

Books

 

Ackerman, K. B.  (1990).  Practical handbook of warehousing (3rd ed.).  New York: Van Nos Reinhold.

Janson, R. L.  (1987).  Handbook of inventory management.  Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Japan Human Relations Association.  (1988).  The idea book: Improvement through total employee involvement.  Cambridge, MA: Productivity Press.

Morse, L. W.  (1987).  Practical handbook of industrial traffic management (7th ed.).  Washington, DC: Traffic Service Corp.

Tompkins, J. A., & Smith, J. D.  (1988).  The warehouse management handbook.  New York: McGraw-Hill.

 

Additional Materials

 

For additional materials and information on competencies in this course contact:

 

American Production & Inventory Control Society

500 W. Annandale Road

Falls Church, VA  22046-4274

Phone:  1-800-444-2742

 

National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors

1725 K. St., N.W. Suite 710

            Washington, DC  20006