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Mobile Fulfillment System

Solution> The Mobile Fulfillment System

What if every item in your warehouse could walk and talk on its own? The products could come to the operator when needed. Any item, any where, any time.

This is the vision that drives the Kiva Mobile Fulfillment System (MFS).

Kiva uses a simple set of equipment and powerful control software to provide a complete fulfillment solution: storing, moving and sorting inventory. Instead of being stored in static shelving, flow racks or carousels, products are stored in inventory pods in the center of the warehouse while operators stand at inventory stations around the perimeter. When an order is received, robotic drive units retrieve the appropriate pods and bring them to the worker, who picks out the appropriate item and places it in the carton. Completed orders are stored on separate pods, ready to get up and move to the loading dock when the truck arrives.

Why Kiva?

Increase Productivity - Triple the output per worker over other solutions.

Lower Cost - The Kiva MFS has lower installation and operational costs than traditional automated systems.

Increase Flexibility - The Kiva MFS adapts to changes in product types, product velocities, order prioritization, and other operational realities.

Add Capacity Quickly - Because it is based around one simple piece of equipment, the Kiva solution is easy to design and install, which means it takes weeks instead of months to get a new distribution center installed.

Features

The Kiva solution delivers breakthrough performance by solving many order fulfillment challenges simultaneously.

Fast Picking	The operator is presented with a new pick face location every six seconds, as if they had infinite pick face density with zero walking.
Rapid Installation	Starting with blank concrete or mezzanine and a few electrical outlets, installation can take as little as one day.
Real-time Orders	Orders drop instantly to the operator without the delay of waves or batches, reducing cycle time to minutes.
High Accuracy	Every item is verified by scanning the bar code or comparison to a photo, thereby reducing errors and eliminating the need for a separate QC function.
High Storage Density	Configurable pods, trays, and bins, no forklift aisles and complete vertical use of the facility using mezzanines means higher product density than existing solutions.
Modular Expansion	Add inventory pods and drive units to increase throughput during peak season or expand an existing facility as the market grows.
Inline Sortation	Products and orders are automatically sorted during processing, enabling "pick to plan-o-gram" within an order and sequential truck loading.
High Reliability	With parallel equipment and no single point of failure, the system supports zero downtime in a 24 by 7 operation.
Simultaneous Picking and Replenishment	Replenishment and picking can proceed at the same time with full productivity, allowing reduced days-on-hand of inventory.
Built-in Productivity Monitoring	Operators are independent and their output can be measured at any time.
Single Process	All items - fast and slow, large and small - are picked with a simple pick to-light-process.
Zero Re-slotting	Items are dynamically assigned to the best available location, which means that there is no need for profiling or re-slotting.