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Kiva Systems Expands Product Line With Launch of Shipping Sorter

Kiva OrderFetch Reduces Cost of Standard Shipping Sorters by More than 80 Percent While Improving Speed, Flexibility and Efficiency of Shipping Operations

Woburn, MA - November 14, 2006 -Kiva Systems, today announced the general availability of the OrderFetch shipping sorter.  An extension of the breakthrough Kiva Mobile Fulfillment System, OrderFetch uses mobile robots to transport completed orders from any operator to any shipping dock door.  As a result, Kiva OrderFetch is up to 80 percent less expensive than existing shipping sorters while simultaneously improving the speed, flexibility and efficiency of shipping operations.

The Kiva OrderFetch solution employs a few dozen mobile robotic drive units to route order containers to operator stations where items are picked and packed.  When an order is complete, the drive units transport the finished containers directly to any designated dock door for loading. In a traditional system, operators fill orders in a sequence determined by the picking needs as opposed to shipping needs, and then use a conveyor-based solution to buffer and sort the orders.  The Kiva OrderFetch breakthrough allows operators in all the pick stations to work in parallel on orders for the same pallet, van, or truck resulting in better loads, dramatically lower loading cycle times and increased turns on dock doors.  In addition, OrderFetch allows for unlimited sorts and box per hour rates that scale with truck loading staff while eliminating diverts, mergers, buffers and similar mechanical complexities and constraints

"With the OrderFetch solution, we are continuing our transformation of the distribution and order fulfillment industry,” said Mick Mountz, CEO and founder of Kiva. "For the first time ever, the shipping department can pull work through the building using lean principles without degrading the productivity of the fulfillment center."

Used together, the Kiva ItemFetch picking system and OrderFetch shipping sorter solve one of the toughest problems in the supply chain – the coupling of fulfillment operations with delivery operations where each have their own competing factors driving efficiency.  As a flexible, parallel processing system, the Kiva MFS finds the globally optimal solution to picking and shipping at the same time.

About Kiva Systems

Kiva Systems, Inc. uses a breakthrough approach to help companies reduce cost and increase flexibility in their distribution centers.  Using autonomous mobile robots, storage pods, and powerful control software, the Kiva Mobile Fulfillment System enables a smooth flow of materials through the facility.  The result is a low-cost building that is quick to set up, inexpensive to operate, and easy to change.
For more information on Kiva Systems and its solutions, please visit www.kivasystems.com

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