Relationship Focus: LD Products

For high-volume distribution operations, increasing throughput isn't just about moving products faster. It requires a system that can accurately route orders, reduce manual handling, and adapt as the business grows.

LD Products is a multifaceted printing and office supply company focused on exceptional customer service and the highest quality product offering. Located in Long Beach, California, their 110,000 square foot LEED-certified headquarters houses an array of inventory such as ink, toner, and other office products. LD Products is a company centered on accurate order fulfillment, cutting-edge print offerings, and unmatched customer support.

Working with Hytrol and integration partner McCombs-Wall, LD Products implemented an energy-efficient automated material handling system designed to increase capacity, improve efficiency, and provide flexibility for future growth.

Supporting a High-Volume Order Fulfillment Operation

With more than 10,000 SKUs moving through the operation and approximately 3,500 to 8,000 orders shipping each day, efficient order fulfillment is critical. Before automation, processing this volume required a highly manual operation.

“We were shipping over 25- to 30,000 orders a week, but it required almost 60 people to do that in our manual system,” said Chris Ferrer, Director of Warehouse Operations at LD Products. “Now with the automation, we are down to 28 people in the operation itself.”

LD Products needed a solution that could handle its existing volume while providing the capacity and flexibility to support continued growth.

Designing an Efficient, Scalable System

Hytrol and McCombs-Wall worked with LD Products to develop an automated system that supported the company's operational goals while meeting the standards required for its LEED-certified facility. A key component of the system is Hytrol's E24™ 24-volt conveyor technology. The system transports totes and shipping cartons from an A-frame system to several areas throughout the facility, including a consolidation put-to-light system, manual small-package area, and USPS packing area.

E24™ and EZLogic® technology provided LD Products with an efficient and versatile solution for moving products throughout the operation.

“The E24™, the EZLogic® technology—it just seemed like it was more versatile,” Ferrer said. “It was more plug-n-play. It just seemed like it was going to be more reliable for us.”

The automated system also integrates with LD Products' warehouse management system and Intersort WCS. Orders can be routed throughout the facility based on factors including quantity, location, cube size, shipping carton size, and shipping carton weight.

Finding New Opportunities for Automation

The collaboration with McCombs-Wall also helped LD Products identify automation opportunities beyond what the company originally envisioned.

“We actually had an initial layout we had in mind,” Ferrer said. “It probably only had about 30 percent of the automation that we actually have in place now.”

By evaluating the operation and its long-term needs, the integration partner was able to recommend additional automation and help LD Products develop a system that aligned with its growth plans.

“They were able to bring a lot of good ideas—a lot of automation that we weren't even aware of,” Ferrer said. “They helped us actually envision what our growth plan was going to be.”

Increasing Output While Reducing Manual Labor

The automated system delivered significant improvements across the LD Products operation.

According to Ferrer, the new system increased overall daily output by approximately 30 percent based on order flow while significantly reducing the labor required for several processes. One of the largest improvements occurred around the A-frame system. Previously, the manual process required approximately 15 employees to fulfill orders. Following automation, the same process required only two. LD Products experienced similar results in its pick-to-light area for toner products. A process that previously required approximately 10 employees could also be completed with two.

Overall, LD Products reduced the workforce required for the operation by 53 percent while increasing throughput and maintaining the flexibility needed to accommodate its wide variety of SKUs.

Supporting the System Beyond Installation

Implementing automation was only part of the solution. LD Products also needed resources to help its team understand and support the equipment after installation.

Hytrol's training resources provided employees with access to information when they needed it.

“The fact that I was able to go online to the Hytrol videos and access them anytime, whether it was at night at home or just here during the day, just made it a lot easier,” Ferrer said. “I was able to find the information we needed, or at least give us a direction.”

Building for Future Growth

By combining Hytrol conveyor technology with the integration expertise of McCombs-Wall, LD Products created a flexible material handling system capable of supporting both current order volumes and future expansion.

The project helped LD Products achieve:

• Approximately 30% greater daily output
• A 53% reduction in required operational workforce
• A reduction from 15 employees to two in the A-frame process
• A reduction from 10 employees to two in the toner pick-to-light process
• Automated routing for thousands of daily orders
• Greater flexibility to accommodate more than 10,000 SKUs
• An energy-efficient system designed for a LEED-certified facility

For LD Products, automation provided more than increased speed. The new system created a more efficient and scalable fulfillment operation while giving the company the flexibility to continue growing and delivering the level of service its customers expect.