| AWI operates two efficient low-cost distribution centers to service the cooperative members and customers. The Robesonia Distribution Center is approximately 800,000 square feet and houses all full case Dry Grocery, Dairy, Frozen, Meat and Produce distribution. The York Distribution Center is approximately 225,000 square feet and houses Health and Beauty Care items, General Merchandise, Candy, Cigarettes and Single Sell Grocery items. Selected product from the York division is shuttled to the Robesonia division and merged with full case product selected in Robesonia. Drivers returning through the York area drop trailers and pick up the shuttles on their way back to Robesonia.
The Robesonia division operates ships and receives product seven days a week with three shipping and receiving shifts five days a week. This ultra modern distribution center utilizes a highly sophisticated Warehouse Management System (WMS) called TRICEPS that tracks the location of every case from receiving to shipping. Product is rotated through the distribution center continually controlled by Triceps. Triceps keeps track of all expiration dates on all product, and product expiring first is shipped first. All product has a minimum guaranteed days shelf life to our retail customers and Triceps gives us ample warning should any merchandise approach the guaranteed days fresh set by item.
Triceps directs all fork lift activity when sending product from Receiving to reserve or selection slots, therefore, tracking every move made and every location of all pallets throughout the distribution center. This is all done by Radio Frequency (RF) devices. Selection is done with Voice. Each selector wears a headset attached to a radio device and is guided to each selection slot via voice command. Once at a selection slot, the selector reads a three-digit check digit number to verify they are at the correct slot and then instructed how many cases to select at that slot. The selector verifies they have selected the product and then moves onto the next slot. Due to the accuracy that occurs with this type of system, shortages and mis-selections are almost non-existent. AWI distribution center selectors and fork lift operators work with engineered labor standards. Triceps tracks the distance between each slot, calculates the amount of time to select at each slot, tracks the distance to the dock door where product will be staged for loading, figures in time to wrap pallets with shrink wrap to keep the product from shifting during transporting and loading and figures in personal fatigue and downtime for each selection or movement assignment. The actual time for each assignment is measured against the standard time for each assignment. Each employee is required to work at 95% of standard over a two-week period of time with the 5% considered the acceptable margin of error for standards calculations.
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| Over 1,100,000 units are selected weekly and shipped from AWI distribution centers. Over 600 truck loads are loaded and shipped each week distributed to a seven state area to 900 plus stores. All temperature sensitive product is loaded in proper temperature compartments on multi-temp trailers to assure maximum product integrity. All Perishable and Frozen product are loaded in trailers on temperature controlled docks.
In addition to tracking all saleable product for distribution, Triceps also tracks and directs the movement of all trailers in our Yard for loading and unloading. Truck jockeys are directed via Radio Frequency devices to move trailers from parking pads to door pads for loading and ultimately from door pads to dispatch pads when loading is completed. Therefore the location of every trailer and its status is tracked within the Yard Management System (YMS). If trailers need service they are put in a special status and jockeys are directed to move the trailer to the truck maintenance facility at our Transportation Center. Once the required maintenance has been performed the trailer status is marked "available" and the YMS will assign the trailer to a load the trailer configuration is capable of handling and, ultimately, to a door for loading. All vendor drop trailers and AWI backhaul trailers are tracked in the system and directed to doors for unloading at the proper time through the system. With over 220 trailers to track and an additional 60 vendor trailers to track the YMS is extremely efficient for accomplishing this task.
AWI modern Distribution Centers operate second to none in the wholesale grocery distribution industry.
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