This document proposes changes to the empty pallet processing procedures at a distribution center to improve safety, efficiency and productivity. Specifically, it recommends: 1. Eliminating empty pallet slots currently in aisles and placing empty pallets in "drop zones" on the floor to increase storage capacity and reduce injuries from pallet handling. 2. Assigning 1-2 associates full-time to haul empty pallets to receiving doors using radios to maintain communication between all parties involved in pallet movement. 3. Several managers were consulted and the response to the proposed changes was positive, with potential benefits including decreased injuries, increased storage, and reduced unnecessary downtime currently spent emptying pallet slots.

1. December 2016 EMPTY PALLET
PROCESSING
CHANGES
Path to Lead Project 2016
Lisa C Perreault

2. 1
PTL PROJECT – EMPTY PALLET PROCESSING CHANGES
1. Project Goal
Teamworkisa keyto success! Communicationisthe single mostimportantfactorinsuccessful teamwork. Priormilitary
and life experienceshave taughtme that one of the bestwaysto buildtrustisto leadby example. Good
communicationallowsforthe teamto develop self-worth,autonomyandable tomake sounddecisions. A leader
needstobe hands onwiththeirteam,establishingcommunicationandisopentonew suggestionsandideas.
[Facilitating communicationsmeanssetting an exampleby remaining open to suggestionsand concerns,by asking
questionsand offering help,and by doing everything you can to avoid confusion in yourown communication.When
peopleworktogetherin an atmosphereof trustand accountability toward a common goal,they putasideturf issues
and politics and focuson the tasksto bedone.] (http://www.amanet.org/training/articles/Building-a-Sense-of-
Teamwork-Among-Staff-Members.aspx
Duringmy time inthe Path to LeadProgram, one area that standsforefrontinmymind is teamwork. Today’s corporate
worldhas come a longway fromthe oldschool autocratic style of leadership intotoday’smore participativestyle.Ihave
been at this facility 9 years now and have seen that a primary focus of our DC is to create a work culture with open
communication and bridging gaps between associates and management.
The purpose of thisprojectis to collectively consider a more efficient procedure of pallet processing. With the recent
installation of new racks and an increase in injuries related to “pallet handling”, a safer, more efficient program of
processing pallets seems worth reviewing.
This process would involve all departments, including orderfilling/RSR, shipping, receiving, maintenance and quality
assurance.
2. New Process
Eliminate all “emptypallet”slotscurrentlyinthe prime andreserve aislesplace “dropzones”in each prime aisle for the
orderfiller to stack pallets 6 high in these drop zone on the floor. This would accomplish several things:
 First, it would increase storage capacity for the entire warehouse.
 Secondly,itwould decreaseGLSsystematic work as it eliminatesthe needforQA‘s “freezing” and “unfreezing”
slots for empty pallets.
 Third,and mostimportantly,itwouldhelp decrease pallet related injuries by requiring less handling and allow
for less stress when lifting due to easier stacking methods
272 empty
pallet returns
in Prime
aisles
272 empty
pallet returns
in Reserve
aisles
Gain of
aproximately
544 slots for
IDC 6061

3. 2
[The workplace is highly dependent on communication for everyone to be able to accomplish assigned tasks. When
communication isgood,employeesunderstand theirrole and thedirection of the company as well as increasing morale.]
(http://www.chicagoagr.org) It is for this reason that all parties who are involved in pallet processing carry radios and
effectivelycommunicate witheachothersothe flow of palletsiscontrolled and any processes set in place do not alter.
A lackof communicationwillleadtothe collapse of anynew processsetinplace. Itis imperative forthe RSRdriversand
the PE hauler(s) tomaintaincommunicationwitheachotherinorder for the pallets to be hauled in a timely manner so
they do not collect in the aisles and pose potential safety hazards.
3. Pros & Cons
o Pros:
 Safety Increases; decrease in pallet handling related injuries
 Much easier for the Primers to stack
 Forces the Primers to be more conscientious of their stacking
 Increase in warehouse storage/slots
 Better communication between the all associates involved, as well as managers
 PE hauler to maintain productivity; no downtime hours
 Help to avoid as many prime locks as we currently run into
 Utilize the drive-ins as permanent storage and not use the drive ins for DTS or special projects
o Cons:
 Bad stacking
 Empty pallets in the prime aisles that could affect safety 1. They exist already 2. It would be no
different than dropping full pallets in the aisles
 Poor communication between the orderfilling department and the PE hauler
 Prime orderfillers randomly placing single pallets all over the prime aisles, creating a safety hazard
 Single pallets ending up under the racks (the orderfiller is responsible for their own aisles so it would
behoove them to follow the proper procedure or be held accountable for any pallets not put up
properly)
KEEP IN MIND THAT OUR FACILITY NOW HAS ONLY A FEW RR’S THAT WILL BE ABLE TO MANEUVER THE DRIVE-INS. AS
WE RECEIVE NEWER EQUIPMENT, THE FORKS WILL BE TOO WIDE TO FIT.
Capacity of 6
• RSR driver will double-stack
to 12-high, preparing them to
haul to the receiving doors
• RSR driver to then place
these stacks to the ends of
the aisles for easy access to
haul
• Multiple stacks of at least 2
would be ideal for the PE
driver before hauling
Hauling
• 1-2 haulers to haul empty
pallets to the receiving doors
• Hauler would be needed on a
permanent/rotating schedule
• Maintain production as
pallets will be continuous
throughout each day
• If pallets begin to overun, the
RSR driver can move them
from the ends of the prime
aisles into the reserve aisles
MT Trailers
• Maintain MT trailers at door
1 and 131 (we do not receive
freight at these doors) at all
times for pallet overflow
• Use these trailers for the
overflow of pallets and/or for
transfering pallets to different
docks

4. 3
4. Safety
One of ourgoals as a warehouse istoincrease asmuch space as possible. The removal of “emptypallet”slotswould
help to achieve this. Presently, the “pallet returns” are quite high off the ground in the new racks which makes
them challenging to stack 6-high. By redesigning the workplace, we can help reduce low back injuries. By
redesigningthe waywe currentlyprocesspallets,we canreduce the strainonthe manual tasks currentlyperformed
to minimize the reaching, pulling and tackling of the pallets. Weights and forces will decrease as well as the
frequencyof handlingandre-handlingthe emptypalletsbyboththe prime order-filler and RSR drivers. Those with
heightdisadvantageswillhave aneasiertime man-handling the empty pallets to the pallets returns, as they weigh
70-75 lbseach. Additionally,agoodworkplace designpermitsemployeeswithlowbackpaintoremainon the jobor
return to work sooner.
A significantresultof thisproject wouldbe the eliminationof one entire stepinthe way pallets are being processed. As
of now,the “emptypallet”slotsgetfilledbyorderfillersandthenemptiedbythe RR driversrepetitively. The removal of
the “emptypallet”slotswouldendthe redundancyof RRdrivers from repeatedly emptying the “pallet returns”, which
greatlyaffectstheirproduction. If redesigned,the onlyresponsibility of the RR drivers would be to stack the pallets 6-
high and prepare them for the PE hauler to remove from the aisles.
The resultswouldbenefitthe prime orderfillersand the dock associates. It should not affect the productivity of the PE
hauler, as pallets will be continually forthcoming.
5. Cost Savings Analysis (Wages & Productivity)
 Use of 1-2 associates forhaulingwouldbe more beneficial and productive than randomly utilizing several (6-8)
associates in small increments throughout the day, which we currently do.
 By using1-2 associates,the costof dailymanpowerwillbe reduced and less downtime will be coded. This will
increase both productivity and impact our PTS to Pay ratio in a positive manner.
 Currently, the average time spent in 4th
shift RSR on emptying pallets is roughly 20-25 hours weekly.
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Medicals Non Meds Orderfilling Docks
Safety Data
2013 2014 2015 2016

5. 4
 Currently, the average time spent in 4th
shift receiving, shipping and PE support is roughly 30+ hours.
6. Affected Parties
1. Prime Orderfillers: Beneficial impact
 Pallets are not lifted as high
 Less physical tackling and manhandling of 70+ lb pallets
2. RR drivers: Beneficial impact
 A step is completely eliminated in their daily routine
 Only job would be to stack pallets 12 high and prepare them to haul
 Move to the reserve aisles if pallets begin to overrun
3. PE Hauler: Beneficial impact
 1-2 needed to haul pallets. Production not affected due to the amount of empty pallets that accrue
4. Area Managers:
 Determine who to rotate and how often
 Determine when extra pallets need to be clamped and stored away in drive-ins
 Determine the location (Door 131) of Walmart MT trailer for pallets
7. Implementation Plan
Recommendationsforthisprojectwouldbe tomeetwiththe managersof the orderfillingdepartments,dockmanagers,
maintenance andaQA managerto reviewthis asa teamunit. The dock manager will decide on a rotation schedule for
the PE hauler to “pallet process”, whether it is weekly, monthly, etc. The importance of communication between all
parties needs to be stressed and is a necessary recommendation to discuss in order for this project to be successful.
Anotherrecommendationtoimplementthisproposal istoinvolve maintenance in the removal of the current “brakes”
in all empty pallet slots and prepare them for receiving freight.
8. Managerial Support
During this entire project, several area managers in different departments were involved in the discussions of this
proposal. Some associates,specificallyreplendrivers,wereaskedwhattheywouldconsideramore effective manner of
processing empty pallet returns. Upon completion of this project, a few select managers, including my mentor at the
time,BryanHarrelson,were askedto review and offer any alternative viewpoints, feedback and suggestions that may
have been omitted. The response has been very positive.
1-2 associates=12-36 hoursproductive work. Nolost
wages/codedforproduction
VS. 6-8 associates= 40+ hourswastedproductive work
(downtime). Around$680 inexcessive wages. Gainfor6061!

6. 5
9. Alternative Ideas
DuringDTS, I was taskedtowork alongside Micheal Davalos,overseeingthe Orderfilling/RSRDTSteams. Besidesmaking
DTS successful for2016, my primaryfocuswas to stayout on the floor,establishmore meaningfulrelationshipswiththe
team,focuson creatinggoodhousekeepingethics, monitorthe workflow andworkalongsidefellowassociates. Ithas
beenmyobservationthatonce a certainlevel of familiarityandcamaraderie developsamongthe associates,theystart
to agree on directives,workmethodsandasense of ownership.Trust becomesagreatstrengthintheirpotential and
theirwillingnesstolearnfromone another,aswell asfromme.
Teamworkisa passionate areaof mine andas I researchedthisprojectfurther,Italkedtoseveral managersaboutthe
probabilityof removingpalletreturnsandplacingstacksof emptypalletsonthe floor. While itmay notbe feasiblefor
safetypurposes,abetterwayof processingpalletsseemstobe worthreviewing.
Currently,itisthe RSR taskedwith“Replens”whoisresponsible foremptyingpalletreturnsthroughoutthe day. Going
directlytothe source,I talkedtoseveral of the seasonedreplendriversinordertoget theirideasandopinionsregarding
the way emptypalletsare currentlybeingprocessed. Anengagedemployee generallydeliversresultsandwhatI
learnedfromeveryreplendriverIspoke withisthat noone emptiesthe palletreturns. Whenaskedwhy,each
individualmentionedthatitisnot part of theirproduction. More importantly,the replendriversdonotreceive
downtime forthe amountof time spentemptyingthe palletreturns,therefore the emptypalletsremaininthe slots
until the areamanager assignsone,twoorthree individualstaskedsolelytoemptypalletreturns.Thisresultsinhoursof
unnecessarydowntime codedintothe TPRandaffectsourPTS to pay ratio.
 1 RSR associate taskedtoemptypallets=aprox 25 hours/week
 2 RSR associatestaskedtoemptypallets=aprox 50 hours/week
 3 RSR associatestaskedtoemptypallets=aprox 75 hours/week
Because replensthemselvesgeneratequite afew long-haul movesthatnolongergetaccountedfor,the RR drivershave
a difficulttime makingcurrentproduction, letalone emptyoutthe palletreturnswhichcutsintotheirproductivitytime.
The same mentalitygoesforall shifts;the replendriversdonotemptythe palletreturns.
An alternative toeliminatingpalletreturnscompletelywouldbe toconsiderloweringthe currentproductiongoal of
replendrivers(14moves/hour) inordertoaccountfor the time spentinemptyingpalletreturns. The replendriver
wouldbe heldresponsibleforemptyingpalletreturnsaspart of theirdailytasksratherthan assigningextradriversto
“emptyreturns”and be codedfor downtime.
Replen
drivers = 12
moves/hour
Replen drivers to
empty pallet
returns as part of
their dailytasks
Unnecessary
downtimewill be
eliminated
Increased PTS to
Pay ratio

7. 6
Another consideration is to task the associate, who is assigned to fixing pallets with a stockpicker, to empty pallet
returns during the times he/she is not running the stockpicker.
Duringthe course of the work week,the RSRdepartmentutilizesone associate on the stockpicker to fix pallets that are
damaged either in the slots, or on the floors. This associate is coded differently when using the SP. Currently,
stockpicker associates are rotated on a weekly basis and are not coded full production.
If pallet returns generate excessively and the stockpicker associate cannot keep up with the empty pallet returns, it
would still create less downtime by using an additional RSR associate to help out with the returns.
Good housekeepingisafoundationof safetyineveryworkspace of everyworkplace.However,it’sparticularly
importantinthe warehouse where avarietyof workersare doingavarietyof jobswitha varietyof equipment. Good
housekeepingiseveryemployee'sresponsibility. Prime orderfillersare currentlyresponsibleformaintainingspecific
aislesbytheirareamanagereach week. Atthe endof each workday,itisexpectedthatthe prime aislesare safe from
debris,shrinkwrap,casesunderthe racks,etc. “Cleanas you go” isan ongoingoperationthatinvolveseveryassociate
and everymemberof managementwithinthe warehouse.
One lastalternative topalletprocessingwouldbe toapplythe same standardsamongthe RSR associatesbyassigning
aisles,orgroupsof aislestoeach associate. These individualswouldbe responsible forthe general housekeepingand
emptyingthe palletreturnsintheirassignedaisles.
How to improve housekeepinginthe workplace:
Good housekeepingrequireseffortandteamwork,butit’sworthit.Here are some general pointers:
 Sethousekeepingstandards;make sure theyare clear,objective andattainable.
 Standardsshouldmake workeasier,saferandhealthier.Itisbesttoinvolve associates whensettingstandards
and provide plentyof positivefeedback.
 Let employeesknow howwell theyare doingandhow toimprove.
 Encourage housekeepingasa way of life!
Eliminate the hassle. Get a perfectstackevery time! A new,better way to get perfectly stacked pallets in picking
modulesis nowavailable. Automation Plus,a Division of CSFInc.,hasintroduced thePallet Return Device, which is
designed to operatein distribution center pick modulesand helpsmakehandling pallets(wood orplastic) safer and more
efficient withoutusing any outsideenergy source,such aselectricity or compressed air. Since the PRD makesa perfect
stackof palletsevery time, it saveslaborcosts aspickers no longer haveto struggleto makea perfect stack,and forklift
drivers nowavoid reshaping palletstackswhen ready to be removed fromthemodules.
The PRD incorporatesa uniquemethod forstacking empty pallets.Currently,stacking palletsrequires expensive
machinery or intensemanuallabor(movementsproneto injury).ThePRDenablesa new method,wherein theoperator
lifts the pallet overa pivot point,thereby creating a mechanicaladvantageto removethebackstrain associated with
lifting pallets.It incorporatesa shock-absorbing devicethatprovidesa smooth transition fromtheload position to the
unload position.In use,the operatorloadsthecarriage. The PRD systemrequiresno outsidesourceof energy (electricity
or compressed air) and requiresminimal continualmaintenance.Thisuniquesystemhastheability to be retrofitted into
any currentor futureset-up in a workcenter and can handlewood and plasticpallets simultaneously.
[When the carriageis full,the operatorreleasesthe load,and lets the shock-absorbing devicesafely guidethestackto a
vertical (unload) position.Oncepositioned,thepalletsarerolled forward to a raised outbound location,which releases
the pallets fromthecarriage. The operatorthen slidesthe carriage back,tilts it to the load position,and it’s ready to
receive more emptypallets.] (http://www.palletreturndevice.com)

8. 7
10. Recommendations
When the reading of this proposal is complete, initial thoughts and feedback would be welcome. If any ideas are
consideredsuitable orworkable,whatrecommendationswouldbe suggested? Whatadditional informationneedstobe
gathered? The ideal outcome for me would be the knowledge of areas managers and the senior management staff to
come togetherfora brainstormingsessionandagree whatthe next action(s) will be. After extensive research, I would
not wantto see any manager returnto the office with a big stack of notes, loses the information in piles of paperwork
and are never seen or used again. Agree what the next actions will be. Agree a timescale, who's responsible.
Collaborationbyall, offeringdifferentperspectivesandexamples,wouldprovide solutions that will increase our PTS to
Pay,offersaferalternatives to manhandling heavy wood pallets and generate an overall sense of accomplishment for
DC6061.
If one were to ask several CEOs or human resource professionals what goals or elements were important to their
success,I wouldimagine thatindividual would probably get some phrases and corporate terms that consistently came
up.Collaborationin the workplace wouldcertainlybe one of the more common answers. [It is often the key to much of
the success in today’s corporate America.] (http://www.study.com) So, what is workplace collaboration?
 [Collaborationin the workplace is when two or more people(often groups) work together through idea sharing
and thinking to accomplish a common goal. It is simply teamwork taken to a higher level. Collaboration is to
demonstrate the ability to work effectively and respectfully with diverse teams
 Exercise flexibility and willingnessto be helpfulin making necessary compromises to accomplish a common goal
 Assume shared responsibility for collaborative work, and value the individual contributions made by each team
member] (http://www.forbes.com)

9. 8