WMS Case Study: IMG

The first solution Cadre delivered was an enhancement to Cadence SLP module and processes. In the past, SLP gave IMG the ability to pick and confirm orders in batches quickly. All the workers needed to do was produce a carrier-
compliant label and packing list, apply both to the box, scan it and ship — While still using Cadence WMS for maintaining tight control of warehouse locations, receiving, putaway, inventory, and other more traditional order/pick/pack operations.

Cadre enhanced its software to make the process even less labor-intensive: The product travels down the conveyor, is put into a box, and then travels to the validation station where an operator opens the box and, using a handheld scanner, confirms the order is correct.

If the number isn’t correct, Cadre made sure the software sends an audible alert — important for a workforce with eyes glued to the screen and not the package itself. Once Cadence receives that all-clear signal, it tells the conveyor to automatically move the package to the next phase without requiring the operator to push it forward.

With some orders capable of weighing 75 pounds or more, and order volume expected in the tens of thousands in a single day, reducing the manual component was a major plus for increasing both efficiency and speed without compromising accuracy.

Handling the boxes “becomes wearing for the operator,” Dewitt said. “Now the conveyor moves the product itself. It’s a pain-free operation. And we can scale upwards for even more volume as we grow.”

The second modification involved accommodating delivering shipping labels at a high rate of speed. In the past, packing slips and shipping labels rolled out of laser printers in the company’s order management office.

Not only did that step take place away from the conveyor, the laser printers were only capable of printing — at best — 40 pages per minute. Given the high volume of printing IMG planned to handle for that event, it needed printing automatically

IMG purchased a print and apply labeling system and configured it to the conveyor. From there, Cadre tailored Cadence so that the moment an order is validated, Cadence sends the information to the printer, which prints and applies the label to the box the second it arrives. That reduced manual labor — Before, IMG had workers crack and peel labels manually. Skipping that step “allowed us
to use high-speed capability to do high-volume orders,” Dewitt said.

There is also an added bonus: Because of the high volume of orders that IMG typically handles,
paperwork could potentially get lost in the shuffle; pack slips could fall to the ground, for example, and this solution removes that potential issue. The added automation allows for significantly lower temp labor costs and a reduction in risk regarding using a temp labor force.

Thanks to Cadre, the new system not only validates everything that needs to be in the box, but it confirms that the box successfully was verified.

The new automated features now prepare IMG for future efficiency. That’s because it allows the
company to capture data in reports to assess details like average scans per minute, hour, or day. These key metrics are important for IMG’s management of their business and evaluation of future projects.

What they discovered so far is that the efficiencies helped reduce its temporary labor pool from 15 to five people per line. Dewitt said those measures give the company the ability to add more lines over the next 12 months.

“Our goal is to automate as much as possible, especially on these kinds of high-volume events. [Cadence] justified the fact that we are moving in the right direction. The ROI is much faster. The
reports provide hard and fast numbers to support that, versus guessing or assuming,” he said.

Now that IMG handled 85,000 orders in a weekend, the sky’s the limit.

“The new speed of our system surpassed our expectations,” he said. “Doing something at this volume was inconceivable before. Now we can.”

Shipping Label Picking (SLP) is a WMS software module designed for fast e-commerce order fulfillment. It allows workers to pick and confirm orders in batches by producing carrier-compliant labels and packing lists, applying them to boxes, scanning, and shipping. This streamlined process reduces manual steps while maintaining inventory control and accuracy in high-volume operations.

Warehouse automation can significantly reduce temporary labor requirements. In IMG’s case, automation reduced their temporary labor pool from 15 to 5 people per processing line – a 67% reduction. This reduction comes from eliminating manual tasks like label peeling, box pushing on conveyors, and manual validation processes through automated systems and conveyor integration.

Automated validation is crucial for maintaining accuracy and speed in high-volume operations. It reduces reliance on human labor that can cause slowdowns, provides audible alerts for incorrect orders, and eliminates risks like lost paperwork or pack slips falling to the ground. This ensures quality isn’t sacrificed for speed while enabling businesses to handle extreme order volumes efficiently.

Companies should start planning WMS upgrades at least 6 months before anticipated high-volume events. This timeline allows sufficient time to analyze requirements, implement system enhancements, test new processes, and train staff. Early planning is essential when expecting significant volume increases, especially during peak seasons like Q4 holidays when order volumes can exceed normal capacity.

Print and apply labeling systems offer significant advantages over traditional laser printers. They can handle much higher speeds than the 40 pages per minute limit of laser printers, automatically apply labels without manual peeling, and integrate directly with conveyors. This automation reduces labor costs, eliminates label application errors, and enables true high-speed, high-volume order processing capabilities.