Industry 5.0 - Subscriber Content: Human-Centric Technical Development

Mouser Electronics serves its global customer base from a centralized logistics facility in Mansfield, Texas. The company’s distribution center is undergoing a major expansion project that, when complete, will provide more than 1.5 million square feet (approximately 140,000 m2) of storage space. Mouser has embraced the three pillars of Industry 5.0—resilience, sustainability, and, above all, human-centricity—within its facility to pack and ship more than 20,000 orders each day. To gain a greater understanding of how the Mouser team accomplishes this impressive feat, we spoke to Tina Sears, Mouser’s Vice President of Warehouse Operations.

Huge Variety

The work within the distribution center varies during each 24-hour period, almost like the ebbing and flowing of the tide. The day begins at 3 a.m. when the operational team starts to pick components and ship orders. This continues until 9 p.m., by which time staff has handled more than 80,000 part numbers.

Sears explained some of the challenges associated with shipping so many different components: "About 80 percent of our orders are packaged in a standard-sized carton that is 10 × 8 × 4in. (250 × 200 × 100mm). But the order might be for one component, or it might be for 5,000. It’s impossible to write a script to tell our team how to pack each order, so they must think on their feet and make quick decisions."

Automation plays a key role in this dynamic environment. According to Sears, "As much as possible, we move products to people. Once an order is packed and consolidated, it goes through to shipping. We probably have approximately six miles (ten kilometers) of conveyors in the building—and remember, we are expanding!" 

"We want to take the travel time out of the picking process," Sears continued. "It allows our operators to focus on the detail of the order while reducing their fatigue. Along with the conveyors, we have Vertical Lift Modules (VLMs), and we are introducing an automated storage and retrieval system. The technology is not replacing our people; it is helping them."

At 9 p.m. each night, the emphasis changes from shipping to stocking. The key task within the distribution center becomes replenishing the stock on the shelves. Mouser handles a huge variety of components, from the smallest board-mounted passives to complex test equipment like oscilloscopes. With a distribution center that contains more than 1.2 million part numbers, ensuring that parts find their way to the correct location creates a complex logistical problem.

Artificial Intelligence

Sears noted that this complex logistical problem can also be addressed with automation: "We are already starting to use some artificial intelligence such as machine learning to help improve that receiving process. We want to make it quicker and more accurate for our operators."

Sears remarked, "We have more than 1,200 different suppliers. While there are standards for printing labels, not everybody does it correctly. If operators need to enter stock numbers manually, the chance of an error [always exists]. We use artificial intelligence to image the label and validate the information based on what is expected. The system is learning how particular suppliers format their labels so it can identify where to look. Not only is the process quicker, but it reduces the occurrence of errors."

Sears emphasized that Mouser does not employ technology if the results cannot be measured: "When we look at introducing new equipment, we always evaluate how it will help us to get more throughput, how it will increase capacity, and how it will improve quality. We would like to get all three from a piece of automation, but we at least want two."

Mouser also sees automation as a tool to assist its workers, not to replace them. Sears underscored that the human component is still at the heart of the process: "Our people are our number one asset, as they should be in every single company. We always want to provide individuals with the opportunity to cross-train [so that they can] learn and grow in other areas. As the business ebbs and flows throughout the building, based on the changing market environment, we can shift people to where they are needed and keep them working."

Human-Centricity in Industry 5.0

Part of this emphasis on people is apparent in Mouser’s effort to include its employees as it introduces new systems. Sears explained, "We’ve got a great team here that is constantly looking at and evaluating what’s happening in our facility, what the needs of the business are, and what our people need." 

Sears said that understanding the human element is an important part of introducing new technology: "The team does an amazing job of involving our people. They embrace the technology, and I think that is another reason why it’s so effective—they are not afraid. [They are not] concerned that we want to replace them. They understand the purpose of [the technology] and how it’s going to help them. They give us ideas and suggestions [about] things they see as less effective or how things can be improved. And we work alongside them. We really focus on change management."

Sears was keen to explain that support from all levels of the business is vital: "One of the things that sets us apart here is the backing that we get from our executive leadership. I have a great team in the warehouse, but our leaders know and understand the business. They’re there to help, and while we do have to take care of the business, we definitely take care of our people."

Conclusion

Mouser is a major global distributor supplying high-technology industries, but it is also a technology user. Automation improves capacity and quality in Mouser’s complex logistical operations, allowing the company to better serve its customers. However, as Sears explained, this cannot be at the expense of the human element. The Mouser team is central to the company’s success, and new technology must serve as a tool to assist them—not to replace them. By involving people as automation is introduced, from the operators in the distribution center to the senior leadership team, Mouser is embracing the concept of Industry 5.0 and placing humans at the center of its business.