https://scottichikawa.com Scott Ichikawa Mon, 10 Oct 2016 03:56:53 +0000 https://scottichikawa.com en http://scottichikawa.com/Resume Mon, 10 Oct 2016 03:56:53 +0000 Scott Ichikawa 111949 Scott IchikawaEngineering Success Resume (Last Updated 2021) Scott Ichikawa scott.ichikawa@gmail.com 408.368.7664&nbsp; Summary I am currently a regional sales engineering manager in the automation technology sector, providing the logistics and supply chain market with industrial solutions to barcode and vision recognition needs. My role as a sales manager utilizes my hybrid background of sales and engineering to empower my team to use strong communication, account management, project management and technical skills while bringing Cognex solutions to market. Work ExperienceCognex Corporation - Los Angeles, CA &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; November 2016 - Present West US Sales Manager, Logistics Division&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;May 2019 - Present Creates and executes a team sales strategy based on upper management guidence Grew west US (26 states) territory 53% from 2020 to 2021 YTDDevelops and executes technical industry training to new hiresDevelops and executes sales quoting and cadence training to new hiresLeverages my 10+ years of industrial automation experience to help my team act as consultants to our customer baseCreates meaningful partnerships with our engineering integrator partners and end customers to develop additional business pipelineExecutes strategic selling strategies, goal setting and forecasting Sales Engineer, Logistics Division &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; November 2016 - May 2019 Creates and executes a sales strategy based on management guidence to surpass individual quota 3 of 3 years Grew west coast territory from roughly $1.4M to $5M over 2.5 years Provides solutions and consulting to material handling integration partners and end users Provides product support and information for Cognex image based ID and vision tools Supports/Executes onsite demonstrations and head-to-head tests against competing solutions Helps customers understand ROI for projects capital expediture to understand potential payback Bastian Solutions – Pomona, CA &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; July 2013 - Present&nbsp; Project Manager &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;August 2015 – Present Develops and executes system schedule and project budget based on engineering design. Develops and executes build of a $18,000,000+ industrial automation system as lead PM. Manages material delivery, installation, integration and training for products from over 30 vendors. Works with customers to understand their requirements and facilitate communications. Works with millwrights, electricians, city permit plan checkers, city inspectors, 3rd party ETL inspectors, general contractors, and various other work staff. Handles integration of engineering technologies from global vendors out of Europe, Japan and USA. Field Application Engineer &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; July 2013 – Present Develops new business and repeat with accounts in my geographical territory Provides full engineering support in addition to the sales role Develops systems from $50,000 to in excess of $18,000,000 in size that are capable of helping businesses grow their manufacturing, distribution and other processes Works with customers to understand their business needs and provide the best solution to support their current and future operations Focuses on custom automation jobs that include, but are not limited to off the shelf products, robotic pick and place, robotic palletizing, conveyor, custom automation solutions, etc. Produces project management documentation that encompasses Gantt charts, cash flow analysis and installer execution documentation Performs onsite system integration and test for customer acceptance testing of systems waiting for final approval Produces and presents written and oral material covering company capabilities and solutions to technical and non-technical audiences ranging from engineers to VP Kawasaki Robotics Inc. (USA) – San Jose, CA &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;2010-2013 Robotics/Application Engineer &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 2011 – 2013 Provides onsite facility integration for automation products from prototype through installation of control hardware, software and automation hardware Performs onsite system integration and test for customer acceptance testing of products waiting for final delivery approval Provides real time resolutions for high visibility quality issues for IBM, Global Foundries, INTEL, etc&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Supported onsite at both international and domestic locations &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Able to operate independently or with local regional customer resources Produces and presents written and oral material covering robot capabilities and solutions to technical and non-technical audiences ranging from engineers to VP Produces and presents written and oral monthly supplier scorecard presentation to external customer supply chain team Manages resulting action items and ensures completion of all action items Successfully designed a quality issue tracking system from concept through development &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Purpose was to identify areas for operational efficiency&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Database driven, coded in visual basic and SQL, user friendly for non-technical persons &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Automatically tracks product returns and uses algorithms to flag improvement areas Customer liaison between their global field offices and internal organizations, responsible for actions related to parts requirements, troubleshooting and supply chain quality Planned, created and distributed training videos and created and conducted classroom training for global field offices Quality Engineer &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 2010 –2011 Performed failure analysis / escalation resolutions of automation robots, controllers and software that serve semiconductor industry OEMs such as Applied Materials, LAM Research and KLA-Tencor Acted an onsite supplier representative (technical support) to customer management Created test procedures and documentation for quality assurance checks on automation systems Developed internal quality fault insertion testing for automation software group prior to release dates Designed and built test hardware for robot testing and measurement Worked on mechanics of automation tools (acceleration forces, gear boxes, vibration) Accustomed to working in high pressure situations with short deadline periods Proactively developed product quality metrics to increase operational efficiency and reduce failure costs Education California Polytechnic State University Pomona &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; (Calpoly Pomona) &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Master’s in Business Administration (MBA)&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; March 2017 With Focuses in Operations GPA: 3.92 University of California, Los Angeles &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; (UCLA) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; B.S. in Mechanical Engineering &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;June 2009 Electives in Robotics and Software Control Systems Major GPA: 3.28 SkillsStrongly Proficient in use of CRM (Microsoft Dynamics) Proficient in Visual Basic, HTML and proprietary robot controller language (AS language)Basic Knowledge in Javascript (can read, troubleshoot and edit code blocks) Proficient in AutoCad and various AutoCad tools Basic Knowledge on Sketch up, Solidworks, C++, Mat Lab, Cold Fusion, and Php Strongly proficient in MS office:&nbsp; Word, Excel, PowerPoint Literate in MS Access, MS SQL Previous database programming experience with VB.Net Can work solo or in teams Excellent verbal and written communication References available upon request. Copyright © Scott Ichikawa — Built by Kathy Tu Scott IchikawaEngineering Success Resume (Last Updated 2021) Scott Ichikawa scott.ichikawa@gmail.com 408.368.7664&nbsp; Summary I am currently a... http://scottichikawa.com/Print-and-Apply Sat, 24 Sep 2016 23:00:42 +0000 Scott Ichikawa 107317 Scott IchikawaEngineering Success Print and Apply – Five Essential Design ConsiderationsBy Scott Ichikawa In my previous article titled “Automated Label Applicators – Is the ROI right for you?”, I explored major topics that need to be considered from the financial standpoint of the Print and Apply (P&amp;A) system. &nbsp;Keeping in mind that complexity equals more cost, this article will explore the engineering side of P&amp;A systems. &nbsp;To take an accurate view of the system, not just the printing unit, I will touch on the P&amp;A hardware, the conveyor requirements, quality control, the software functionality and the integration scope of work. P&amp;A Hardware <img width="1024" height="787" width_o="1024" height_o="787" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/dae6b26a17985b4dcc0bb59fc4ca810b8f314d64e4a95d8c72f7341b4f7bea5d/PA-double-1024x787.jpg" data-mid="106267" border="0" data-scale="25"/>A P&amp;A hardware set consists of the print engine (Zebra and Sato are two common ones) and the applicator device. &nbsp;Most integration houses are flexible when it comes to choosing a print engine, just make sure to confirm the type of communication and that it is able to work with the warehouse management software (WMS or WM). &nbsp;Sometimes an intermediary software known as a warehouse control system (WCS) is used to facilitate faster communication between the hardware and the WMS, but I will cover this more in depth during the software segment. When looking at the applicator, the first consideration would be whether the label is going on the top of the box (top apply) or the side (side apply). &nbsp;This is dependent mostly on the end user company requirement, however, side application tends to be the easier of the two. &nbsp;This is because the box can always be justified on the conveyor and will be a consistent distance from the applicator regardless of size. &nbsp;A top apply would have to be adaptable to each box height running down the system, requiring a more complex mechanical system. The second major consideration is the number of applicator devices and the control/quality check that follows. &nbsp;Normally for faster paced systems that run 20+cartons per minute, two P&amp;A units are suggested to go inline of each other. &nbsp;This is to allow for faster conveyor speeds, having each machine label every other box, and to ensure that in the case one of the machines were to break or require maintenance, that the system could continue to run. &nbsp;Even for systems that run at a lower carton per minute pace, a second machine is not necessarily a bad idea as long as the payback period is decent. Conveyor Requirements Many people I talk to simply say to me that “conveyor is conveyor”. &nbsp;That statement is both partially true and partially false. &nbsp;Conveyor hardware itself, which includes the side channel frames, the rollers, and the sensing equipment, is all very similar. &nbsp;The part of conveyor that differs from company to company is the engineering that went into it. &nbsp;I can buy a piece of conveyor online at a variety of internet re sellers and chances are that it will work for its intended simplistic purpose: moving a product from A to B in a straight line. &nbsp;When you start requiring more complex tasks such as justification of boxes, zero pressure accumulation of product, and orientation of product, the engineering that goes into the conveyor matters heavily. I could go on for paragraphs talking about how the engineering design of a conveyor system matters; however, that would be a tangent of the purpose of this article. &nbsp;For information about that, go to this link &lt;here&gt;. &nbsp;Back on topic, for a P&amp;A system there are two major requirements for the conveyor. &nbsp;First the conveyor prior to the P&amp;A machines must justify the product to one side.&nbsp;&nbsp;This usually means skewed/canted rollers and a guardrail with low friction rails. Once this has been accomplished, the second requirement is that the conveyor properly tracks the product to allow the P&amp;A to trigger the label applicator at the right time. &nbsp;This requires a belt conveyor to avoid product slippage and some photo eye controls to track the product. &nbsp;With these considerations, the P&amp;A system should run smoothly from a hardware standpoint. Quality Control Checkpoint After passing through the P&amp;A machines, usually the system will look to do a quality check. &nbsp;Since this is done via scanner and software, I figured this would be a good segue point into the software portion of the article. &nbsp;The QC station can be a variety of things, but normally in a fully automated system, this consists of a scanner on the conveyor and some type of discharge mechanism for the labels that fail the check. &nbsp;A simple way for empty boxes would be to use an air blade which blows the box off of the conveyor into a QC bin. &nbsp;If the box already has product, usually it becomes a pusher that discharges the box off of the mainline and onto a quality control line for manual inspection. Could you get away without including this to reduce cost? &nbsp;Yes. &nbsp;Should you? &nbsp;Not if throughput is a concern. &nbsp;The advantage that quality control discharge lane provides, is that is does not stop your whole system when a label fails. &nbsp;This allows for the mainline to continue operation until the QC lane is full, which probably indicates a bigger problem anyway. &nbsp;But how does the system check the labels? &nbsp;That leads us right into the software discussion. Software Considerations Software is often an overlooked, undervalued and surprisingly expensive part of material handling solutions. &nbsp;When buying a WM System, an important factor to remember is that if you intend to automate your warehouse at some point in the future, you need to make sure that have strong integration capabilities with hardware (usually a WCS module),&nbsp;and that they have an open architecture that allows integration with other software. &nbsp;A number of companies make claims that they will void agreements or charge for services where you integrate with another company’s equipment or software and that should not be the case. &nbsp;For a P&amp;A system I mentioned the requirements of a WCS module in the early part of this article. &nbsp;That module functions as a high speed interchange with the WM System. WM Systems are not generally designed to have a large number of small strings of data leave and enter the system every few seconds. &nbsp;That is exactly, however, what a P&amp;A requires. &nbsp;Each label requires a check against the order it is references to, whether it be a license plate for the box or the shipping label for the order. &nbsp;A WCS acts as a buffer and gives/takes large chunks of information from the WMS while handling the piece level information for each carton/order. &nbsp;WCS are designed to interact with the hardware on the ground level to allow for the fast communication required to label every box as it passes by the P&amp;A at 60+ feet per minute. &nbsp;In this type of application, network latency to a large WM is enough to cause the P&amp;A to miss the application timing to hit the box. &nbsp;This all ties into the integration of a system as a whole. Choosing an Integrator As a disclaimer, currently working for an integration engineering firm probably colors my view; however, I believe having a single integrator is the best way to make sure you have a system that works well. &nbsp;When you piecemeal out a design to multiple vendors and have an integrator tie them all in, it puts a lot of risk on the integration house and you probably end up paying the same amount of money as you would have should you have had them design the entire system. &nbsp;This is generally because risk translates to padding, not because an integrator is not skilled, but because they have no control over any of equipment vendors who, once they sell their equipment, have no skin in the game to help, modify or generally play nice. Either way, it is important that the scope of work and a strong understanding of your goals is translated between you and the integration partner before the project starts. &nbsp;It does take additional time, but walking through these points early leads to a lot less frustration and considerably fewer change orders in the long run of the project. I hope this article was helpful. Feel free to email questions or constructive comments to scott.ichikawa@cognex.com. Copyright © Scott Ichikawa — Built by Kathy Tu Scott IchikawaEngineering Success Print and Apply – Five Essential Design ConsiderationsBy Scott Ichikawa In my previous article titled “Automated... http://scottichikawa.com/Automated-Label-Printing Sat, 24 Sep 2016 22:51:05 +0000 Scott Ichikawa 107315 Scott IchikawaEngineering Success Automated Label Printing – Is the ROI right for you?By Scott Ichikawa <img width="1024" height="787" width_o="1024" height_o="787" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/141ced33e2bb2a23074a3e0577fc4fcfafbf4834a77ee4fc0b921199cf3522f0/PRINTANDAPPLY-1024x787.jpg" data-mid="106266" border="0" data-scale="25"/>With companies transitioning toward automated solutions, a more and more common industry desirable is automated label printing. &nbsp;In the material handling world it is often simply referred to as “Print and Apply” or “P&amp;A” and is the process of receiving a label order from the warehouse management system (WMS) and printing the label on a carton as it passes by on a conveyor. &nbsp;While this sounds like a relatively simple process, there are a lot of factors involved that require serious consideration by an engineering integrator. &nbsp;For information on that, check out my related article here. &nbsp;The focus of this piece is on the ROI of Print and Apply. What Components Are Part of a “Print and Apply” Solution? As with many parts of automation, it is important to recognize that a solution is more than just purchasing the hardware. &nbsp;There are three main upfront costs that are incurred with a P&amp;A: hardware, software and integration/installation. &nbsp;Each has their own considerations and are discussed in more detail in a previous article about P&amp;A considerations, but here is a brief summary. Hardware:&nbsp;A P&amp;A hardware set consists of the print engine (Zebra and Sato are two common ones) and the applicator device. &nbsp;Most integration houses are flexible when it comes to choosing a print engine, just make sure to confirm the type of communication and that it is able to work with the warehouse management software. Software:&nbsp;The software involved in a P&amp;A solution is usually built into the print engine, however, the engine has to have a reliable way of communicating with the warehouse database that is stored in either a Warehouse Management System (WMS) or the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software. &nbsp;Unless your WMS is made to work efficiently in real time with hardware control components, you might require a Warehouse Control System (WCS) to work effectively with the hardware. &nbsp;Ask your WMS provider, or feel free to send me a message with questions about it. Integration/Installation:&nbsp;The third upfront component is the integration and installation of the system. &nbsp;While I personally feel that a company should always aim to have a single automation house (see my article on “Keeping it under one roof – Warehouse Management”), it is understandable that as a business grows, it will accumulate a number of automation and software vendors. &nbsp;The cost comes when the company tries to add something into an existing system. &nbsp;Expect a number of software and control engineer labor hours to be applied during installation and do not be surprised if the cost is higher is an add-on rather than part of a full system installation. What Will A P&amp;A Solution Cost? As with any costing estimate, this is a difficult question, but when you add together a single print and apply machine, the necessary controls and the integration, it could easily run over $50,000 depending on the application. &nbsp;The machine itself can run between $10,000 to $35,000 depending on factors such as resolution, number of labels and size of the label. &nbsp;There are some definite reduced costs at scale and that should be investigated by inquiring with your automation integrator. &nbsp;Remember, however, that this is upfront cost and that there is a recurring cost of ownership that needs to be considered. &nbsp;Spare parts and maintenance are two categories that are often overlooked and should be considered before pulling the trigger on a P&amp;A system. What Is the Payback Period / Where Does the ROI Come From? Most U.S. companies tend to want a payback period of 2-3 years or less. &nbsp;That means the cost savings from implementing the machines will recover the upfront costs in that time period. &nbsp;There is also an expectation to see an additional ROI, meaning the solution will potentially increase revenues by making the process more efficient and/or productive. &nbsp;Most companies group both of these numbers into an “ROI calculation”. &nbsp;Here are the factors that can contribute to this and check out the easy to read infographic here. Reduced Labor Cost:&nbsp;A $9/hr worker usually costs a company $18/hr fully burdened (benefits, employer tax, etc). &nbsp;That amounts to $37,500 per year in savings per worker saved. &nbsp;This increases even more if they are working overtime/off-hours at 1.5X or 2X rate. &nbsp;Keep in mind that a P&amp;A can run considerably more efficiently than a human, so it could replace more than a single employee. Increased Throughput:&nbsp;Related to the efficiency of operations, a P&amp;A machine can run multiple shifts and does not take breaks other than maintenance time. &nbsp;This means you get more operating time at a faster speed, which can contribute to growth, reduced lead time for your customers, or both. So Is a P&amp;A Right For Me? This determination can only be made by taking the benefits, such as increased throughput and reduce labor costs, and weighing them against the cost of the solution. &nbsp;I suggest having an automation integrator take a look at your situation and help you work through the decision, but hopefully this information helps you go into the conversation better informed. If you have questions or comments, I would love to hear them. Feel free to email questions or constructive comments to scott.ichikawa@cognex.com. Copyright © Scott Ichikawa — Built by Kathy Tu Scott IchikawaEngineering Success Automated Label Printing – Is the ROI right for you?By Scott Ichikawa With companies transitioning toward automated... http://scottichikawa.com/Reducing-Financial-Waste Sat, 24 Sep 2016 22:44:15 +0000 Scott Ichikawa 107314 Scott IchikawaEngineering Success Reducing Financial Waste In Distribution – Five Methods to Avoid Unnecessary WasteBy Scott Ichikawa As part of an engineering integrator for automation systems, I find that there are a few major concerns in distribution system design that need to be consistently addressed. &nbsp;One of the most critical cost concerns is financial waste through damaged product. In a post-recession era when companies are working to “stay lean”, managing product waste is a tangible area where capital investment can lead to great returns. &nbsp;Recently, I was having a discussion with the facility head of an e-commerce company who mentioned that he was satisfied with their level of product loss. &nbsp;He said that they kept it, on average, at one percent. One percent does not sound significant; however, if a facility is shipping out $10,000,000 a year in product, that amounts to $100,000 left on the table every year! &nbsp;Granted, not all of that is always fully recoverable, as there will be operator related issues or accidents, but if you could invest a small sum of capital to consistently reduce your loss by 50%, that could amount to a $50,000 return per year! &nbsp;But before we get too excited, let us focus on some of the major topics on how product loss can be avoided: 1) Operator Training and Involvement With all the talk of how employees are the lifeblood of a company, there is often a surprising lack of consistent training for new or veteran employees. &nbsp;Something I appreciate about my current employer is the amount of focus and resources placed into making sure I have the tools to do my job. &nbsp;Why should it be any different for a machine operator or a warehouse picker? A dollar investment into training is always a risk should your employee leave, but it shows your team that you take their positions seriously, and more importantly that you take them seriously. &nbsp;Training need not always be complicated or lengthy. &nbsp;It should be consistent, easy to access, easy to remember and relevant to a position. &nbsp;Sometimes a simple onboard training program or a periodic operational review is enough to increase productivity and reduce inaccuracy. For more complex machinery, it is even more critical that management considers a proper formal training program. &nbsp;There is a reason people use the phase “I know just enough to be dangerous”. &nbsp;Either way, if investing company money into a full time training manager is too costly, one could always consider a consulting group or bringing in the machine manufacturers to run training sessions as a solid alternative. 2) Continuous Improvement of Process Another area that is related to quality is CIP or continuous process improvement. I spent a few years as a quality engineer and it helped me understand the importance of CIP. Entire programs are dedicated to the art of CIP such as the Six Sigma training program and Kaizen methodology. With that in mind, it is hard to argue that maintaining the status quo keeps a company competitive when many top tier companies embrace CIP so ardently. But CIP programs and trained employees can be expensive in both time and human resources, so what does that mean for smaller business or companies who are looking to grow with less capital? It means you can start small! Take a look at your distribution process and ask yourself some of the following questions: Does an employee touch the product more often than necessary? Do multiple employees have to manage tracking the product manually? Does the product sit on a cart unlabelled for extended periods of time? Does the product have the proper labelling? Does the product have the potential to be crushed, stacked improperly or hit during storage or transportation? These questions and many more can help identify when you may need to consider process improvement to help reduce inaccuracy and damage issues. Need more ideas on process improvement and how to identify weak points in a procedure? Check out this article by Bill Bastian II, an engineer and entrepreneur. 3) Correct Material Handling Equipment <img width="1024" height="616" width_o="1024" height_o="616" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/ba81197fc8624909731af0cbe971d696fd1097eb7e2c3e8d79e75cb1128aac4d/lossindist-1024x616.jpg" data-mid="106265" border="0" data-scale="25"/>As a material handling integrator, of course I have an opinion on who to use for your material handling needs! But how do you know what equipment is right for your application? Why do you even need equipment when you have people? These are complicated questions which more often than not get replaced by “which is less expensive?”. Unfortunately, as with any capital expenditure, if the person with the buying power does not understand the equipment in question, the purchase becomes an exercise in price rather than an exercise of application. &nbsp;While I cannot cover the gambit of how and when to choose the right equipment in this article, I can say that choosing the right equipment is imperative to a successful system. &nbsp;Its importance lies in choosing the best way to move your product efficiently and safely. &nbsp;Additionally, you need to consider the lifetime cost of a system which, on top of upfront cost, includes: maintenance costs, installation costs, future modification costs and a number of other considerations. For example, line shaft conveyor is known to be one of the cheapest types of conveyor in terms of upfront cost. &nbsp;It is easy to forget, however, that in terms ofinstallation, maintenance and man hours, it far exceeds the cost of its counterparts such as the 24VDC powered conveyor. &nbsp;If material handling is not a strong point for someone in your company, I highly recommend approaching an engineering firm willing to step up and take a close look at your application and data. &nbsp;Check out this article here from Rodger Katter, a senior application engineer. When it comes to a material handling integrator, anyone can hand you a quote. It is important you seek out a partner for the project, not just a supplier with the lowest cost. A partner will understand your business process and design a system that can be scaled or modified to fit changes in your growth or product. Flexibility and forward thinking are key when it comes to choosing the right system and the right partner. 4) Reducing Manual Touch Points While reducing manual touch points could be seen as a derivative topic of CIP and choosing the correct material handling equipment, I feel that it deserves a category of its own since I am specifically addressing reduction in product loss. Every time someone touches a product, there is a danger of it being damaged. This can be from a drop, an improper placement/storage, or a variety of other reasons. There is a danger of it being misplaced or inaccurately packed. This can be from a misread of a label or not forgetting where to place the carton. Finally there is the inefficiency of manual handling. Equipment can be designed to work in a specified manner to safely move a product efficiently and accurately. People need to be trained, reminded and supervised. People also do not work at a consistent rate, they need time off and do not work 24/7. By transitioning the majority of manual work to material handling equipment, a company can save on basic labor and use that freed up capital as a return on investment for the machine expenditure or to invest in more skilled labor for other areas of business. More importantly though, you remove much of the human element from the material handling and reduce your product loss. 5) Making The Decision To Move Forward The final method to reduce product loss is to take the step forward and actually put together a game plan. There is a considerable knowledge base regarding material handling and product loss prevention available through educational articles such as this one and through system integration and engineering firms. This is your call to action to sit down and put together a plan, because reading about it and filing it away will not reduce your product loss. Check out this great&nbsp;article by Jesseca Lyons, an engineering consultant, about walking through the decision making process to help identify whether a change is right for you. Questions? Comments? I would love to hear feedback on how you view these topics. Feel free to email questions or constructive comments to scott.ichikawa@cognex.com Copyright © Scott Ichikawa — Built by Kathy Tu Scott IchikawaEngineering Success Reducing Financial Waste In Distribution – Five Methods to Avoid Unnecessary WasteBy Scott Ichikawa As part of an... http://scottichikawa.com/Scott Sat, 24 Sep 2016 22:10:11 +0000 Scott Ichikawa 107310 Scott IchikawaEngineering Success Who I am I am one of the many professional engineers looking to make their mark on how society thinks, operates and exists.&nbsp; I am, and hope to always be, part of a great network that consists of my professional collegues and friends. From the web developer that helped me put together this website to the co-workers of present and past, my aim is to use this network of people and knowledge to work toward my efforts of engineering success.<img width="177" height="267" width_o="177" height_o="267" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/bf49376363967072b1dc51a762304f3824b0562cbf07c54b142b5019bcac86ad/Profile-Photo.png" data-mid="106264" border="0" />Scott Ichikawa UCLA B.S. Mechanical Engineering 2009 Cal Poly Pomona MBA 2017 Contributing Topics: Robotics, Material Handling, Business, ID readers, Logistics and Supply Chain Current Employer:&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Cognex CorporationContact: &nbsp;&nbsp; scott.ichikawa@cognex.com / scott.ichikawa@gmail.com Previous Employer: &nbsp; &nbsp; Bastian Solutions&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Kawasaki Robotics &nbsp; What I do Automation has been at the forefront of my career since graduating from UCLA. My educational background being in mechanical engineer, robotics and automation were a natural progression when combined with my interests. For the first four years, I worked with a robotics group as a field quality engineer and application design engineer with the goal of continuous improvement of process and ensuring our engineering compliance with our customers. Since then, I have worked in the material handling industry as a field sales / design engineer, eventually transitioning into sales management. &nbsp;Now I aim to serve as the lead of a consultative solutions sales team that helps our clients create more effective and efficient systems to acheive their goals.Purpose of this siteI created this site is to host a portfolio of projects and articles that I have authored, contributed to or led. &nbsp;My hope is that it serves to provide a well rounded look as to my capabilities and as a resource for knowledge and ideas. Copyright © Scott Ichikawa — Built by Kathy Tu Scott IchikawaEngineering Success Who I am I am one of the many professional engineers looking to make their mark on how society thinks, operates and... http://scottichikawa.com/Home-Page Mon, 17 Aug 2015 23:34:03 +0000 Scott Ichikawa 107308 Scott IchikawaEngineering SuccessAbout I am a Sales Engineering Manager at Cognex Corporation. My focus is in networked machine vision and ID readers in the logistics industry.I also provide freelance consulting services by request for MHE system design, bid/proposal reviews and project managmentRead more View Resume My Articles Reducing Financial Waste In Distribution:&nbsp;Five Methods to Avoid Unnecessary Waste Automated Label Printing:&nbsp;Is the ROI right for you? Print and Apply: Five Essential Design Considerations Contact &nbsp; Scott.Ichikawa@cognex.com Scott.Ichikawa@gmail.com Los Angeles, California &nbsp; Connect Copyright © Scott Ichikawa — Built by Kathy Tu Scott IchikawaEngineering SuccessAbout I am a Sales Engineering Manager at Cognex Corporation. My focus is in networked machine vision and ID readers in the...