The Owensboro Riverport Authority is hoping to utilize a new grid-like organization and software system to maximize its outside storage efficiency.
Brian Wright, the riverport’s president, said the organization in the process of transitioning to a new warehouse management software called Synapse and has been doing so for about the past two years. The system was created by Zethcon corporation based in Illinois.
To coincide with the implementation of the new warehouse management software system, the riverport will also utilize a physical grid-like system for its inventory yard, Wright said. The grid system will encompass about 200 acres of outside storage. Items that can be stored outside include steel and aluminum.
Wright said the riverport is responsible for accurate inventory management of the goods of other organizations and pinpointing where those items are stored is critical.
“When customer A sends a trucking company to pick up their goods, our operators have to know exactly where that material is located and be able to go load that material on that truck and have that truck back out on the road in 15 or 20 minutes,” he said. “We pride ourselves on being able to turn trucks routinely in a very short period of time.”
Wright added that auditors routinely visit the riverport to audit the goods of other companies. If the location of the goods is inaccurate, it can make the auditor’s job harder.
The new grid system is also designed to help new hires and veterans alike navigate the yard.
The project, expected to cost $25,000 to $30,000, will also include installing about 60 poles and 120 signs throughout the terminal. The poles will function as street signs will be about 20 feet off the ground.
“We’re revamping, more or less, our entire yard,” Wright said.
Wright said the old management software system had its drawbacks, which led to the change.
“It’s not very flexible,” he said. “If something is entered wrong, it takes two weeks to fix it.”
Wright hopes to have the new system implemented by May 1.
Trey Crumbie, 270-691-7297, [email protected].
