Delivering Results – Picking Speeds
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Delivering Results – Picking Speeds
The Gamechangers main function is to dramatically improve the picking speeds of existing pickers. These speeds will double or more within a reasonable time. We would expect a 25kg per hour picker to be doing 50kgs per hour within 2-3 weeks.
There are however, several important problems and also significant other factors that have a great bearing on picking speeds. These can become apparent with careful observation, questions, listening and checking the answers in harvesting rooms over a period of years.
These problems and factors are:
a) Many times, the actual picking rate achieved by pickers can be reported inaccurately. We have found the “better” pickers, generally start earlier than they are supposed to, are actually better organised with trays, punnets, gloves and get organised prior to actual clocking in, take shorter breaks, and generally waste little time. This time is not actually measured as part of the work day and may mean some pickers actually work longer hours than is actually calculated. Weight Bonuses normally reward pickers for this extra time but it is not calculated as hours worked.
b) The weight of mushrooms makes a great difference to picking performance. Brown mushrooms normally weigh more than whites. 1st flush mushrooms are heavier than 2nd or 3rd flush mushrooms. 2nd flush mushrooms are on average heavier than 3rd flush mushrooms. These factors cannot be neglected. Small mushrooms weigh less than bigger mushrooms and the first and last day of the flush will have less picking results than during the middle of the flush.
c) The pinning of the crop does have an effect on the picking rates. Reducing pinning can increase picking rates but this benefit can be significantly offset by a reduction in crop yield which can greatly impact the profit margin.
d) Whether the pickers are being supplied with empty trays / punnets and the waste taken away, and also the frequency with which this happens will also impact the harvesting performance.
e) The number of people who are in the room can also impact harvesting results. Room congestion does reduce picking speeds.
f) The Lift systems does impact the picking rates.
The Gamechanger and the Floor Supported Articulated Lift System working as an integrated solution is designed to take into account all of these factors to improve overall picking performance. Speeds will increase dramatically normally within 2-3 weeks. It will not normally happen within days as pickers adapt to learning a new picking technique on a new device.
Outlined below are the many ways that speed is increased with the Gamechanger:
1) Reduction of picking tasks. The Picker no longer has to trim the stalks, place the mushrooms in the punnets and check weigh the punnets.
2) Two hands can be used to pick mushrooms. This normally involves having 3 mushrooms in the left hand and 2 mushrooms in the right hand as opposed to 3 mushrooms in 1 hand and a knife in the other.
3) Mushrooms can be placed on the belt even while the Gamechanger is switching on, and startup only takes a 2 to 3 minutes.
4) Increasing stalk cutting accuracy increase yield as well as picking efficiency.
5) Getting the pickers to graze the crop while keeping the Lift moving slowly has significant positive effects on picking figures. It increases the weight and yield picked and reduces wasted time adjusting movement controls.
6) The lift has been designed to allow comfortable picking of all the shelves, even the bottom shelf. Most importantly the Lift has more than enough room for the picker, the Gamechanger, empty trays, full trays, punnets and enough shelf space for other necessary items. We recognised early that doubling picking speeds we needed to increase the space for full and empty containers.
7) The increased speeds results in reduced congestion in the picking rooms and allows the support personnel to get about much easier.
8) The Picking Technique to get the best results from the Gamechanger can be continuously improved over time, and we would expect picking improvements of much more than 100% after several months. The system of support and the area to be picked has to be improved/increased as the picking speeds pick up.
9) The accurate collection of picking data will also allow a better renumeration scheme to be designed to allow pickers using the Gamechanger to see increases in pay, while at the same time the producer will also reduce picking costs and profit.
The Gamechanger Pro is the only viable solution that can deliver results on existing farms, with existing pickers and that has an affordable cost. There is a Gamechanger Pro performance calculator on the website at Gamechanger Pro Performance Calculator which can help in quantifying what the Gamechanger can do.
To view more information and video please click the following links for the Gamechanger Pro or Floor Supported Lift.
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