CJ Logistics develops next-generation DAS sorting system for logistics centers

CJ Logistics announced Monday that it has developed a next-generation Digital Assorting System, or DAS, that sorts products arriving at logistics centers more quickly and accurately. DAS uses digital indicators to guide workers on where to place products and in what quantities.

Logistics centers receive a wide variety of products from client companies and must sort them swiftly and accurately to fulfill orders from individual stores. The conventional DAS required workers to sort products sequentially along a fixed route, meaning they had to wait for earlier tasks to finish whenever outbound shipments for a particular client surged. A separate pre-sorting step was also needed to divide products by work route before the main sorting could begin.

The next-generation DAS moves away from the sequential approach, allowing each worker to sort independently. Where the old system relied on digital indicators mounted on sorting racks, the new one uses per-worker tablets and indicators attached to mobile work carts to display each worker's route and the type, location and quantity of products to be sorted. Workers are no longer affected by the pace of those ahead of them, so they can sort simultaneously, cutting waiting time and improving accuracy.

The pre-sorting step has also been eliminated. Previously, handling multiple product types at once was difficult, so workers had to separate products by type and quantity for each route before starting. With the next-generation DAS, different products can be loaded together onto a single mobile cart, and the system guides workers on where each item goes and how many to place there, allowing sorting to begin immediately.

The system also improves accuracy and convenience. Scanning a product barcode displays the item's information and placement location on the tablet and cart indicator, reducing errors caused by reliance on a worker's memory or skill level. A mobile label printer lets workers print labels on the spot and conduct product inspection and sorting simultaneously, cutting unnecessary movement.

CJ Logistics expects the elimination of the pre-sorting step and reduced waiting time to improve product-sorting productivity by about 14 percent. The company said the gains would be greatest at logistics centers handling a larger number of stock-keeping units, as those facilities stand to benefit most from shorter work routes and less idle time.

"The next-generation DAS reduces unnecessary tasks and improves the sorting process so that anyone can sort products easily and accurately," a CJ Logistics official said. "We will continue to develop field-centered technology and innovate our operational processes to provide our clients with more stable and competitive logistics services."

Meanwhile, CJ Logistics has surpassed 15 million cumulative advertising placements on delivery boxes, roughly a year after launching the initiative. The company has been using parcel boxes delivered directly to consumers as a new advertising medium, expanding into areas ranging from film and K-pop idol promotions to public-interest campaigns.