THE CHALLENGE
Preparing for
the future
THE SOLUTION
Four-touch fulfillment
with room to grow
Scaling for tomorrow
Many merchandisers are in a quandary as they try to grapple with today’s seismic shifts in eCommerce storage and processing requirements while anticipating future needs and inventory flows.
When an iconic fashion retailer built a new multi-mezzanine regional fulfillment center (FC), they soon realized it wouldn’t be able to meet massive eCommerce growth because of labor and space-intensive operations. In this situation, it can be difficult to determine whether to expand or retrofit.
Modular autonomous robotics, intelligent logistics software and sector-specific expertise provided the answer. By integrating low and no-touch shuttle, pocket sorter and packing technology into their existing fulfillment network, the retailer is able to utilize the existing space better.
One system handles six processes
The fully-automated “all-in-one” shuttle system makes low-touch picking a reality, because every SKU is available at any time thanks to:
- Incredible storage density, which gives the retailer the capacity for storing up to nearly 100 feet high
- Intelligent software control, which precisely calculates every movement for speed and efficiency
- Inherent storage scalability, which enables storage locations to be scaled independently
- Impressive energy recuperation, which recovers braking energy and feeds it back into the shuttle system for planet-friendly operation
An overhead pocket sorter utilizes previously unused overhead space for efficient handling of flat goods and polybags. The system is equipped with RFID and dynamic sortation technology, so one workstation efficiently handles single and multi-item orders. The RFID technology ensures 100% accuracy.
Fully-automated packaging lowers touches and is also planet-friendly. An international sports fashion retailer who ships around 6.2 million cartons a year can reduce:
- Dunnage by 30%
- Shipping volume by 45%
- C02 emissions by 31%
- Transport weight by 30%
“By 2026, 75% of large enterprises will have adopted some form of intralogistics smarts robots in their warehouse operations.”
–Gartner
Reduce touches by 50%
When used together, these low and no-touch systems fill eCommerce orders fast — with just four touches.
- Decanting — Associates scan and open cartons, then decant items into storage totes, which are automatically provided on a conveyor in front of them. Once filled, totes are pushed over to the takeaway conveyor, run through an inbound check station and stored in the shuttle system. Fast-moving items go directly into pockets.
- Singles / Multi Picking — Items are automatically retrieved from the shuttle system and presented to an associate who places them in a tote or sorter pocket, which conveys, sorts and sequences goods. Batch picked and single items are brought together at a single pack station. Empty totes automatically travel back to the shuttle system.
- Single / Multi Order Packing — Items in pockets travel down a conveyor through the first check point, then go through a packing machine where a carton is formed around single and multi orders. Document insertion, carton closing, shipping label application and weighing are all fully automated.
- Outbound sortation — Conveyors transport filled orders through a checkpoint and out to OB sortation.
Low-touch logistics increases the speed of order processing while eliminating physically-challenging work for associates and freeing them to focus on higher-value activities. The highly-automated system is designed for today’s seismic shifts and whatever tomorrow brings.
