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Flexibility and sustainability in warehouses
Automation for e-commerce in the warehouse
Operational resiliency has gained greater importance, based on the pandemic experience, to better prepare for future disruptions. Therefore, it is not surprising to see that nearly half of the supply chain leaders have accelerated spending in digital technologies to make their operations more responsive and forward-looking during the pandemic, according to the 2021 MHI Annual Industry Report. With this, the whole supply chain, especially the warehouses, is transforming to leverage efficiency and effectiveness to achieve a competitive advantage by flexibility and sustainability in warehouses.
Best practice – flexibility and sustainability in warehouses
DB SCHENKER, the logistics service provider, strengthens its position in e-commerce by successfully implementing AutoStore in their warehouses – an automated goods-to-person system, to improve logistics for MQ Marqet, a leading retailer for high-quality fashion in Sweden. Operating in Gothenberg, the automated online order fulfillment and returns handling solution sets the bar for sustainable and agile logistics. Get more insights in the following video.
AutoStore: a fantastic solution for e-commerce
AutoStore is an automated storage and retrieval system which uses warehouse robots to deliver and retrieve bins for operators. It runs on intelligent software linked to the warehouse management system. The overall solution through automation also includes a sorting plant and a section for hanging garments, such as for e-commerce and store-replenishment operations.
“Knowing which innovative technologies can be applied is important. However, mastering the implementation of the latest technology is absolutely crucial because that’s how we can add real value to our customers’ business.”
DB SCHENKER offers an extensive e-commerce portfolio of which AutoStore is a part. The portfolio targets customers with extensive online business operations who look to achieve significant efficiency gains. Investment in the automation of inventory management underscores DB SCHENKER’s ambition to shape the future of modern omnichannel retail operations, both online and in-store.
Håkan Nydén, CEO Schenker Logistics AB and Head of Contract Logistics, DB SCHENKER in Sweden & Denmark: “We are very happy to serve MQ Marqet in our modern automated logistics center. Our innovative solution is expandable and makes us agile in terms of accommodating customer growth and managing multiple customers from the fast-growing B2C market. At the same time, it saves space and makes for a more ergonomic working environment.”
In every crisis, there is something good! We all observed that proactive investments in digital technologies have become even more important for companies to stay resilient during the pandemic. It is not surprising to see, that companies that significantly invested in innovative supply chain technologies before the COVID crisis hit could respond and recover more quickly. Digital technology is not the only initiative for characterizing a resilient organization, but it is significant for warehouses to increase flexibility and sustainability.
