Belgium's Colruyt Group has launched autonomous vehicles in its distribution centre in Londerzeel for its online grocery shopping service, Collect&Go.
Colruyt seeks to increase efficiency in the fresh foods section of the distribution centre through this initiative, it said in a statement.
The company has rolled out 22 self-driving vehicles (SDVs) in the facility, which makes the picking of fresh produce 20% faster.
Around 260 employees work at the Londerzeel distribution centre.
Tom Malfroid, supply chain manager for Collect&Go, commented, “Our SDVs are a perfect example of how we innovate at Colruyt Group, with a focus on the human aspect and with greater efficiency as the goal.
“The interaction between our teams and the SDVs is unique. Our Collect&Go employees have even named all the SDVs, so we can now boast Daryl, Alessandro en Fanta among our new colleagues.”
How It Works
The SDVs navigate through the warehouse and guide Collect&Go employees to the right locations to retrieve the items.
The screen on every SDV displays a list of products to be picked and it automatically determines the most efficient route.
This reduces the distance and helps achieve a 20% increase in productivity when it comes to fresh product picking.
Employees pick the products from the list and place them in the crates on the SDV.
Every step in the process is supervised by the employees to reduce the chance of errors.
Kim Vancauwenberghe, responsible for Colruyt Group Smart Innovation, added, “The collaboration between our Collect&Go employees and the SDVs is the perfect solution for preparing Collect&Go orders, but it would be a mistake to assume that this technology can be effortlessly introduced in all our logistics processes.
“Each of our operations has its distinct requirements in terms of speed and volume, and requires a specific approach. This solution is carefully tailored to the needs of Collect&Go, making it unique for this specific area of application in Colruyt Group.”
