French retailer E. Leclerc has chosen to work with WITRON in implementing an automated picking system at its new distribution centre for its regional buying company SCAPAlsace. Following in the steps of other European and American grocery retailers, E. Leclerc is the first French food retailer to place an order for this system with WITRON.
From 2014, upon completion of the new 30,000 sq m (322,917 sq ft) automated logistics centre near Colmar, Alsace, SCAPAlsace will use WITRON's OPM (Order Picking Machinery) for automated case picking, DPP (Display Pallet Picking) for the picking of half pallets directly in the automated pallet high bay warehouse, a fully-integrated layer picking system for supplying fast movers to hyper markets, and CPS (Car Picking System) for the picking of bulky products.
The new warehouse will allow SCAPAlsace to supply some 50 hypermarkets, and an additional 50 supermarkets and e-commerce pick-up locations with nearly 10,000 dry goods articles throughout the sales regions of Alsace, Franche Comté, and Bourgogne. With revenues of €38 billion and a market share of 18.3 per cent, E. Leclerc is one of the largest food retailers in France.
Said Bindou, CEO of SCAPAlsace, said "For us, this is a pioneering and strategic step in terms of cost-efficiency, pick quality, and pick capacity and especially workstation ergonomics in both logistics as well as in our stores. The upcoming changes in our industry-sector make this decision necessary".
With WITRON's fully integrated solution, SCAPAlsace will have the capability to supply up to 254,000 cases on a peak day. A major part of this volume will be picked in the OPM system onto Euro pallets - store-friendly and free from any pick errors by means of the COM machines and based on an efficient stacking algorithm according to the individual requirements of the respective market like store layout, shelf stocking, etc. Picking of bulky goods will be done in the CPS system with pick-by-voice technology. Based on automated replenishment with stacker cranes, the CPS pick front will be optimized according to the current order structure. This arrangement allows a permanent availability of goods within the picking aisles and provides a reduction in picking travel distances.
Bindou added, "In order to maintain our transportation cube, we will change to double-stack loading, which in turn means an additional pallet height reduction to 1.2 meters and a 50 per cent increase in the number of pallets produced. For our productivity, it is decisive that the resulting increase of pallets can be automatically picked and transported".
WITRON's innovative technology will be implemented within an optimized footprint of only 344,445 square feet. As general contractor, WITRON will not only be responsible for the logistics design, but also for the supply and start-up of all IT, control, and mechanical components. (28 Nov)
© 2012 - ESM: European Supermarket Magazine
