How AMRs Revolutionize Modern Warehousing
Solution Blueprint:
In today’s high-speed e-commerce landscape, warehousing inefficiencies are no longer just an inconvenience—they’re a roadblock to growth and can significantly impact a company’s profitability. This solution blueprint reveals how Reesink Logistic Solutions designed a cutting-edge Goods-to-Person system using Automated Mobile Robots (AMRs) to transform operations for an apparel distributor in the Benelux region. By addressing key challenges such as reducing labour dependency and picking errors, improving warehouse efficiency and increasing fulfilment speed, we have unlocked new levels of productivity and business growth.
Key Outcomes
25%
Boost in Fulfillment Speed
Faster processing times, meeting rising e-commerce demand effectively.
30%
Reduction in Labour Dependency
Automated repetitive tasks, enabling employees to focus on higher-value activities.
40%
Increase in Storage Efficiency
Maximized storage density without the need for facility expansion.
50%
Reduction in Picking Errors
Improved accuracy through automated picking, leading to enhanced customer satisfaction.
The Opportunity for Growth
Warehouse operations depended heavily on manual labour, creating inefficiencies and high operational costs. Workers spent hours walking long distances to locate items, leading to exhaustion and frequent errors. The process was slow, often causing delays that could not meet the growing demands of e-commerce. By transforming these repetitive manual tasks, the company could greatly enhance productivity, reduce errors, and position themselves to meet e-commerce demands.
The company viewed this as a chance to achieve the following optimization goals:
- Reducing manual labour: Transforming repetitive tasks to lower operational costs and improve efficiency.
- Maximizing storage space: Increasing the storage capacity within the existing facility footprint without expanding the building.
- Meeting e-commerce demand: Improving fulfillment times and ensuring error-free operations to remain competitive.
- Enhancing inventory tracking: Achieving full visibility and accuracy to enhance customer satisfaction.
- Improving inbound and outbound efficiency: Streamlining processes for direct carton handling.
- Ergonomic solutions: Designing better picking and inbound processes to improve working conditions and reduce physical strain.
- Minimizing walking distances and errors: Reducing walking distances for operators, cutting down on manual errors, and improving the tracking of goods throughout the warehouse.
The company recognized that without a scalable, automated solution, it would be challenging to maintain growth and keep up with industry demands. A future-proof system was crucial to manage increasing demand efficiently and provide better inventory management.
The Proposed Solution: A Goods-to-Person AMR System
To tackle these challenges head-on, the company teamed up with Reesink Logistic Solutions (RLS) to create an innovative automation solution that could seamlessly integrate into their existing operations while revolutionizing efficiency. After analysing the product portfolio and operational requirements RLS proposed a carton-to-person solution utilizing mobile robots of Geek+ for their adaptability, flexibility, and scalability. The solution combines double-deep vertical warehouse storage with high picking throughput utilizing a fleet mobile robots.
Key features of the design
High-Density Storage
Flexible racks supported over 90,000 carton positions across two zones, effectively doubling the storage density without expanding the physical footprint. This increased storage density allowed the company to maximize the use of available space, reducing the need for costly facility expansion and directly lowering overhead costs.
Efficient Picking Stations
Ergonomically designed workstations with put-to-light systems increased picking speed and reduced error rates. This led to faster order fulfillment and improved accuracy, which in turn would enhance customer satisfaction and reduce the costs associated with returns and rework.
AMR Integration
A fleet of RS8, RS11, and P40 robots work in harmony to manage vertical and horizontal movement within the warehouse, optimizing the flow of goods. This integration significantly decreases the time taken to move products through the facility, which improves overall throughput and reduces operational bottlenecks.
Intelligent Software
The Warehouse Control System (WCS) and Robot Management System (RMS) ensures real-time task scheduling, inventory tracking, and seamless integration with existing warehouse management system. This real-time visibility enables better decision-making, reduces stockouts, and optimizes labour allocation, leading to greater efficiency and reduced costs.
The system was designed with scalability in mind, providing the flexibility needed to handle future growth while improving the accuracy and speed of warehouse operations.
System capacity
Inbound Capacity
160
boxes/hour
Outbound Capacity
510
boxes/hour
Replenishment
535
boxes/day
A Dock-to-Dock Solution with Mixed Storage
A key strength of this system is the ability to store and pick directly from cartons. The mix of carton and tote storage eliminates the need for excessive decanting processes, significantly streamlining operations.
By directly storing goods in cartons:
- Fewer Handling Steps: Reduces unnecessary transfers, improving efficiency and minimizing labor costs.
- Investment Savings: Avoids the need for additional totes, lowering upfront investment and reducing costs.
- Environmental Benefits: Minimizes the need for plastic totes, aligning operations with sustainability goals.
This approach truly creates a dock-to-dock solution, seamlessly integrating inbound reception, storage, and outbound picking processes for maximum operational efficiency.
Step-by-Step Implementation
To minimize disruptions, the solution could be implemented in two phases:
Phase 1 – Laying the Foundation for Automated Efficiency
Focused on setting up the first storage zone with 60,000 tote locations and enabling initial picking and inbound operations. This phase allowes the company to start benefiting from increased storage efficiency right away.
Phase 2 – Full Integration for Maximum Impact
Added 30,000 tote locations and integrated the full AMR fleet and workstations for maximum operational efficiency.
This phased implementation ensures smooth transitions and minimal interruptions, allowing the company to maintain productivity while automating their operation.
The Impact of AMRs
After implementing the AMR solution, the warehouse transforms into a streamlined operation. Mobile robots take over the bulk of transporting and positioning tasks, turning a once cumbersome and inefficient process into a sleek, automated operation. Operators are stationed at ergonomic workstations, where cartons are brought to them by robots, reducing walking distances and improving picking speed. This not only minimizes manual errors but also significantly increases productivity, enabling the warehouse to efficiently meet rising e-commerce demand.
The AMR solution transforms daily operations. Before, workers spent hours walking long distances to manually locate items, leading to delays and fatigue. Now, with the robots bringing the cartons directly to ergonomic picking stations, we drastically reduce errors and increase productivity. It’s a world of difference in how we handle our workload, allowing us to meet growing demand more effectively.
Logistic Manager, Apparel Distributor
The benefits realized through the implementation of the RoboShuttle system are substantial:
Maximized Space Utilization
Storage density increased by over 40%, maximizing the use of available space without requiring new construction.
Reduced Labor Dependency
Automated repetitive tasks, reducing manual labor needs by up to 30% and enabling employees to focus on value-added activities.
Improved Accuracy and Speed
The streamlined picking process reduces errors by 50% and increased order processing speeds by 25%, improving customer satisfaction.
Scalability
The modular design provides an easy path for future growth, ensuring that the system can adapt to changing demands.
Real-Time Insights
With advanced WCS and RMS software, operational visibility is enhanced, allowing better inventory control and informed decision-making.
Collaboration Success
The project’s success is supported by strong collaboration and alignment between the company and Reesink Logistic Solutions.
“We are extremely pleased with the strong collaboration and alignment in creating this Next Level Warehousing solution. This partnership allowed us to design a system tailored precisely to our client’s needs while ensuring that it remains adaptable for future growth and demands.”
Dobbe Besselse — Account Manager G2P Solutions
Reesink Logistic Solutions is committed to ongoing support, plans for future expansions and system upgrades, ensuring that the warehouse remains adaptable to evolving demands.
What This Means for Your Business
If your warehouse faces similar challenges, AMR technology can be a transformative solution. The multiple mobile robot systems offer unparalleled flexibility, efficiency, and scalability, positioning your business for success in an ever-competitive market.
Whether you’re dealing with space constraints, labour shortages, or rising order volumes, a custom AMR solution can help you overcome these hurdles and drive operational excellence.
Let’s Talk Solutions
Interested in learning how mobile robots can optimize your warehouse? Book a tailored consultation with our automation experts to explore specific gains for your warehouse. Our team is ready to understand your unique challenges and design a solution that meets your exact needs.
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