IN SHORT
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A.S. Watson, parent company of Kruidvat and Trekpleister, among others, recently doubled the capacity of its e-commerce DC in Ede by not only expanding the floor space with mezzanine floors, but also by extensive mechanization and automation of processes.
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One of the ways this is done is by deploying roving robots. The Warehouse Management System (WMS) also had to undergo a major 'rebuilding' due to these major changes.
"The fact that we rolled out the system in a five-week period is really an accomplishment. Especially since this project took place in the middle of corona time, during which we had to collaborate remotely."
Integration WMS with other systems
The operation in the DC is controlled by a custom WMS that was developed by ICT Netherlands and has also been managed by them for years. In addition to the ERP system, the conveyor system and the robots, the WMS also integrates with smart algorithms developed by the company Pipple. These algorithms determine the most efficient walking route and picking order of orders. In view of this conversion, Pipple has also developed algorithms that continually recalculate which orders must be picked in which bin and how the order pickers need to cover as little distance as possible.
"Obviously, the remodel had a big impact on our WMS," says Ramondt. "It had to be modified very substantially." For a very short time, A.S. Watson toyed with the idea of replacing this custom software with standard software. "But that would mean configuring a system from scratch and we would have to work with a party that doesn't know our processes. Our estimation was that this would cause us a lot more work and make the project even more complex, while we have always been satisfied with the existing WMS and with the cooperation with ICT Netherlands," Ramondt explains.
"In a structured way, newly delivered functionality was always tested as soon as the code was delivered. We managed to free up a small part of the DC to actually perform those tests in practice."
Going live in four phases
For the renewal of the WMS, the existing team was expanded considerably both on the ICT Netherlands side and on the A.S. Watson side. "We developed the software agile," explains Ramondt. "In a structured way, newly delivered functionality was always tested as soon as the code was delivered. We managed to free up a small part of the DC to actually carry out those tests in practice."
The team was therefore very confident about going live. Nevertheless, to limit the risks, the migration was divided into four phases. Ramondt: "In the first phase, we only picked orders for larger customers, such as nurseries, with items that would remain in the same location in the new setting. When that went well, we also picked consumer orders with products that were not physically moved."
After that second phase, the team took an extra week because it turned out that the integration with the conveyor system was not working properly in particular cases. "It's only when you start operating at scale that such things come up," Ramondt knows. "They are simply too rare to happen during testing." In good cooperation between ICT Netherlands, the supplier of the conveyor system and A.S. Watson, the problem was fixed, after which phase 3 could start: orders from larger customers that also contained products moved to another location. In the final phase, all orders could be picked.
Rollout in corona time
Ramondt: "The fact that we rolled out the system in a period of five weeks is really an achievement. All the more so because this project took place in the middle of the corona era, during which we had to work together remotely. It was a renovation with the store open, and because of corona we also received many more customers in the store who ordered larger orders than before. What's more, the extra people ICT Netherlands deployed had never been to our DC before. They got to know our processes by watching videos. They had to work with new parties and with people they had never physically met. Yet, in practice as a customer, we did not suffer from this. The deadline was met without any significant impact on our customers. That's a very big kudos to everyone involved in this project."
Source: https://ict.eu/nl/case/hypermodern-e-fulfilment-center-kruidvat-betekent-forse-uitbreiding-van-wms/
TIPS
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Successful implementation of data science hinges on acceptance by the business community; therefore, it is critical that technologists and decision makers be involved in the process from beginning to end.
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Start small, deliver well - it is important to carefully delineate your use case in the beginning and coordinate extensively with the experts to understand their needs.
ICT Netherlands
ICT Netherlands is a supplier of total solutions in the field of industrial automation. As an experienced supplier of solutions for industrial technology, ICT wants to make the world a step smarter every day. Our dedicated technical professionals provide our clients with services in the field of consultancy, software development, project-based solutions and managed services.