WH Context

Assortment

Full grocery assortment

All grocery retail categories, except fruits and vegetables

Full grocery retail assortment

Order characteristics

Average number of order lines per online order: twenty to fifty

Average number of order lines per online order: twenty to fifty

Average number of order lines per online order: twenty to fifty

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WH Operations

Receiving

Manual

Manual

Manual

Put-away and storage

Manual, according to picking routes Buffer zone behind flow racks

Manual, according to picking routes

Manual, according to picking routes

Picking and sorting

Optimised picking of end-customer order

Manual batch picking (three to ten orders) per zone. Sorting while picking

Optimised picking of end-customer order

Manual batch picking (three to ten orders) per zone. Sorting while picking

Fruits and vegetables from a closely located wholesaler

Minimising product substitutions

Manual batch picking (three to ten orders). Sorting while picking

Packing

Manual consolidation

Orders packed in reusable styrofoam boxes

Automatic consolidation

Orders packed in regular paper bags

Manual consolidation at customer delivery

Frozen items in plastic bags, with cold and ambient items in reusable plastic boxes

Shipping

Manual sorting pre-storage

Automatic sorting pre-storage

Manual sorting pre-storage

WH Design and Resources

Layout

Different areas for temperature zones

Areas are organised to optimise picking efficiency

Different areas for temperature zones

Areas are organised to optimise picking efficiency

Different areas for temperature zones

Areas are mainly organised by product categories and optimal packing

Storage equipment

Flow racks for high frequency picking zones and racks for low frequency picking zones

Flow racks for high frequency picking zones and racks for low frequency picking zones

Products are stored on racks

Handling equipment

Cages for put-away and carts for picking

Hand scanner and pick-by-voice to support pickers

Cages for put-away and carts for picking

Hand scanner to support pickers

Cages for put-away and carts for picking

Hand scanner to support pickers

Automation solution

None

Dynamic conveyor belt for consolidation and sorting

None

Information systems

WMS and an ERP with ATP calculations

WMS

Basic system developed in-house, no WMS

Labour and Resources

High level of manual work and temporary workers to handle peaks

High level of manual work and temporary workers to handle peaks. More experienced workers pick fruit and vegetables

High level of manual work and temporary workers to handle peaks