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Tag: Koerber

New Supply Chain Software Brand

Posted on by David Priestman

Körber Supply Chain Software, a joint venture between Körber AG and KKR recently introduced its new company brand, Infios. Logistics Business spoke to Tim Moylan (pictured below), Chief Growth Officer, to learn about the thinking behind the re-brand.

Logistics Business: What was the thinking behind the new name? The letter ‘I’ is always very popular for software – any concerns about distinctiveness?

Tim Moylan: “Yes, the name Infios is intentional. ‘Info’ represents infinite possibilities and the critical role of information across modern supply chains. ‘OS’ nods to our role as a flexible, intelligent operating system that connects and orchestrates execution across transportation, warehousing, and beyond. While the letter ‘I’ is indeed popular in tech, we feel the name Infios properly conveys what we want to signal to our customers —both current and future. In the end, it’s more than a name — it’s a promise to deliver agility, scalability, and intelligence across the most dynamic parts of the supply chain.”

Logistics Business: Was the rebrand made necessary by the MercuryGate acquisition? What else drove it?

Moylan: “The rebrand reflects a broad transformation, signifying our commitment to delivering a fully connected, end-to-end, best-in-class supply chain execution platform — seamlessly integrating warehousing and fulfilment, transportation, order management and commerce, AMR and voice. With this transformation, Infios stands as a true supply chain execution leader, providing adaptable solutions that empower businesses of all sizes to simplify, optimize, and accelerate their supply chain operations. While the MercuryGate acquisition was a catalyst for the rebrand, we are very respectful of all our acquired companies. They all helped us reach the point where we could rebrand, and all the innovation they have delivered make us the supply chain execution powerhouse we are today.”

Logistics Business: Infios will still work closely with Körber for integrating warehouse automation. Will that be exclusive, both ways? How does the rebrand affect the relationship between the companies?

Moylan: “Our partnership with Körber remains strong and collaborative. Infios will continue to integrate with Körber’s warehouse automation offerings, just as we will with other partners. The relationship is not exclusive either way; it’s about delivering what’s best for customers. The rebrand clarifies our role in the ecosystem – we are focused on supply chain execution solutions, which means being open and agile in how we collaborate across the supply chain technology landscape.”

Tim Moylan, Infios

Logistics Business: What is the growth objective for Infios?

Moylan: “Our regional and solution diversity allows us to grow across many dimensions, closely aligned with the growth strategies of our customers. Our short-term focus is on strengthening our foundation, driving execution and delivering measurable impact. A key priority is enhancing customer success by improving implementation, support and account management, ensuring that our customers derive maximum value from our solutions. Innovation remains at the forefront, as we continue to advance our cloud, AI, and automation capabilities, making our solutions more adaptable and future-ready. Additionally, we are focused on driving revenue growth, expanding our market reach through a strong go-to-market strategy, increased cross-sell opportunities and deeper industry partnerships.”

Logistics Business: Will you be extending the product range/offering?

Moylan: “The rebrand is just the beginning. Infios will continue to build out our product ecosystem — strengthening our core offerings like TMS, WMS and OMS while also exploring adjacent areas that support end-to-end supply chain execution. We’re actively listening to customers and aligning our roadmap with what they need to thrive in an increasingly complex supply chain environment.”

Logistics Business: Do you anticipate further acquisitions?

Moylan: “We’re open to acquisitions that align with our mission and enhance our value to customers. As supply chains grow more interconnected, strategic acquisitions can help us accelerate innovation and expand capabilities. That said, we’re just as focused on organic growth — delivering consistent, scalable improvements to our platform and ensuring every customer gets the most from their investment with Infios.”

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Körber Supply Chain Software Rebrands as Infios

 

Körber Supply Chain Software Rebrands as Infios

Posted on by David Priestman

Körber Supply Chain Software, a joint venture between Körber AG and KKR and a leader in adaptable supply chain execution, today introduced its new company brand, Infios, underscoring its commitment to meet customers where they are to create the future they need.

The name Infios draws inspiration from the concept of infinity, representing the vast, interconnected global marketplace and the limitless opportunities to help businesses create their future. Infios is built on the belief that supply chains should be agile, intelligent, and constantly evolving to meet the demands of a changing world. By leveraging advanced technologies, data-driven insights, and a deep understanding of customer needs, Infios delivers innovative solutions that drive efficiency, lower costs, and empower businesses to succeed in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

“Supply chains are the backbone of modern business and global progress. And when they work better — simpler, faster, smarter — businesses thrive, people benefit, and communities become stronger. We believe that the future is better when supply chains work better,” said Ed Auriemma, CEO of Infios. “Our goal at Infios is to work alongside our customers to provide solutions that meet today’s challenges while thinking ahead to solve tomorrow’s problems.”

Infios integrates order management, warehousing and fulfillment and transportation management into a comprehensive suite of solutions, equipping businesses with the tools they need to navigate today’s complex supply chain landscape. Infios is dedicated to its customers, evolving with them to provide scalable, adaptable solutions that meet their changing needs. This flexibility enables customers to optimize every aspect of their operations with versatile, scalable, and future-ready capabilities. With a thoughtful approach to innovation, the company integrates data, predictive analytics, and AI-driven insights to help businesses stay ahead, anticipating challenges and opportunities before they arise.

Combined strengths of Körber Supply Chain Software and MercuryGate

Customers of Infios will continue to have full access to Körber’s comprehensive range of turnkey solutions and supply chain technology, especially end-to-end integration, automation and logistics systems as well as software consulting. The close partnership between Körber and Infios remains unchanged.

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Körber and Dexory Partner for Warehouse Operations Visibility

 

Supply Chain Software: Elevating Performance

Posted on by David Priestman

Körber Supply Chain Software is renowned for providing first-class solutions, but it also has its eyes on those who use it as part of their daily job. Peter MacLeod travelled to Brussels to find out more.

At the recent Körber Elevate EMEA user conference in Brussels, I was privileged to spend a couple of days soaking up knowledge as industry experts from Körber, its customers and its associated partners presented their experiences and ideas. It’s always fascinating when such people are let loose to talk passionately about their particular area of expertise, never more so when the topic covers the digitalisation of logistics. A data-rich industry – such as our business of moving goods from one side of the world to the other, or bringing frozen food from a warehouse to your front door – is primed to benefit from the gains that the rapidly evolving IT landscape can bring, and Körber is at the forefront.

However much we talk about AI, robotics and automated solutions replacing humans, this event particularly highlighted the human side. Whenever I meet supply chain leaders, I always make a point of asking them whether we will eliminate human tasks from the supply chain altogether, and the answer is usually along the lines that there will always be a place for good old you and me, no matter how advanced the technology becomes. With this in mind, Körber not only presented a range of solutions to optimise supply chains, but also highlighted ways in which humans working in the sector can interact with them, become more engaged with their jobs, and how a business that focuses on attracting and retaining staff will be stronger than those that place all of their efforts on getting their hands on the latest bit of tech.

I put it to Matthew Gregory, Managing Director Northern Europe, Körber Supply Chain Software, that I was enlightened to see how people I would describe affectionately as ‘boffins’ haven’t taken their eyes off the fact that all these systems require some level of human control, interaction or intervention. “I’m delighted you’ve seen it, because it is very much intentional,” he replies. “There are a lot of other supply chain software businesses out there that will talk about the software and the technology all too often, but forget about who must use this technology day in and day out. You can have the best possible solution on earth, but if you haven’t considered how an individual is going to use it when they turn up to work, then you’re missing that final piece. That’s what sets us apart as an organisation. Yes, the technology is incredibly important, but so is how we put it into the hands of the men and women that run our supply chains every single day.”

Human Implementation

Körber has experienced considerable growth as businesses seek ever-more-clever ways to optimise their supply chains, and has been highly successful in identifying customer challenges and finding a solution to fix them. Without losing sight of core technology pillars – orchestration with its order management system, execution with its warehouse management system, its warehouse control system, and now transportation system following the recent acquisition of MercuryGate – Gregory tells me a lot of the technology has been focused not only on how it can be knitted together, but also how Körber actually puts it into the hands of the individuals.

“One of the areas I’m particularly passionate about is voice directed work,” he says. “We ask people to work in a warehouse, which are hands-busy and eyes-busy environments, and too often we’re also giving them something they need to hold in their hand. We are making it unnecessarily challenging, especially if we’re trying to recruit new people. The answer is simple – we need to design our solutions from the beginning all the way through to the end. It’s on us as a technology provider to find ways to encourage them to stay, to make them aware of the opportunities that the supply chain industry represents, and to give organisations the right tools to put in the hands of those individuals.”

Empowering Employees

Beyond developing voice technologies that help and support a warehouse worker to be more effective and productive, the challenge is also to encourage them to be more engaged. Of all the sessions I attended at Elevate, the most memorable one was given by Nick Retzmann of vaibe, who demonstrated tools that enhance engagement through the gamification of tasks.

A stressed, demotivated or simply fed-up worker is likely to underperform one who is ‘buzzing’ to get to work and perform at their highest level, so empowering them to do so with the right tools makes good business sense. In an industry populated by businesses claiming they place a lot of emphasis on ESG, it’s reassuring to hear leaders from Körber discuss the mental health and general wellness of the users of the systems it produces.

Another shift over the past decade or so in the way supply chains are shaped has been the emergence of the warehouse as the primary point of contact for the customer. In the ‘old days’, a warehouse would store goods for distribution to shops, where all the customer-facing roles were located. In today’s modern supply chain, where omnichannel ordering is the norm and multiple fulfilment channels are offered as options, the warehouse has come out of the shadows and onto the front line. With goods going direct to customer, the role of the warehouse worker is also developing. “If you’ve just spent a significant amount of money on buying something online, the experience of opening that box should be the same experience as walking into a store,” adds Gregory. “You want the people on that packing bench taking care and attention to make sure that it is beautifully packaged and presented. But if you want people to take pride in their work, they have to feel proud of what they do. And for me, the focus on supporting rather than driving is how we get that.”

Evolving Supply Chains

Talking specifically about the Elevate event, Gregory says customers love the clarity and the value-add offerings displayed all around them and available to try out under the guidance of category experts. “For example, we’ve had huge interest in customers learning how to use our warehouse design and simulation tool, as they’re starting to think about how they need to evolve and adapt their supply chain. Having a digital twin is massive for them, and so is the raising of awareness of technologies such as voice and gamification and our new slotting tool, but how do we help them over the next three years to try and deliver incremental gains and benefits? As long as we know where we’re going, we can start injecting these technologies earlier into the projects to benefit our customers.

“Elevate is a user community, an opportunity to bring our customers together. Yes, we want to spend the time to update them on what we’re doing, but really the value for us is the networking that goes on without us. It’s also designed to make sure that we are getting the feedback firsthand about where the product needs to go. The teams have a very clear remit to come here to learn and listen and then bake that into the strategy for the year ahead.”

One thing I picked up walking around Elevate and talking to its key people is that there are a lot of good brains at Körber with tremendous knowledge and extraordinary levels of experience. With Körber helping its customers to attract and retain staff, I wonder what its secret is to keep its own good people. “We spend a lot of time in the early stages to make sure that we’ve got a good cultural and values-based fit before we bring anybody on board into the business,” Gregory tells me. “And then, once we’ve introduced them and made sure they understand their roles and responsibilities – particularly at the mid to senior level – we do our level best to get out of their way! The one thing that frustrates me in too many organisations is they hunt far and wide for brilliant, intelligent people that can bring a unique perspective into the business, and then they crush it by saying ‘…but this is the way we do it’. In the first nine months inside a business, the most value people can bring is to look at everything with a fresh pair of eyes. Then it’s about how to sustain that.

“The other area we focus on very heavily is getting the right blend between technical expertise and subject matter, knowledge and industry expertise. I’ve got a great delivery team with a really nice mix of incredibly bright, technical people who have come from industry. That is invaluable, and it’s also a way to prove our credibility when we’re sitting across the table with a tier one grocery retailer or an eCommerce provider. We can talk that language. We’re not a software company that lives in the clouds just sitting there writing amazing code.”

A software company peopled by people persons sounds like a mouthful, but that’s exactly the impression I got when coming away from Elevate 2024.

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The Critical Role of Technology in Supply Chain Resilience

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Over the past year, global supply chains have faced relentless disruptions across multiple fronts, writes Matt Gregory (pictured), Managing Director Northern Europe, Körber Supply Chain Software. Geopolitical tensions, including the prolonged U.S.-China trade disputes, have intensified pressure on supply networks. Meanwhile, natural disasters like Hurricane Helene and Milton have severely impacted transportation and logistics across the U.S. Compounding these issues, the residual effects of the pandemic and evolving health protocols continue to disrupt global shipping and exports, creating delays and unpredictability.

According to findings from Resilinc, overall disruptions in the first half of 2024 increased 30% over the first half of 2023. These combined challenges have exposed weaknesses in supply chains, demanding a more resilient and adaptive approach moving forward. As operational disruptions become more frequent and severe, integrating advanced technologies such as digital twins, IoT and predictive analytics can help companies anticipate, prepare for and adapt to these challenges. By leveraging these innovative tools, businesses can not only mitigate risks but also secure future growth and stability in an increasingly uncertain environment.

Adapting to Thrive

One key technology driving challenge mitigation is a digital twin. A digital twin is a virtual model that mirrors real-world processes, allowing companies to simulate everything from production schedules to transportation status and inventory levels. By doing so, it enables more informed decision-making, optimizing operations and improving overall efficiency. Digital twins also support predictive maintenance by continuously monitoring equipment performance. This proactive approach helps businesses prevent failures and minimize downtime. Moreover, real-time insights from digital twins allow companies to identify inefficiencies within the supply chain and respond swiftly to emerging issues.

Leading companies like Mars and Michelin have successfully integrated digital twin technology. Mars uses it to oversee production processes, preventing overfilling in factories, while Michelin leveraged 80,000 simulations for strategic sourcing, saving €10 million annually in logistics and boosting profit margins by 5%. By investing in digital twins and other technologies that provide real-time data and predictive capabilities, businesses can shift from reactive to proactive supply chain management. This not only builds resilience against disruptions but also prepares organizations to face future challenges with greater agility.

End-to-End Visibility

Achieving end-to-end visibility across supply chains allows businesses to track and monitor every step of the process in real time. With a clear view of operations, companies can make faster, more informed decisions that not only reduce risk but also lead to greater efficiency. This visibility supports cost management and fosters stronger relationships with partners, all while improving the overall customer experience.

IoT technology has become a critical tool for boosting visibility across supply chains. Through the enablement of real-time tracking, devices provide key insights into the movement and condition of goods, allowing businesses to quickly identify and resolve issues such as delays or quality concerns. This proactive approach ensures smoother operations and keeps the supply chain running seamlessly. In the case of extreme weather causing supply chain disruptions, companies with IoT-enabled tracking systems can re-route shipments in real time, minimising delays and maintaining customer satisfaction.

This level of visibility not only improves operational efficiency, but also enhances the overall resilience of the supply chain by enabling rapid response to unforeseen events. By harnessing IoT, organisations can make smarter, data-driven decisions that optimise not only their performance but also reduce vulnerabilities.

Predictive Analytics

Predictive analytics, powered by AI, is revolutionising supply chain management by enabling companies to anticipate demand and potential disruptions more accurately. This provides enhanced visibility and performance monitoring, allowing businesses to make data-driven decisions that align with their goals. By applying these insights, companies can gain a proactive edge, to help make informed decisions that can optimise their entire supply chain. For example, predictive analytics can forecast demand shifts, enabling businesses to adjust their inventory levels, reduce overstocking and avoid shortages. This can also optimise transportation routes or planned maintenance for equipment before failures occur, reducing downtime and inefficiencies.

The benefits of using predictive analytics across supply chains are endless. This can improve operational agility, allowing companies to respond faster to changes in market conditions, customer demand, or unforeseen disruptions. In addition, this helps businesses lower costs by reducing waste and improving resource allocation, which results in enhanced overall performance. Ultimately, this leads to a more resilient supply chain capable of not only managing risks but also capitalising on new opportunities and driving long-term success.

Looking Ahead

In a world increasingly defined by supply chain disruptions, technology integration is essential for building resilience. Digital twins, IoT and predictive analytics are powerful tools to help organisations maintain end-to-end visibility, enhance decision-making and respond proactively to challenges. By investing in these technologies, companies can strengthen their supply chains and achieve better resilience to meet demands and prepare for future uncertainties.

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Apparel Distributor Expands use of Robotics Solutions

Posted on by David Priestman

S&S Activewear, a leading apparel distributor, has announced the expansion of its partnership with Körber Supply Chain and the deployment of Geekplus robotics solutions at three warehouse sites across the Americas. The collaboration enables S&S to optimize on-site staff, order quality and delivery efficiencies to meet the surging demands of a rapidly evolving market.

“Innovation is a core tenet of S&S’s decades-long history in the apparel industry. Advancing our warehouse operations with Körber and Geekplus’s robotics and automation expertise has been a natural and impactful evolution in our technology journey,” said Brian Beale, CTO for S&S. “Our customers deserve a seamless experience from order to fulfillment and we’re excited about the increased efficiencies we’re already seeing through our collaboration with Körber.”

The partnership commenced with the deployment of 340 Geekplus robots at a single 750,000 sq. ft. S&S site in Lockport, Illinois, marking the largest collaboration in Körber’s robotics portfolio. This signifies a major commitment to pioneering solutions within the apparel industry.

“Warehouse solutions are a core area of Körber’s expertise, and we look forward to expanding our partnership with S&S,” said Sean Elliott, CTO and Acting CEO Software, Körber Business Area Supply Chain. “Our robotics offerings are designed to scale with the speed and size of business, optimizing warehouse operations so organizations can focus on value-driven activities to support the larger overall goals.”

A key aspect of this expansion is the implementation of Geekplus’s PopPick robotics solutions aimed at optimizing warehouse processes. These advanced robots play a crucial role in efficiently moving inventory stored in totes to pick stations. The system incorporates autonomous mobility and slotting of inventory, facilitating a seamless and efficient flow within the warehouse environment.
Since the inception of the partnership, S&S Activewear has witnessed impressive successes. The system, designed to support more than 4,500 lines per hour through 24 picking stations, has proven its effectiveness in enhancing speed and efficiency in warehouse operations, order fulfillment, and quality assurance.

“Our longstanding partnership with Körber has been crucial in bringing our revolutionary solutions to a wider audience,” said Randy Randolph, director of channel partner sales at Geekplus. “This deployment with S&S highlights the huge impact of our mobile robots in helping retailers meet the crush of e-commerce orders while improving quality and efficiency.”

Supply chains are growing more complex by the day. Körber uniquely provides a broad range of proven end-to-end solutions tailored to help manage the supply chain as a competitive advantage. Fitting any business size, strategy or industry, our customers conquer the complexity of the supply chain thanks to a portfolio of software, voice, and robotics solutions – plus the expertise to tie it all together.

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Körber in Gartner Magic Quadrant for WMS

Posted on by David Priestman

Körber, a global provider of warehouse management system (WMS) solutions, announced today that it has been positioned as a Leader for its Completeness of Vision and Ability to Execute in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Warehouse Management Systems report again this year.

Körber was also recently acknowledged in the 2023 Gartner® Peer Insights™ Voice of the Customer for Warehouse Management Systems (WMS). The ‘Voice of the Customer’ report, which aggregates user reviews into actionable insights, highlighted Körber with an overall rating of 4.6 out of 5 based on 41 reviews, with 95% of reviewers willing to recommend Körber as of 31st August 2023. Placed in the upper-right corner of the “Voice of the Customer” grid, Körber was recognized as a Gartner Peer Insights Customers’ Choice.

Körber provides a suite of end-to-end solutions spanning warehouse management, warehouse control, order management, robotics, voice and simulation to empower global businesses to further digitize and automate warehouses to meet today’s extensive supply chain pressures.

“More than 70% of companies state that their supply chain complexity has grown over the past year and more than 80% recognize the supply chain is mission critical,” said Sean Elliott, CTO Software, Körber Business Area Supply Chain. “We view our placement as a Leader in the Gartner® Magic QuadrantTM for Warehouse Management Systems as another milestone in our journey to enable companies to build and future-proof agile, efficient and resilient supply chains.”

As companies scramble to address rising consumer expectations, effective supply chain technology is of vital importance. Körber’s WMS solutions make it possible to meet and exceed their outcomes across all levels of complexity and scale, by catering to the unique needs of small businesses, global enterprises and third-party logistics providers, all driving to meet end consumer expectations. Körber’s comprehensive suite of supply chain solutions combine to ensure businesses have the technology at their fingertips to revolutionize the end-to-end supply chain–from source to doorstep delivery.

Examples include:
• Fabfitfun: US-based subscription business that deployed Körber’s WMS solution to manage enormous order volumes during multiple peak seasons each year.
• Les Grands Chais de France (LGCF): French wine exporting company relies on Körber’s WMS, Warehouse Control System (WCS), Voice and Gamification solutions to accelerate performance at 14 sites.
• Officeworks: Australian store chain offering office supplies, furniture and technology harnessed Körber’s WMS and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) to modernize their supply chain operations.
• REWE International: Austrian food and drugstore retailer deployed Körber’s WMS at 40 locations across Austria and Eastern Europe, bringing maximum flexibility to meet the grocery retail industry’s multi-layered demands.
• Titan Brands: American online retail company joined Körber to optimize the end customer experience through an integrated interplay of Körber’s WMS and Order Management System (OMS).

Supply chains are growing more complex by the day. Körber uniquely provides a broad range of proven end-to-end solutions tailored to help manage the supply chain as a competitive advantage. Fitting any business size, strategy or industry, our customers conquer the complexity of the supply chain thanks to our portfolio of software, voice, and robotics solutions – plus the expertise to tie it all together. Conquer supply chain complexity, with Körber.

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Transforming Ecommerce Warehouse

Posted on by David Priestman

Next day delivery is a logistical challenge that warehouses often require an upgrade to achieve. David Priestman visited such a facility in Birmingham.

BES are a plumbing, gas and heating trade supplier selling products and brands ranging from Bosch tools to Danfoss thermostats, Grohe taps to Grundfos pumps, Triton showers to Bostik glue. This inventory, in a 80,000 sq. ft. DC in central Birmingham, with 15000 SKUs and 1500 orders per day is a challenge in terms of suitable storage, picking and despatch. The company went from a paper-based operation to an automated voice and WMS solution in a project with Koerber Supply Chain.

The key benefits were: 15% reduction in total staff hours used; 43% increase in productivity; 88% reduction in training time for new staff; 50% reduction in staff needed to check orders after picking; 5 tonnes of paper saved per year (750,000 sheets) + printing costs; Pick-up times on collection orders reduced to 30 minutes

Flexible Solution Required

“We brought technology to the workplace,” Operations Manager Steve Standley told me. BES is a 45-year-old company and ecommerce took-off during covid. “Initially, for the extra orders, we just hired more staff. But that made us top-heavy for pick and pack. We needed to speed up and possibly reduce the head count,” he explained. The old system saw orders generate two copies of every despatch note. One went round the warehouse and one to the customer. There was a lot of walking involved as staff went round the facility to find and collect each item for an order. Having automated these processes considerable efficiencies have been made. BES upped staff pay and amended hours as well.

“It was a bit chicken and egg,” Standley said. “Should we introduce technology first or introduce efficient practises?” A new picking solution was required to help with the additional volumes. Installation, which commenced in March 2023 and was completed last August, needed to be done whilst order numbers continued to grow. “Testing was straightforward,” Standley recalls. “Training is easy. Showing new starters the aisle and stock locations is the main thing.”

Major customers order in big quantities. Plumbers purchase parts for regular jobs. Consumers buy items for home delivery. BES ship via DX for odd sized and large products (overnight via the DX network), DPD for regular parcels and Royal Mail for items under 2kg. The decision was made to divide the DC into four zones, accordingly, from bulk down to small, plus a VIP area. Workers now wheel a roll cage of small or medium totes to the appropriate zone to pick into up to 20 totes at a time, before returning to the loading area.

Order Prioritisation

Another challenge for the upgrade project was to reduce the time taken to pick items meant for collection by customers on-site to be halved, to just 30 minutes. Instead of printed orders being sifted through, the new picking system recognises the warehouse’s own postcode as the destination. “It then jumps to the front of the queue to pick immediately,” Standley informed. “It’s hard to get the balance between collection orders and ones for delivery. An unique balance is achieved.”

The new system includes Koerber WMS, voice tech, modules and middleware, plus the four Kardex Megamat carousels (pictured) that were already in use at the DC. The picker no longer needs to input part numbers on the carousel’s control panel. This is a no-touch solution thanks to the Koerber API ordering items in batches. Quite a lot of work was done by Koerber in achieving this interface. “We did have two staff per machine,” Standley continued, “now one person goes to it (and says ‘Ready’) when around 30 orders are ready. So they can go, pick elsewhere and come back. There’s less walking involved.”

What about fast-moving items and stock location? “We wanted accuracy. Quality was paramount.” Standley emphasised. “Phase 2 of the project will take us further, handling inbound products from suppliers and maybe having a dedicated area for fast-movers. We’re also looking at same-day delivery options.”

Read more here:

Find your Warehouse Rhythm

 

 

 

Future-proof Supply Chain Network

Posted on by David Priestman

LGCF, France’s leading wine exporting company, relies on Körber’s Warehouse Management System, Warehouse Control System, voice and gamification solutions to accelerate the performance at 14 logistics sites.

Active in 178 countries for a turnover of 1.3 billion euros in 2022, LGCF heads into the comprehensive modernization of its supply chain processes through the implementation of a Warehouse Management System (WMS) for all of its 14 sites and a Warehouse Contol System (WCS) for the automated sites at Petersbach (Alsace) and Landiras (Bordeaux). Adding to that, the company is also planning to introduce voice and gamification, showcasing the level of modernization it aims at.

LGCF is the world’s 5th largest wine exporter and addresses various objectives through this large-scale project: software-powered performance gains, improved supply chain resilience and reliability, and finally the introduction of both automated and labor engaging solutions in its warehouses. The transformation also contributes to solving a structural problem. The software used until then allowed little evolution, whereas Körber will enable an optimization of warehouse workflows, ongoing end-to-end support and, above all, solid expertise in introducing a new era of supply chain management at multiple locations.

Supply Chain Network

Several factors were decisive in bringing LGCF and Körber together. One reason is Körber’s broad expertise and unparalleled breadth and depth of supply chain solutions for the retail sector. “Commerce has been unpredictable the last three years, and yet customer expectations and the demand for performance remain high”, comments Ottavio Rivelli, SVP Sales & Operations Software South Europe at Körber Business Area Supply Chain. “Organizations must have technology that provides the agility and flexibility to adapt and respond to the market in consumer-oriented ways. We are therefore excited to accelerate the performance of LGCF’s national supply chain network – and help them bring their fulfilment strategy to the next level.”

“As the global modernization of our supply chain processes is a major project, we look forward to partnering with Körber for several reasons,” explains Eric Marseglia, Head of Industrial IT & Logistics LGCF. “On the one hand, we are anticipating a thoroughly planned transition without interruption for our business. On the other hand, we aim higher than mere collaboration by building a strong long-term partnership for the strategic decisions to be made. Another benefit lies in the system architecture to be built, ensuring that integrated workflows will guarantee continuity in the production chain; i.e. total 24/7 system availability – for the sake of our customers.”

The project is expected to start in June 2024 with the installation of four sites by Körber, the remaining ten will be handled by GCF. The overall modernization undertaking is expected to be completed before the end of the first half of 2026.

Supply chains are growing more complex by the day. Körber provides a broad range of proven end-to-end solutions tailored to help manage the supply chain as a competitive advantage. Fitting any business size, strategy or industry, its customers conquer the complexity of the supply chain thanks to a portfolio of software, voice, and robotics solutions – plus the expertise to tie it all together.

Find your Warehouse Rhythm

Posted on by David Priestman

Koerber Supply Chain’s ‘Elevate’ event in Prague was an opportunity to discover how software and technology address the unprecedented complexity in logistics. David Priestman reports.
End-to-end connectivity, digitization and visibility are the goals for many supply chain managers. Multinational corporations generally consider supply chains to be ‘mission critical’ nowadays. A supply chain is a collaborative function, but only as strong as its weakest link. While major suppliers like Koerber provide warehouse automation, warehouse management software (WMS), order management systems (OMS) and much more, however, it is estimated that one third of warehouses still operate manually.

Michael Brandl, Executive VP EMEA for Koerber Supply Chain, told the conference that the company’s objective is to become the global supply chain management (SCM) leader. Reporting a revenue increase of 27%, 117 new customers and a 20% rise in staff over the last year, he is bullish, unveiling two new product lines: Transport Spend Optimisation and OMS. Emphasizing the importance of adaptability, reliability, speed and cost in project management, he forecasts further growth in retail micro-fulfilment, challenges in recruiting and retaining warehouse workers and a need to improve environmental, social and governance (ESG) outcomes for customers. A ‘unified control system’ to orchestrate and optimise supply chain technology, IT and staff is Brandl’s vision.

More than a Game

“Koerber aim to help our customers keep their consumers happy and be repeat buyers,” Sean Elliott, EVP and Chief Technology Officer told me. “The line between success and failure is as thin as a cardboard box.”

One new concept is supply chain ‘gamification’. Koerber, together with Vaibe, provides a solution based on success psychology and reward recognition, comprising game-design elements in the workplace and incorporates rewards, challenges, leader-boards and feedback. “How do I make work a game?” Elliott said. “If people have fun they work harder. The more gamification there is in workers’ experience the more engaged the staff are.” This could reduce absenteeism and increase retention rates. It can be integrated into any application – such as in voice-directed technology, where staff much prefer to be hands-free and have less screen time.

“We are not a house of brands,” Anton Du Preez, EVP Sales EMEA stated. After a plethora of acquisitions, which might not be complete, including HighJump, Inconso, Voiteq, Cirrus, Aberle, Langhammer, Univeyor, Efacec and Siemens’ parcel conveyors, the Koerber name is the only one used, specifically Koerber Supply Chain. “We intend to be a supply chain champion globally,” he declared. The company is looking to extend its software offerings to include planning and more TMS (transport management). “We help move boxes, so planning and transport are key areas of interest to us,” Du Preez said.

Orchestration Conquers Complexity

Supply chains have become more complex in recent years and there are many ways in which that is being tackled: nearshoring, increasing inventory, ‘Just-in-case’ instead of JIT, better energy and natural resource management, optimising packaging use and structural changes to reduce the demand for labour.

“If you’re not investing in robots now you’re already behind the market,” Du Preez declared. Robots typically are replacing unavailable staff, he explained; the ones warehouses cannot find to hire, rather than existing staff. “Warehouse employees enjoy working with bots and automation improves safety,” he added. “There will be consolidation in AMRs and robots. While there’s a need for a variety of types of robot the advantage of the integrator is that they have all the capability and can choose the best subsystem technology, then orchestrate it.”

I asked Du Preez to comment on other key trends in automation. “How to go higher, more vertical is one. The space above 2m is under-used. We can solve this with our solution and robotics. Another issue is the friction between WMS and TMS. Which has priority when an order comes in?” Koerber is trying to find faster outcomes and responsiveness. The company’s IT solutions create demand for its automated materials handling products and vice-versa. “All large projects need software,” he told me, “we have the first referral for the automation.”

What about the notion of the ‘dark warehouse’? “It can work in specific use cases, but I’ve yet to see it going mainstream,” Du Preez responded. “It’s a niche. You run into the challenge of fixed automation and a long ROI. What if there are big changes necessary? You could have too rigid a solution. AMRs are more flexible. We can move the bots to a new site. Not having a ‘warehouse manager’ isn’t practical.”

Elliott added more detail to the concept of ‘orchestration’. “With AMR 1.0 most vendors have a variation in travel time. Orchestration is version 2.0 – dwell time is optimised. How does software make humans work better? What’s the waiting time? When does it make sense to use different brands? One AMR can be better for high SKU DCs, one for low. The integrator is neutral, so as to make the fleet better. Complex sites with multiple warehouse control systems (WCS) not communicating can be improved with one WCS from us. This provides visibility, for example if there’s a blockage we stop the next process.”

Tech Trends

Will conveyors continue to play a key role in warehousing? “The volumes to move around are huge, that would take a lot of robots to move it, especially for pallets and with the collision systems in place,” Du Preez explained. “Conveyors can have just inch gaps, rather than metres. They provide scalability and do the heavy moving. So conveyor usage will continue, but using fewer spurs to the aisles, where the AMRs are good. A ‘stabilisation of conveyance’ will happen. Table-top bots provide an alternative to some sortation and specialist sorters like tilt-tray and shoe-sorters are expensive and not so scalable.”

Koerber’s spokespeople expressed interest in new technologies such as gripper robotics and vision tech. AI, of course, is high on the agenda. It will be utilised in many forms and places. “We must give customers immediate value, for example by using AI for slotting (where to store each product), then expand it product-by-product,” Elliott told me. “Generative AI can query the WMS.”
“AMRs are in a ‘hype cycle’ right now,” Du Preez continued. Koerber have been integrating them for five years. They do what’s necessary, achieving throughput efficiency and we have high confidence in them. There has been a gold rush of entrants to the AMR market so we can evaluate the case studies. But it’s not a big value-add. They have been commoditised, software is more important. AMRs are never used in isolation. The DC is a flow, you have to take into account the whole solution. Dwell time is the key KPI.”

Cost per pick is the value proposition that Koerber are putting forward. “A Unified Control System (UCS) is critical,” Elliott concluded. “Technology solves each piece of the project, but that can lead to fragmentation without a UCS. Customers have the all-consuming job of running their facility. We need a healthy ecosystem of tech and the implementation.”

Delivering WMS Advantages

Posted on by David Priestman

Sainsbury’s wanted to select and install a new WMS, then self-manage it. Learn how the retail giant achieved that goal.

Changing core processes, technology or operations can be disruptive to supply chains but is often a necessary evil. J Sainsbury’s plc, the UK’s number two food supermarket chain with a 15% market share, owns the formerly catalogue-based general merchandise brand Argos, as well as Habitat homewares and the Tu clothing range. With 1400 stores and over 150,000 staff it has grown exponentially from its Victorian foundations.

Simon Frodsham, Sainsbury’s Head of Engineering, and Chris Gaunt, Head of Product, gave an enlightening use-case presentation of the project at Körber’s recent Elevate conference in Prague. Together they explained the rationale for change. Previously the group had several WMS products in use and ageing warehouses. The company wanted to have in-house capability for the new WMS, to have something that was easy to upgrade and that could handle any product anywhere in the supply chain, food or non-food. It had to be brand-agnostic, flexible and help improve the availability of in-store stock.

Selection Process

A broad selection of WMS vendors were invited to tender. Sainsbury’s demanded a new WMS to be functional, to align with other technology in use (e.g. ERP), be able to handle the vast volume of products, provide the best service and support, cloud-based and integrate with the existing supply chain ‘ecosystem’. The business relationship was key, Gaunt and Frodsham explained, as well as the total cost of ownership. Ultimately the company chose Körber’s ‘Warehouse Advantage’ (WA) product for Argos’ Local Fulfilment Centres and depots (LFC) in March 2021.

Sainsbury’s supply chain sees 13,000 deliveries made per week across 200 countrywide postcode locations. In addition, consumer shoppers are able to collect parcels or drop-off returns at supermarkets and Sainsbury’s Local stores. Having bought WA from Körber the retail giant decided to run it themselves. But this required hiring new employees and training large teams, which took time. The decision was taken to partner with a niche integrator, iWMS, for the first implementation.

The project was delivered on time, with new pick, label and sorting features. Processes that were improved included order status, integration to tracking, stock management and the real-time allocation of order fulfilment. Having used Körber’s (formerly Voiteq) voice-directed systems for 20 years it made sense to continue using the ‘One Voice’ platform as a core technology in all the LFCs. “It’s a really successful collaboration,” said Gaunt. “Warehouse Advantage is flexible. It was a complex integration and is an evolving operation. We are iterating ways of working with it.”
The Sainsbury’s team are now predominantly independently running the WMS, with some outside support. Next year will see new and existing LFC sites adopt WA as it rolls out across the logistical network, including at a national depot which is able to deliver nationwide within 5 hours. This national depot handles general merchandise (non-food) for any of the group’s retail outlets. “We wouldn’t have decided to do that if we weren’t satisfied,” Frodsham stated.

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