Subscribe

Tag: Koerber

NEXT DC gets Rail Guided Vehicles

Posted on by David Priestman

The global clothing and home products retailer, NEXT, has modernized its supply chain operations by joining forces with Körber Supply Chain. After a successful partnership through ten years, a nearly 2-kilometer Rail Guided Vehicles (RGVs) track will now ensure seamless transportation of products between two warehouses in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, UK.

Starting their partnership in 2011, Körber and NEXT Doncaster have consistently worked on enhancing NEXT’s Home business operations. Their journey began with an innovative storage solution for sofas and space for 27,000 pallets. Over time, they have added advanced conveyor systems, set up a new Distribution Centre, while their latest addition is an RGV system paired with modern monitoring software. Each venture has been a strategic move to modernize NEXT’s supply chain operations.

“Our objective is to drive down overall costs, minimize the risk of product damage, and secure efficiency and competitiveness within a dynamic market landscape. Upholding stringent operational standards within our warehouses is paramount for sustaining a profitable business model in today’s market. The decision to modernize our warehouses through automation, a journey we began with Körber back in 2011, became imperative,” explains Ryan Loska, Engineering Manager at NEXT Doncaster.

Expertise bolsters operations

To facilitate future growth, NEXT has opted for a turnkey solution from Körber Supply Chain – featuring the integration of Rail Guided Vehicles (RGVs) within its warehouse infrastructure. This automated logistics system is designed to streamline supply and routing processes while meeting the capacity to manage sizeable home furniture and carry it substantial distances to designated storage and outbound locations. It is a critical facet in the operations of a global clothing and home products retailer.

“Our selection of Körber as a collaborative partner was rooted in their well-established industry expertise and capability to provide an integrated pallet handling solution adapted to our products. Since incorporating the RGVs, the system’s energy efficiency has reduced operational expenses and reinforced our overall business resilience. It enables efficient transportation of goods within the warehouse, while the storage system helps us keep track of what is always in stock. All of which is essential for our business,” added Loska.

The transportation system integrates two warehouses, which are linked by a track spanning approximately 1.5 kilometres. The system incorporates 81 RGVs for seamless transportation of products.

Modernizing supply chain operations

With the advancements within automated supply chains, finding the most suitable solutions to enhance supply chain efficiency is crucial. Körber Supply Chain’s core priority is to support businesses with cutting-edge logistics solutions that create vital value for growth and accommodate the issues the customer faces.

“Our mission revolves around equipping companies with resilient and future-proof logistics solutions. Therefore, we are proud to be part of NEXT’s aspirations towards establishing a more sustainable business model, working in collaboration with them to achieve greater robustness and efficiency in their system through automation. The outcome is a solution that caters to immediate operational needs while proactively anticipating future challenges, which is crucial in the modern market,” says Renata Pinedo, UK General Manager at Körber Supply Chain.

Supply chains are growing more complex by the day. Körber provides a broad range of proven, end-to-end supply chain solutions fitting any business size, strategy, or appetite for growth. Their customers conquer the complexity of the supply chain thanks to Körber’s portfolio, which includes software, automation, mail and parcel solutions, voice solutions, robotics, and materials handling – plus the expertise to tie it all together. Körber helps to manage the supply chain as a competitive advantage. The Business Area Supply Chain is part of the global technology group Körber.

Körber to Unveil Solutions at Elevate EMEA

Posted on by David Priestman

Körber is set to welcome customers, prospects and partners at Körber Elevate EMEA on 26-27 September in Prague, Czech Republic. Attendees will explore cutting-edge technologies, gain insights from industry visionaries and participate in dynamic discussions. This forum will focus on the most pressing challenges in the supply chain industry.

“There is no better time to talk about the state of the industry and the challenges we need to address heads-on,” said Michael Brandl, EVP Operations Software EMEA at Körber Business Area Supply Chain. “According to the Körber 2023 State of Complexity Survey, 71 percent of supply chain professionals say that supply chain operations have become more complex in 2022, with only one in five able to stay ahead of their most pressing challenges. Labor challenges, integration issues and rising consumer expectations in terms of speed, cost or adaptability are proof that supply chain complexity is here to stay.”

More than 250 global supply chain experts are expected to attend Körber Elevate EMEA 2023. As part of the global Elevate thought leadership event series, the EMEA event will feature keynote speeches, break-out sessions, Ask the Expert areas and product demonstrations. Embedded into its technology vision, Körber – a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Warehouse Management Systems – will showcase how its integrated platform enables organisations to do more with their data and simplify architectures to holistically optimise their operations. Attendees will learn about new advances in the rapidly evolving areas of technology integration, workforce engagement and gamification. Product updates are supported by customer stories covering the full range of Körber’s supply chain solutions – including warehouse management, warehouse control, transportation management, robotics, voice and simulation – with new solutions being introduced to the European market during the event.

“Körber Elevate EMEA is the supply chain event of the year, and we have a unique opportunity to unite the entire digital supply chain and empower our customers and partners to collaborate and transform their businesses with Körber,” said Sean Elliott, CTO Software at Körber Business Area Supply Chain. “This year, we’re unveiling a new era of product innovations that drive technology integration and supply chain collaboration.”

More than 4,500 customer sites worldwide are transforming their supply chains with Kӧrber. Key successes in Europe showcased at the event include:

• Sainsbury’s collaboration with Körber and iWMS to leverage Körber’s warehouse management and voice solution to positively impact their customers and employees
• Tchibo, one of Germany’s largest retailers, demonstrating how they are managing end-to-end omnichannel logistics with Körber’s WMS, WCS, TMS and DOM
• Sonepar dives deep into the benefits of a unified software landscape for holistic supply chain optimisation, maximum visibility and improved last-mile operations (WMS, TMS, POD)

Registration is open throughout September. Logistics Business will be attending.

New Körber CFO of Supply Chain Software

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Körber announces the promotion of Jason Russell, Executive Vice President Strategy & Corporate Development, to the position of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Körber Business Unit Supply Chain Software. This internal advancement reflects the company’s commitment to recognizing and nurturing talent from within its ranks, marking a significant milestone in Russell’s career journey with Körber.

Having joined Körber in June 2022 as Executive Vice President of Strategy & Corporate Development, Russell has consistently demonstrated a passion for excellence, a keen understanding of the industry and an unwavering dedication to the company’s mission. With a proven track record of driving success, he has played a pivotal role in shaping the organization’s strategies, bolstering operational efficiency and fostering a culture of innovation.

As the newly appointed CFO, Russell assumes a critical leadership role in charting the financial trajectory of Körber’s supply chain software business in a dynamic and ever-evolving market. Leveraging his deep understanding of the company’s values and operations, Russell will be instrumental in driving strategic financial planning, optimizing resource allocation and growth, and enhancing shareholder value.

Chad Collins, Chief Executive Officer Software of Körber Business Area Supply Chain, added, “Körber firmly believes in investing in its employees’ growth and development. It is a fundamental aspect of our ongoing success. The promotion of Jason Russell is a testament to the organization’s commitment to recognize talent from within. We foster a culture of loyalty and dedication among our workforce and remain committed to establishing a work environment that encourages employee growth and advancement.”

Russell said, “I am beyond excited to continue my journey here at Körber. While only being with the company for a short time, I’ve recognized the unique mission that drives Körber and its employees. Customer prioritization, strong culture and a passion for innovation contribute to our success as a company. Körber distinguishes itself in the industry by putting its core values ahead of all else, making this an ideal environment to work.”

Körber Achieves Zebra Technologies Validation

Posted on by David Priestman

Körber has announced it has successfully completed Zebra Technologies’ Solution Validation Program for its Körber One Voice platform, which orchestrates voice-directed workflows for all warehouse operations using Zebra’s Android devices to improve productivity. This designation indicates to customers and partners that Körber’s voice solution meets Zebra’s high standards for
performance and functionality with the company’s mobile computers.

Zebra is a leading digital solution provider enabling businesses to intelligently connect data, assets, and people. Körber is part of the award-winning Zebra® PartnerConnect program.

Hiring and retaining labour is one of the biggest challenges for supply chain operations today. Billions are lost annually to disengaged people in manual warehouse areas. These dynamics require a constant evaluation of workflows and warehouse technology.

“Working closely with Zebra engineering teams, we have tested the interoperability of Körber’s voice solution with select products, including Zebra’s TC52AX and TC57 mobile computers,” said Dan LeBlanc, Director Product Partnerships at Körber Business Area Supply Chain. “This ensures customers that our application meets their needs and reduces both the risk and the deployment time for them.”

Technologies such as voice play a key role by not only making many warehouse tasks safer, but by also making operations significantly more productive. Körber’s voice technology is intuitive by nature, can adapt to unique user language inflections and has achieved productivity gains of up to 35%, accuracy improvements up to 85%, and training time reductions up to 50%.

“Körber has been a global voice leader for many years, delivering market-leading voice and warehouse management system solutions,” said Daniel Dombach, Industry Solutions Director EMEA, Zebra Technologies. “Our Android-based voice-enabled mobile devices empower Körber to continue its voice market leadership, delivering cost effective solutions for customers.”

Zebra’s Enterprise Testing Program enables eligible channel partners to test the interoperability of their software and hardware solutions with select Zebra mobile computers, scanners, printers, radio frequency identification (RFID) solutions and software products, to meet user application-specific needs.

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.

Körber and Hai Robotics Enter Strategic Partnership

Posted on by David Priestman

Körber, an international technology group, is entering into a strategic partnership with Hai Robotics (“Hai”)— a leading provider of intelligent automated warehouse solution. The partnership allows Körber to offer Hai Robotics’ products as part of its solutions globally, particularly Hai’s industry-leading autonomous case-handling robots (ACR).

Since 2016, Körber has remained active in establishing strategic partnerships for the integration of mobile robotic solutions. With Hai Robotics’ ACR systems, operators can automate their warehouses within very short lead times. Warehouse operation efficiency will also increase by three to four times, and storage density by 80% to 400% respectively. The Körber portfolio consists of a mix between its own products and that from third party suppliers. This technology-agnostic approach allows supply chain experts to implement optimal and individualized solutions for their customers.

“As one of the leading integrators of automated intralogistics solutions, the Körber Supply Chain Business Area is always searching for new and innovative partners to ensure that customers are getting the best solutions”, said Michiel Veenman, Vice President of Körber Fulfilment Solutions. “We believe the solutions from Hai Robotics are sufficiently different from some of the other offerings in the market, thus making it a good addition to our portfolio.”

“From increasing costs to scarce labor, alongside intense developments in mobile robotic solutions, logistic operators are constantly under the pressure to meet stakeholder demands,” said Kane Luo, Vice President of International Business Center at Hai Robotics. “Our continued dedication to flexible automation has already provided clients with the efficiency required to fuel warehouse activity, and we are excited to continue such through our partnership with Körber. Through this partnership, both Hai’s and Körbers’ position as industry pioneers will be further strengthened.”

Hai Robotics, a leading global provider of Autonomous Case-handling Robot (ACR) systems, is committed to providing flexible, intelligent, and efficient warehouse automation solutions through robotics technology and AI algorithms. The HaiPick solution, independently developed in 2015, is the world’s first ever ACR solution. Hai Robotics is a global enterprise that has more than 1,000 projects worldwide and serves customers from more than 30 countries and regions. We have offices to cover the United States, Europe, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia and Australia. We strive to combine global experience with local expertise to provide our customers with tailored, quality solutions.

REPORT: Rise of E-commerce and Returns Culture

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Körber’s 2023 State of Shipping and Returns Survey reveals that 70% of e-commerce consumers have experienced a delayed online order in the last six months, affecting their overall view of the brand.

Consumer behaviour, preferences and expectations continue to challenge manufacturers, retailers and 3PLs alike. Körber’s 2023 State of Shipping and Returns survey finds that 90% of respondents are less likely to buy from a brand again after a poor online shopping experience, while 29% say they are increasingly willing to share a negative review online. These are among the central findings from online shoppers in 2023.

The recent survey gathered insights from 2,200 consumers across eight global regions on their post-purchase experience between the moment they click the “buy” button and when the product reaches their doorstep. A significant number of consumers (70%) experienced shipping delays without any reason provided for the delay (35%). With consumers looking for speed and convenience as the deciding factors when they purchase online, these delays drive customer dissatisfaction and affect brand decisions.

“Customer expectations have only grown more complicated post-COVID,” explained Chad Collins, CEO Software at Körber Business Area Supply Chain. “Körber’s latest research reveals that a good shopping experience can make a loyal customer for life. On the contrary, a poor experience can leave a wake of destruction. The importance of a frictionless customer experience cannot be emphasised enough. Brands need seamlessly integrated technologies to overcome these challenges and ensure that consumer expectations are met.”

One area of opportunity for businesses is enhancing shipping visibility and accountability to help avoid unexpected delays. And when delays invariably occur, have a plan in place for customer communication to update expectations and provide potential appeasement to create customer loyalty. 38% of consumers were not offered any compensation, refund or discounts on their recent delayed order, yet 83% indicated that is important to them.

Körber’s 2023 State of Shipping and Returns Survey looked at changing consumer expectations and what drives customer satisfaction. In February 2023, Körber polled 2,200 consumers across the US, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Germany, France and the UK.

CLICK HERE to access the full report.

 

Turnkey Solution de-palletizing Pallets to Trays

Posted on by David Priestman

With the launch of a new de-palletization system, Körber Supply Chain claims to be the first supplier of automated logistics solutions to offer a total turnkey solution for the separation of goods from pallet to tray. The goal is to fully automate and eliminate risks and sudden downtime in the sorting process.

New research shows that sudden stops and interruptions in the supply chain are the biggest concern for almost 90% of the companies surveyed within among others retail trade, consumer goods, and industrial production. This is one of the reasons why close to half of these companies expect to increase investments in strengthening their supply chain – including technology that ensures increased flexibility, transparency, and an overview.

To meet the market’s challenges, Körber Supply Chain has now, as the first supplier in the industry, developed a total solution to manage the sorting of products from pallets to trays. The solution is called Downstream. It is a de-palletizing system that separates each pallet layer into individual items, which can be turned and tilted to fit into trays and prepared for further distribution through a conveyor belt.

It is not straightforward to break down pallets into trays in a fully automated solution with the large variety of products handled by many companies. The overview is lost, when one mistake results in sudden downtime, creating an inefficient sorting process. Therefore, a reliable and durable automated logistics system was needed, which ensures higher productivity and stability and is future-proof in relation to new products, says René Kahr, Product Manager at Körber Supply Chain.

A complex operation in a simple system

The pallet to tray solution has been part of Körber Supply Chain’s portfolio for a few years, but the new version is a natural development by the tech company. The latest version is more intuitive and adaptable, thus decreasing potential downtime in the process. De-palletizing from pallet to tray is not affected by unique product packaging designs, slip sheets, or changes in the assortment, which are otherwise the classic culprits for errors and downtime.

When there are changes in packaging and assortments, problems arise in automated logistics. We now make the complex easy, and our system effortlessly sorts a pallet into smaller packages for distribution. In addition, the system can be integrated into other integrator solutions, while our software can be adapted to the individual distribution center’s quantities and sizes, explains René Kahr.

He explains that Downstream is estimated to be able to sort up to 2,400 items per hour, with sorted packages being redistributed and loaded onto a tray with one to six items on each tray.

The new solution builds on digital enablement

At Körber Supply Chain, one of the main goals is “digital enablement”. The goal is to help companies improve productivity and operations by implementing digital solutions. The pallet to tray solution is an AI-based solution that, with data tracking of the individual products throughout the entire process, 100% automatically transforms whole pallets into separate items on trays without manual intervention. The objective is to help to move companies towards a much more efficient operation.

There doesn’t exist a turnkey solution on the market about the redistribution from pallet to tray. With the new Downstream, we are closing that gap. It will help optimize operations, save resources, and remove uncertainty in an automated logistics process at distribution centers. The solution has already been sold to some of the leading players, so we know there is a need for the solution in several markets. The potential is high, says Ralph Korsbæk, Head of Sales of Product Solutions at Körber Supply Chain.

Subscribe

Get notified about New Episodes of our Podcast, New Magazine Issues and stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter.