The Customer
Hawesko Group is one of Europe’s largest distributors of premium wine and champagne. With operations in Germany, its facilities handle over 20 million bottles annually. Through its retail, wholesale, and e-commerce divisions, Hawesko maintains its leadership by ensuring exceptional quality and efficient delivery standards for its vast customer base.
The Challenge
Hawesko faced several pressing challenges that threatened its operational efficiency and ability to meet increasing demands in a competitive e-commerce environment:
- Growing E-commerce Demands: Rapid growth in online retail required faster order fulfillment to exceed customer expectations.
- Limited Warehouse Efficiency: Hawesko’s existing manual systems struggled to keep up with increasing order volumes, causing operational bottlenecks.
- Space Restrictions: Expanding warehouses without disrupting current operations was a logistical challenge.
- Scalability: The company needed a solution that could support ongoing growth and seasonal fluctuations in demand.
Our Solution
- Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs): 21 robots were deployed to optimize and automate picking operations across a 6,000-square-meter warehouse space.
- Warehouse Expansion and Optimization: The expanded facility included 330 shelves, maximizing storage capacity and accommodating growth.
- Software Integration: Körber's advanced Warehouse Management System (WMS) acted as the central hub, seamlessly coordinating operations. Coupled with Geek+ robots, the Unified Control System (UCS) further enhanced automation and communication efficiency.
- Flexibility and Scalability: The system allowed for the potential addition of up to 100 more shelves in the future, enabling Hawesko to store 40,000 additional items.
The Geekplus impact
The integration of Geek+ automation and Körber’s software solutions delivered impressive results for Hawesko's facility operations:
- 50% Increase in Warehouse Efficiency: Optimized workflows significantly boosted overall productivity.
- Double Picking Performance: Enhanced automation allowed operators to complete order picking faster and with greater precision.
- Improved Space Utilization: Storage area efficiency increased by 30%, facilitating better inventory management.
- Cost-effective Scalability: The solution was cost-efficient and positioned Hawesko for seamless expansion, accommodating seasonal and long-term growth.
"Through our collaboration with Geek+ and Körber, we have revolutionized our warehouse operations, achieving remarkable efficiency and precision. This automation has equipped us to meet e-commerce demands now and into the future, enabling us to provide superior service to our customers."
Frederick Paulsen, Project Manager, IWL Logistics for Hawesko
Video
