DHL Supply Chain Implements Automated Warehouse Picking System

DHL Supply Chain, Deutsche Post DHL Group’s specialist contract logistics division and long-standing logistics partner of 1-2-3.tv, has now implemented Europe's first fully automated Autostore logistics system in Braunschweig, Germany.

This compact storage and retrieval system enables optimized space-saving storage of small parts and fully automatic picking of up to 18 million items per year.

Working alongside with the employees on site, the system increases the processing speed of each individual order, optimizes processes for employees and improves operational efficiency.

Eberhard Kuom, Executive Vice President Finance and Operations at 1-2-3.tv explains: “Our company has already invested heavily in lean processes and sustainable automation in the past.

"With the introduction of the flexible and modular robotic solution from Autostore, we are building on the strong growth realized in recent years, optimizing our logistics processes sustainably, and are therefore ideally equipped for future growth."

In this way, the wide variety of offers can be represented more effectively, while maximizing capacity utilization at the storage location.

The Autostore solution supplied by Element Logic consists of an aluminum frame in which the current inventory is stacked and stored over 16 levels in more than 40,000 plastic containers.

Lars Jensen to Moderate the Future of Logistics Conference Part 2

The top floor serves as a route for the robots, 26 of which are deployed in the 1-2-3.tv warehouse in Braunschweig alone, where they automatically pick the ordered goods and group them for further processing by the employees.

The goods are placed in the respective package for the customer order on a dispatch and transport system, automatically sealed and then dispatched.

Following 1-2-3.tv’s recent investment in order acceptance processes and the digitalization of its entire supply chain, this solution represents the company’s third optimization step along its process chain.

Andreas Bicking, Business Unit Director e-Commerce DHL Supply Chain Germany & Alps says: “We are pleased that this automated solution will allow us to further strengthen our trust-based cooperation with our long-standing customer 1-2-3.tv, and to invest in a successful future together.

"Thanks to the Autostore system, we have continuous inventory control and can achieve high efficiency in storage and retrieval, so that customer orders can be processed quickly and reliably.

"In addition, the logistics solution relieves our employees on site by shortening walking distances. Most importantly, they are now able to focus their energies on more demanding activities in other areas on site.”

For DHL Supply Chain, this implementation is another important building block in the ongoing realization of its automation and digitalization strategy for continuous improvement in operations.

As part of a broader, commercially viable technology portfolio, these goods-to-person robots are playing an increasingly important role in the contract logistics provider's strategy.

Read More: DHL Purchases 33 Million Litres of Sustainable Aviation Fuel