The world’s best loved candle and largest manufacturer of scented candles extends its state of the art picking system to increase distribution capacity following the move to the new European Headquarters in Avonmouth.
Yankee Candle® Europe relocated its new premises in June 2012 to accommodate its plan for future growth of the business. The increased warehouse facilities enables higher levels of stock to be held onsite, increased volume of orders to be dispatched for retail outlets, export customers and a growing online business. The move also enables the company to avoid the additional cost of off-site storage.
Having installed the original highly customised ‘flexible zone’ pick-to-light system in the previous building, to improve picking efficiency and reduce picking errors, SSI Schaefer were contracted back to extend the system to accommodate the new warehouse and increased distribution at the new site.
In just one month, SSI Schaefer dismantled the existing zone picking system made up of carton live storage, pick-by-light picking and conveyor-based carton sortation, transported it to the new DC and reinstalled it in conjunction with a complete reconfiguration and extension. At 175,000 square feet, this new DC is almost three times the size of the original facility and the addition extra pallet positions has significantly increased storage capacity.
There are now more picking locations in the carton live storage, an additional full case ‘pick to belt conveyor’, additional ‘sort-to-route’ sortation lanes for completed orders and separate shipping carton feeds from two zone picking areas. The whole system has also been given a complete software overhaul including additional interfaces to contract carriers’ systems.
Bruce Mitchell, Operations Manager, Yankee Candle® Europe, said: “SSI Schaefer ensured the movement of the picking system to our new DC in Avonmouth was accomplished without a hitch.
“The additional full case picking functionality provided by the extended system has considerably speeded up our operation, enabling us to more tightly control our picking and wave management. We now have a system which is future-proof and flexible enough to accommodate further expansion when needed.”
The extended automated system which includes additional sortation capability and a new automated full case picking area has and will enable Yankee Candle® Europe to continue increasing its throughput efficiency of the picking operation and accommodate with ease, future requirements of its growing internet business.
SSI Schaefer is the UK and world’s leading provider of automated materials handling equipment and integrated storage solutions with a product offering ranging from a single plastic tote through to high bay warehousing systems and almost everything in between – all of its own manufacture.
A global company with a local presence, SSI Schaefer is a solutions provider that offers unrivalled in-house expertise in the design, build, installation and maintenance of major, and often bespoke, production and distribution centre operations across a broad spectrum of commercial and industrial sectors.
SSI Schaefer
Tel: 01264 386600
Email: solutions@ssi-schaefer.co.uk
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