Streamline order preparation to increase warehouse throughput

About AS Healthcare

AS Healthcare is part of Bertelsmann, an international services and communications group, which focuses its business activities on outsourcing services for managing customer relations. Present in more than 50 countries, the Bertelsmann group is family based and continually adapts to technological breakthroughs to offer its customers advanced services worldwide.

The AS Healthcare division

In 2000, Arvato created the Healthcare division (AS Healthcare), from which it offers specialized services and technology for the healthcare sector to improve patient relations.

AS Healthcare在尚特洛普-恩布裏擁有占地4.45英畝的物流平台，每年發送70萬份訂單。

Needs and the proposed solution

Order preparation constitutes a decisive aspect for a company like AS Healthcare.

企業必須提供高質量的服務，這使其能夠滿意地處理其收到的大量訂單，使用許多不同的SKU和較短的準備時間，而不管產品的大小或重量。

Orders received must be sent to the hospitals, health centers and pharmacies on the same day.

To do this, and after thoroughly examining the needs of the company, they opted to automate a portion of the order preparation process via a conveyor circuit with rollers. Automation guarantees efficient picking, as well as logistics cost savings and decreased error rates.

The conveyor circuit is the heart of the installation, which was supplemented with carton flow racking that incorporates the pick-to-light system, pallet racking and an ample consolidation, sorting and dispatch area for goods.

Picking area: 1,312 ft of conveyors with pick-to-light

訂單履行區域由兩個紙箱流動貨架塊組成，用於高消耗產品的提貨到照明係統的箱子，以及一個穿過貨架直到到達整合區域的輸送回路。

The goods are introduced into the higher end of each racking level, which is slightly inclined so that the box moves via gravity flow to the opposite end, which faces the outbound or preparation aisle. Each three level high rack is divided into multiple channels equipped with the pick-to-light system, which visually indicates the pick-up position and the quantity of SKUs the operator must extract for each order. Once the products are selected and placed into the box, the operator presses a button and confirms the performed operation.

自動輸送機穿過機架內部。手動輸送機安裝在機架外部，並與機架平行，機架用作準備台。

When orders are completed, they are pushed onto the first conveyor and move to the sorting/consolidation zone.

In the upper part of the racks and on the side of the replenishment aisle, various levels for storing pallets with reserves of the products located in the carton flow channels were set up.

Consolidation area

In this area, operators pack, verify and prepare packing lists, while they issue and stick shipping labels to the orders.

為了完成這項工作，這裏有不同尺寸的包裝箱、準備台、電腦和打印機。在電路的末尾，訂單被分為多個通道，分配給不同的客戶或配送路線。之後，他們將箱子放在運輸托盤上，在裝載碼頭正前方安裝的三台拉伸包裝機中進行拉伸包裝。

The stretch wrappers are used to secure the load that is deposited on pallets via plastic film, safeguarding it from scrapes and other damage.

托盤區域

AS Healthcare倉庫的其餘部分包括高達七級的托盤貨架，分配給大體積的高、中、低周轉率產品，以及紙箱流動貨架的儲備。

This solution offers direct accessibility to each pallet and optimal location occupancy.

操作員使用伸縮式卡車搬運托盤。此外，還設置了輕型貨架，按水平分開，用於低周轉率和小型產品。

Advantages for AS Healthcare

• Increased order prep speeds:the conveyor circuit and the carton flow racking with the pick-to-light system optimize movements during order preparation.
• 降低運營成本：the number of personnel and allocated resources are minimal, since management, transport, sealing and sorting are automated.