Custom-built system help keeps wine flowing
September 25th 2003

Acustom-built system from European Conveyor Systems has dramatically improved the efficiency and accuracy of order picking at the Hemel Hempstead warehouse of Waverley Vintners

The 12 000m2 warehouse stocks about 2000 product lines and dispatches an average of 12 000 cases a day. About 15% of the cases contain mixed products

Due to continuing sales growth, the company was finding it increasingly difficult to meet delivery deadlines with the previous order picking system, that involved the use of picking trucks

All orders were carried around the warehouse on these trucks and staff were often travelling long distances to pick up a small number of items. The company wanted to increase picking accuracy to minimise returns

To achieve its requirements, Waverley Vintners decided to designate two separate areas in the warehouse for full cases and split cases, with the former handled by forklift truck and the latter by the ECS conveyor system

In the split case area orders are picked into cartons carried on plastic trays barcoded with each individual order number. Scanners on the conveyor read this number, and the system then co-ordinates it with the details of the order held on the warehouse computer and automatically sends the tray to the zones where the products are held

Picking trucks are no longer used and staff walk no more than 20m to pick an item. The ability to pick full cases and split loads at the same time in different areas has significantly increased warehouse capacity.

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