"The expansion of our store business, the growth of online shopping and the expansion of our product range - both fresh and dry - require short response times and a high degree of process flexibility. Innovative automated logistics systems, which we can scale efficiently to meet growing requirements, help us achieve this," explains Karel de Jong, Director Supply Chain at Jumbo Supermarkten.

Automated material flow processes for all product groups and product sizes

At an ambient temperature of +2 °C, the Witron solutions Order Picking Machinery (OPM), Car Picking System (CPS) and All-in-One Order Fulfillment (AIO) automate all material flow processes for all product groups, product sizes and distribution channels. In outgoing goods, the roll containers are consolidated and made available in a mechanized outgoing goods buffer (WAP) via storage and retrieval machines and heavy-duty conveyors - according to route, sequence and just-in-time for delivery.

In addition to high efficiency and flexibility, the logistics planners at Witron paid particular attention to reducing heavy physical work processes. And it is precisely here that the use of future-oriented picking and IT solutions provides significant relief. In future, case picking onto roll containers will be handled by the OPM system with 24 COM robotic lines in line with store requirements and without the need for personnel. An expansion to 30 COM robotic lines is already planned. Thanks to the AIO solution, the walking distances of the workers are reduced to a minimum despite highly dynamic piece picking processes, whereby the container supply and disposal of the picking fronts is carried out by storage and retrieval machines and conveyor technology. The employees place heavy and bulky products on roll containers in a route-optimized manner - controlled by the CPS - in line with store requirements. Here, too, pallets are replenished automatically in the picking aisles using storage and retrieval machines.

All logistics areas are connected by an efficient, 14-kilometer-long conveyor technology network, in which a total of 9,500 pallet spaces, over 600,000 container and tray spaces and 138 storage and retrieval machines are integrated. As the general contractor, Witron is responsible for the planning and implementation of all mechanical, IT and control components. A Witron on-site team ensures a permanently high level of system availability.

Jumbo also expands dry goods logistics center with Witron

Jumbo is doing extremely well. The second-largest Dutch food retailer not only increased its market share to 21.5% in 2020, but also increased its turnover by 15% to 9.68 billion euros. In addition to many stores in the Netherlands, the number of Jumbo stores in Belgium was also further expanded.

The high pace of expansion naturally has an impact on logistics. This is why the Parkstein-based general contractor Witron Logistik + Informatik GmbH was awarded the contract for the expansion of the "National Distribution Center (NDC)" in Nieuwegein, which supplies all Jumbo customers with over 14,000 items from the dry product range, in addition to the new central fresh food warehouse.

60 percent more throughput in the OPM dry product range

The existing installation will be expanded by 12 additional COM robotics lines (making a total of 32 COM robotics lines), which will enable 2.6 million retail units per week to be picked onto roll containers in line with store requirements from mid-2022. In terms of the OPM area, this corresponds to almost 60 percent more throughput. The upstream automated high-bay warehouse will also be expanded by 6,000 storage locations, the automated tray warehouse by 176,000 storage locations and the associated conveyor technology. The technology will be integrated into the existing 45,000^m2 building.

"The expansion of the logistics center was already fully taken into account in the design phase," explains Jack Kuypers, Senior Vice President North-West Europe at Witron. "Due to Jumbo's strong growth and the quickly measurable economic success of the already operational OPM system for the customer, we are implementing the upgrade three years earlier than originally planned. The OPM, DPS and CPS solutions used at Jumbo guarantee a very high level of store and customer service for all sales channels. We are therefore proud that we have been able to make an important contribution to Jumbo's positive business development as a lifetime partner."