The "Logistic Lights" were developed by the Osnabrück-based start-up Symbic in close cooperation with the full-service provider Hellmann Worldwide Logistics and were used for the first time in real operation at Hellmann to coincide with the start of the Christmas season: by scanning the next item with the MDE or finger scanner, the light spotlight knows which of the carton storage locations needs to be illuminated. The two employees can then see at a glance where they need to sort the item. The "Logistic Lights" thus offer maximum ergonomics. The system is simple but effective. And the result speaks for itself: picking was accelerated by around five seconds per pick with the help of the "Logistic Lights". With an annual volume of around six million items in this application, this is a time saving that is impressive. The "Logistic Lights" were installed within a few hours. And they can be recalibrated at any time in just a few minutes.

From idea to success
But it all started very differently: the actual idea of the start-up Symbic was to develop a product finder for consumers with the help of a touchscreen and a light beam. The idea was to make it easier to find compatible spare parts in a bike store, for example, or special screws in a DIY store. However, it soon became clear that the idea of using a point of light for consumer picking orientation could also be applied to a wide range of applications, including intralogistics. When a project manager from Hellmann Worldwide Logistics met the developers at a networking event, it didn't take long for the idea to be further developed for a specific application at Hellmann in order to make it usable for order picking in contract logistics. And so the idea for the "Logistic Lights" was born: Now it was no longer about consumers at the point of sale, but about a real alternative to the conventional put-to-light system in order to optimize intralogistics processes. The goal of the joint project between the small IT company Symbic and the global logistics service provider Hellmann was quickly defined. Within a short space of time, Symbic developed a prototype for intralogistics similar to the product finder created for the point of sale. The aim was to make intralogistics processes such as the storage and picking of goods more efficient and as user-friendly as possible, i.e. intuitive to use.

Less fatigue for employees
After the initial preliminary discussions, communication channels and types of communication between the IT systems as well as procedural requirements for the system were defined. This also included topics such as training new employees and reducing the fatigue factor for colleagues. From the outset, the aim was to develop a highly effective yet lean solution. Just a few months later, Symbic set up an initial test environment in Hellmann's warehouse, where the order pickers were able to try out the technology under real conditions. Achim Hendriks, Managing Director of Symbic, explains in an interview with materialfluss: "The employees were involved in the installation on site at an early stage. They were able to try out the "Logistic Lights" first and give us their feedback." Based on the practical test, optimization potential was identified and adjustments were made. This meant that the employees were involved in the development of the "Logistic Lights" right from the start and were able to familiarize themselves with the technology and express their user-related requirements for the product at an early stage. Peter Götting, Project Manager in the Contract Logistics division at Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, adds: "The solution represents a process improvement thanks to its intuitive operation, and the work is also less physically demanding for colleagues than before thanks to the improved ergonomics." Accordingly, the new solution has met with a positive response. "We are also seeing positive effects in the area of employee satisfaction, a key issue at Hellmann," said Götting at the meeting at LogiMAT 2019.

Short paths, open exchange
An open and targeted exchange of ideas and an uncomplicated way of working with short information paths were characteristic of the collaboration between the two project partners, who at first glance appeared to be very different. The result reflects this in the intuitive and efficiency-enhancing use of the "Logistic Lights": the time required for familiarization in the "sorting" area was reduced from one day to around one hour thanks to the intuitive operation. During the test phase at Hellmann - which coincided with the increased demand of the Christmas business - this meant that temporary staff, for example, could also be deployed quickly and efficiently. This not only ensured a stable material flow, but also significantly increased productivity thanks to the higher pick/put rate.

The spotlights are used in event technology and are therefore very robust. Thanks to the simple technology in the background, calibration can also be carried out by the user within a few minutes, meaning that a conversion in the storage system can be implemented quickly. "Compared to conventional solutions, the installation effort for "Logistic Lights" is significantly lower," says Hendriks. Another plus point is that the simple communication between the systems means that all relevant data remains with the user. Hellmann is also already thinking about other possible applications: the possibilities do not seem to have been exhausted yet. "We are very satisfied with the collaboration and are interested in further joint pilot projects in addition to expanding the application," summarizes Götting.