Optimized WMS for multichannel and production supply

The move to the new logistics center was an important step towards realizing our growth prospects," analyzes Javier Carvajal Vargas, Chief Operation Officer of Mister Spex GmbH, Berlin. "In addition to expanding capacity, our main aim was to speed up shipping processes and optimize process control as a whole." The contract for the required warehouse management system was awarded to PSIwms from PSI Logistics GmbH, Berlin. With its modules and functions, it coordinates both the intralogistics processes for fast order production and on-time production supply as well as the multichannel strategy including returns processing. "There was a long selection process in which PSI Logistics impressed with better evaluations, references and solutions in environments with different levels of performance," says Vargas, explaining why the contract was awarded. "The decision aspects were the upgrade and integration capability as well as the range of functions that PSIwms already covers with its standard."

The new logistics and production site, which the online optician moved into in Berlin Siemensstadt in 2016, covers an area of 10,000 square meters. Warehouse space alone accounts for 6,500 square meters. At first glance, this doesn't seem overly large for a logistics center that processes up to 12,000 orders from all over Europe every day - but this is quickly put into perspective when you look at the small range of items stored there: customers can choose the right frame from more than 43,000 brand glasses on its website and specify colors and materials. The glasses are ground and assembled on site in the connected production rooms under clean room conditions. External service providers are also involved for various production steps.

"PSIwms is particularly efficient and stable at peak times with high peaks and high utilization."

Javier Carvajal Vargas Chief Operation Officer at Mister Spex

More than two million customers are supplied from the logistics center. The company pursues a multi-channel strategy: in addition to the online store, the online optician cooperates with more than 550 local opticians in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands for services such as eye tests and spectacle fittings. At the same time, the company opened its first own store in Berlin in 2016; further stores followed in 2017.

All four segments are supplied from the Mister Spex logistics center. "We were therefore looking for a WMS that, in addition to warehouse management, would cover the various order structures from the B2B area, the B2C area and production in particular," says Vargas. The contract was awarded in February 2016. PSIwms has been managing the warehouse's intralogistics since November 2016.

As automation components for 7,400 pairs of glasses, Mister Spex recently installed an automatic paternoster picking system from Kardex and connected it to PSIwms. The other racking systems in the manual picking areas offer storage capacity for more than 700,000 items. PSIwms determines the storage locations according to different strategies, priorities and item classifications, which are continuously adjusted based on sales and throughput figures. PSIwms determines the transport orders for putaway as well as for the picking processes in a route-optimized manner.

Interface problem optimally solved

A look at the PSI WMS interface, which handles various order structures at Mr. Spex in addition to warehouse management.

For the picking processes, the orders are broken down into production orders and B2C shipments of merchandise, sample frames and custom-made glasses directly to customers or for collection from the stores and supplying the stores.

For production supply, the IT system triggers route-optimized picking and retrieval processes in the automated picking system. PSIwms coordinates the merging of materials and the supply of order information to the assembly stations. For the pure shipping orders, the WMS controls the material flows, the consolidation of the order items for store delivery and the transfer to shipping production.

Multi-order picking for up to 100 orders

Special feature: The small range of articles, including a large number of contact lenses, allows the implementation of manual multi-order picking, in which employees process up to 100 different orders in one picking cycle.

Another highlight of process control from PSIwms concerns the processing of returns, such as undelivered or undeliverable items. Once the returns have been accepted, a quality check is carried out and they are assigned to the subsequent process steps. At the same time, PSIwms merges the order data and generates the follow-up orders. These are first used to supply the so-called "edgers" at the grinding stations with the required glasses. The WMS then coordinates any interim storage of the lenses as well as the order-specific combination of frame and lenses.

After final quality control of the finished shipping products, PSIwms coordinates the shipping production and provisioning processes in outgoing goods. During process control, PSIwms incorporates all integrated hardware components and subsystems, for example for data acquisition and label creation.

"With PSIwms, we have implemented a high-performance warehouse management system that ensures maximum efficiency and optimally coordinated processes in warehouse management, production supply and order production, regardless of the ERP resources," summarizes Vargas. "PSIwms proves to be extremely efficient and stable for incoming and outgoing goods processes, especially at peak times with high peaks and high capacity utilization. Our customers throughout Europe benefit from our improved logistics expertise. An economical, sustainable investment."

www.misterspex.dewww.psilogistics.com