With a range of over 40,000 items and a capacity of up to 100,000 orders per day, Apotea is one of the fastest growing online pharmacies according to the company and was recently named Sweden's most popular online store. Apotea supplies medicines, cosmetics, household products and more.

1,400 orders per hour with an A-Frame system

The first step in the cooperation with SSI Schaefer was successful for the online pharmacy. After only a short implementation period, the first A-Frame system was able to process up to 1,400 orders per hour. The automatic picking solution for medium to fast-moving products in small packaging was the ideal choice for Apotea. And it came at exactly the right time: thanks to the A-Frame system, the logistics center was able to successfully handle the increasing demand for medicines during the coronavirus pandemic.

In order to further optimize throughput times and processes in the warehouse, Apotea 2023 opted for three more A-Frame systems, two more Pick by Light picking aisles and four BD RowaTM Vmax picking machines for prescription medicines. A five-kilometer-long carton and container conveyor system connects everything to form a comprehensive intralogistics system.

But e-commerce is still booming and Apotea is also growing steadily. CEO Pär Svärdson is convinced by the easy handling, efficiency and good return on investment (ROI) of the A-Frame: "With the A-Frame, we can pick a large number of products fully automatically and reliably, thereby increasing our efficiency enormously. We are extremely satisfied with the solution from SSI Schaefer. And we look forward to continuing along the path of automation together and continuously expanding our capacities."

Processing in 3-shift operation

Today, the A-Frames with a total of 110 modules handle the majority of orders in 3-shift operation. The highlight is that replenishment and picking are decoupled from each other. The A-frames are replenished during quieter phases, so that picking can take place without interruption during busy periods. This ensures maximum productivity, even at peak times.

The ergonomic A-Frame systems from SSI Schaefer not only relieve the strain on employees at the site, but also make optimum use of the available space thanks to their high storage density in a small area. An efficient and smart solution that has quickly become the heart of the e-commerce warehouse.

The success of the A-Frame has given Apotea an increasingly clear vision: The originally manually organized warehouse should gradually become a highly automated logistics center. Today, 90 percent of all orders are processed fully automatically and in the shortest possible time.

Supplement order picking machines

With four BD RowaTM Vmax picking machines, slow to medium movers are stored in the tightest of spaces and picked to order. Particularly suitable for prescription RX preparations - and therefore the ideal addition to the existing A-Frames.

Another advantage of the two systems is that both A-Frame and BD RowaTM Vmax work with discrete picking. This means that all items are filled directly into shipping cartons and then automatically volume-optimized. This saves valuable time, increases throughput and makes work much easier. Time-consuming packing activities are no longer necessary.

However, the individual solutions used by Apotea only develop their full potential when they work together. This is ensured by the intelligent logistics software WAMAS from SSI Schaefer: it networks all processes in the warehouse and reacts flexibly and in real time to changing conditions in the e-commerce business. Depending on the workload, incoming orders are assigned to one of the optimally coordinated picking areas and processed as quickly as possible.

Equipped for further growth

Smooth material flows, efficient warehouse management, shortest processing times and maximum product availability: Apotea and SSI Schaefer have written a logistics success story together in recent years. With the modern and fully automated solution for the distribution center in Morgongåva, the online pharmacy meets customer requirements as well as its own service standards - and is well prepared for further growth and future peaks.

The future is an important topic for Apotea. Not only in terms of the success of its own company, but also with regard to the responsible use of resources: "For us, it is a matter of course to think about tomorrow today. This also means that we act as sustainably as possible. Modern technologies help us to do this," says Pär Svärdson. For this reason, Apotea has installed solar panels on the roof of the logistics center, for example, and invested in its own electric trucks. These trucks also transport parcels that would otherwise be transported by various freight forwarders between the logistics center in Morgongåva and the parcel terminals in the Stockholm area. By taking over part of the transport chain, shipping is made more efficient and emissions are reduced. SSI Schaefer is also contributing to greater sustainability with smart concepts: To save energy and further reduce operating costs, the conveyor technology switches itself off when required. In addition, the automated adaptation of cartons to the shipping goods reduces volumes, saves packaging material, reduces delivery volumes and thus helps to make even better use of transport capacity.