2007-09-28

Belgian wholesaler Lambrechts expands logistics automation

Belgian well known wholesaler in sanitary and heating units Lambrechts, has decided to fulfill its warehouse automation with hardware and software from Consafe Logistics.

The reason is that with Lambrechts the experience is that all internal logistics processes are strongly improved with the new approach.

The 12,000 square meters in the Lambrechts warehouse in Genk stores a great number of sanitary items like taps, kitchen sinks, radiators, boilers, saunas etc. Currently there are about 9,000 different stock-items sold from the in total about 120,000 items in stock.

The wholesale company undergoes a strong growth which already lead to the need of improved warehouse management. Lambrechts choose the Consafe Logistics’ WMS Astro as its new management supporting software.

Now the company wants to make a next step and asked Consafe Logistics to implement all necessary automation solutions for further optimization of the warehouse efficiency. ”Therefore we will implement a so called Wireless LAN, a local wireless data communication network in this warehouse”, Sales Manager Mr. Ronald Schepers of the Dutch office of Consafe Logistics in Oudenbosch says. To this WLAN as well handheld terminals as truck mounted ones will be connected.

”The handheld terminals are supplied with a keyboard, a display and an in build barcode scanner plus a RFDC radio module. The truck mounted terminals have a small keyboard and a wired barcode scanner for long distance scanning from shelf racks and bar codes on items or packages”, Mr. Schepers explains. Of course the truck mounted terminals also communicate with the WLAN, which is a so called RFDC network, a radio frequency data communication network of the Spread Spectrum type. The handhelds and Access Points for the WLAN are manufactured by Symbol/Motorola and made suitable for Lambrechts by Consafe Logistics own programmers. The truck mounted terminals are manufactured by Consafe Logistics and known as TraffiCom. They also get the correct interfaces and software.

”Every truck and every ‘foot’ employee gets also a small handheld label printer from Imaje, supplied by us with software and interfaces”, Mr. Schepers fulfills his explanation. With this printer the Lambrechts’ warehouse employees can print new labels at any location for the shelves as well for the separate items. Also delivery labels can be print for in between priority delivery orders.

Voice Picking Solution
”The warehouse will have also a Voice picking solution in certain picking areas”, Mr. Schepers says. A few order pickers will be fitted with a voice terminal by Vocollect, which will be supplied with standard picking dialogues by Consafe Logistics. In this way all data communication can be transmitted throughout the warehouse nevertheless it is voice or barcode scanning or keyboard emulation or touch screen.

”The Voice Pickers also get the handheld label printer, so they can carry out their tasks the same way the more conventional working colleagues do”, says Mr. Schepers.

At last Consafe Logistics brings in the inbound area its special developed mobile workspace in trolley form. This trolley has a computer display, keyboard, barcode scanner and label printer to be operated at every dock door in the inbound area. It will check all incoming goods on its presence in the WMS Astro as well as informing Astro about this shipment, so Astro can make decisions about the best way of storing or cross docking.

Consafe Logistics is main contractor for the project and therefore now a fully operating ’systems integrator’. ”We complete the project with a full service contract for maintenance and after sales commitments for all supplied hardware and software”, Mr. Schepers ends.

Information about the company: Consafe Logistics AB