BECO Beermann GmbH & Co. KG acts as a wholesaler for swimwear and water sports equipment. The range of almost 10,000 items includes swimwear for men and women as well as diving rings, swimming aids, training equipment and similar products. The company mainly supplies department stores, sporting goods retailers and swimming pools in Germany.
Space concept with growth prospects
Construction of new warehouses for swimwear wholesalers
The challenge
Particular challenges arose from the long replenishment times for the goods and the resulting need for long stock ranges. A new warehouse had already been acquired near the original location in order to be able to handle the high stock levels. At the time the order was placed, this was being used for reserve storage.
The task
viaLog was commissioned to develop an optimised floor plan for the new site in order to accommodate the entire BECO logistics. The focus here was not only on creating the necessary capacity, but also on optimising the processes and setting up IT support.
Implementation proposal
The solution
All areas were sufficiently dimensioned and arranged in a flow-orientated manner. Due to the site boundaries, it was not possible to expand the halls. In order to be able to accommodate future growth, it was therefore planned to switch from wide aisle racking to mobile racking in the reserve storage area at a later date. A platform system in the floor area was also planned to utilise the hall height. Mixed compartments and mixed pallets were cancelled and sorted by item to improve the clarity of the warehouse. The expansion of IT support was planned with a new warehouse management system.
Wide aisle storage
The highlights
- Kapazität: The required capacity was created by switching from block storage to wide aisle racking and the use of a platform level in the shelving area.
- Future-proof: By planning all areas to an appropriate size and preparing the shelving technology for a later switch to mobile shelving in the reserve storage area, it was possible to ensure that the site could be used well beyond the planning horizon.
- Optimisation: The switch to single-item pallets and picking compartments guaranteed a significant increase in picking performance. Replenishment requirements are recognised more quickly and can be dealt with faster thanks to the improved clarity in the reserve warehouse.
Refinement of the storage concept
Due to continued growth, it was necessary to expand the distribution warehouse. To this end, BECO acquired four connected industrial halls that had previously been used for production and as a garage. In 2013, viaLog had already developed a concept for the conversion of the warehouse. As growth was higher than initially anticipated, BECO commissioned the logistics planners to refine the warehouse concept and adapt it to the company’s growth.