EDEKA Nord optimizes its logistics for dry goods assortment with WITRON modules

EDEKA Handelsgesellschaft Nord mbH, headquartered in Neumuenster, is planning to optimize its warehouse logistics processes at their location in Zarrentin (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern - Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania). Some 770 EDEKA stores will be supplied with 17,000 different articles from the dry goods assortment in Zarrentin. The order for the design and realization was awarded to WITRON Logistik + Informatik GmbH from Parkstein, who will be responsible for the supply and implementation of all mechanics, IT, and control components as general contractor. The system, with a size of some 323,000 square ft, is designed to handle a peak picking output of 205,600 picks per day. Productive use is planned for May 2015.

Almost all products from EDEKA Nord's dry goods assortment will be picked with automated WITRON solutions in the future. WITRON convinced EDEKA with its innovative storage and picking systems that belong to one of the worldwide leading applications in the retail logistics thanks to the high degree of cost-efficiency, customer service, and ergonomics.

WITRON's OPM system is one of the sub-systems that will be implemented in Zarrentin. The 14 COM machines will automatically build store-friendly and 100% accurate pallets and roll containers. By means of the tote picking system DPS, operators carry out the picking at 16 workstations guided by a pick-by-light system and according to the principle "goods-to-person" / "person-to-goods" from storage totes directly into customer totes. In addition, a 1-aisle DPP module will automatically handle and consolidate quarter and half pallets. The goods required for all three sub-systems will be stored in a 5-aisle pallet high bay warehouse. Patented technology will also be used in the outbound area. Three outbound buffer modules will store and sort both order pallets and roll containers that will be supplied in a consolidated manner and in mixed mode to the dispatch gates. All that will be done by using the shortest route via dispatch lanes. The storage and supply of the logistics areas with empty pallets / roll containers will be optimized with a 1-aisle empties buffer.

With EDEKA Nord, whose group revenue amounted to 2.4 billion Euros in 2011 and some 5,800 employees, four EDEKA regional companies have now opted for WITRON solutions. Besides EDEKA Nord, EDEKA Minden (Neuenkruge), EDEKA Rhein-Ruhr (Hamm, Moers, Meckenheim), and EDEKA Suedbayern (Landsberg am Lech) have already decided in favor of WITRON technology for their distribution centers.