Tailored Automation for Apparel Distribution and Storage

The Apparel Manufacturing and Retail Clothing Industries

The apparel industry has fierce competition, seasonality changes, and pressure for meeting profit margins. Apparel distribution must rely on automation systems that have a high availability along with highly dense storage capacity given SKU proliferation. Furthermore, apparel distribution needs a robust automated omnichannel distribution material flow that is also flexible enough to adjust with consumer behavior and as business scales.

Achieving Success with an Omnichannel Platform

Whether in a retail storefront, an online ecommerce store, or a mobile phone, your customers expect fulfillment from all channels. Your logistics must be sufficiently adaptable. Home delivery or in-store pickup are frequently used as shipping options today. Plus, replenishment for storefronts, and returns handling must be processed promptly for quick resale. While every apparel manufacturer, wholesaler, and clothing retailer are unique in their material handling processes, each must plan and implement an omnichannel intralogistics strategy.

In the case of INTERSPORT, which is the number one sports retailer and it supplies over 1,000 retailers worldwide, they needed an omnichannel distribution system. With the help of an automated multichannel platform from GEBHARDT Intralogistics, the company is delivering its own product brands with growing success. Modernization of the material handling processes was urgently required because storage space was getting scarce, and the warehouse management software was outdated.

Efficient Returns Management

Efficient returns management must run smoothly to check the item for quality and return it back to inventory for quick resale. Robust warehouse management software knows when items are due to arrive. Once processed, items can easily be put back into inventory. This process must work quickly and efficiently even during peak season. Warehouse management software optimizes order processing and prioritizes return stock management to move inventory in the most efficient way possible. Furthermore, once an item is inspected and received back into inventory, notification is sent to the ERP and customers can get notified of the return credit.

Value Added Services as a Differentiating Feature

In contrast to bulk orders, value-added services are all about individualization. The result is often a one-piece flow process that requires optimum support through intralogistics. From a business perspective, value-added services result in higher processing costs due to the higher order complexity, but customer satisfaction increases disproportionately along with loyalty sales.

Together with GEBHARDT Fördertechnik from Sinsheim, the football outfitter and sporting goods retailer 11teamsports completely reorganized their distribution center at the new headquarters in Satteldorf. With the installation of a high-performance shuttle warehouse and the implementation of the “goods-to-person” principle, the company is well equipped for the growing challenges of their ecommerce business.

Process Transparency and Performance Tracking Achieved Through Automation

Automated storage and order picking systems enable optimum utilization of space and high throughput of error-free picking. Individual process steps inside a distribution center must be linked together with the appropriate technology. Automation provides the necessary process transparency and enables efficient tracking of material handling performance. With apparel, this is crucial given high value items such as handbags and other designer brands along and with the large number of SKUs that are utilized for sizes and color variations. Warehouse management software can help prevent any pick errors. In addition, an optimal warehouse design utilizing automation not only makes storage and process flows more efficient but increases order accuracy and adds profit to the bottom line.

Apparel Ecommerce Logistics

Apparel intralogistics moves fast, and it changes from week to week. Trends emerge with even greater frequency in social media and popular styles have a brief window to make it to market and delivery. Your customers expect quick error-free delivery either next or same day, or ready for pick-up. Furthermore, customers expect an easy way to return items that do not fit or meet their expectations.

For many years, logistics service provider C-Log Solutions, based in Sain Malo, France, has been supporting the apparel and textile retail business of the Beaumanoir Group as well as some external partners locally and abroad. Having to decide to go with the GEBHARDT product portfolio, the company sees itself ideally equipped for changing behaviors of consumers and to meet the high demands of the textile mail order business in terms of achieving a continuous increase in performance.

The project video is here but in German. You can still get a sense of everything that was done to make this project work. However, you can also read more about it in English with the link below.

Safe, Ergonomic Workplaces Achieved Through Automation

Many businesses implement automation given that it reduces the risk of workplace injuries and prioritizes an ergonomic workspace environment. Furthermore, automation also lends a hand in reducing absenteeism and addresses the challenges of a reduced labor market. The ergonomic changes that automation brings benefits employers given the higher-productivity and performance requirements. Overall, automation leads to better outcomes for both employers and employees.

Expand Capacities and Reduce Workload

Implementing automation into a previous manual warehouse will provide a huge boost in productivity. The cost per unit output will lower given that the need for labor will decrease per order. This also enables additional space both for storage capacity and for additional workspace. This allows for growth and additional profit as your business scales. Additional automation for material handling tasks such as building and sealing corrugated shipping boxes as well as palletization, help improve margins and the return on investment.

Order-Picking System Facilitates Growth and Efficiency for Clothing Retailer

Ralawise Limited, a global supplier, ecommerce retailer and distributor of t-shirts, hoodies, polos, and other garments for printing and embroidery, expanded its warehouse capacity in partnership with GEBHARDT Intralogistics. The new central warehouse, equipped with a modern order picking and conveyor system as well as various lifts, provides Ralawise with the foundation to accommodate further growth and continue to offer excellent customer service and value for money.

Adding Sustainability into Your Operations via Automation

Finally, with automation you are also investing in sustainability and resource conservation. Automation enables the ability to meet high requirements for economic efficiency as well as investment and information security. Tamper-proof systems require a consistent IT and control design, which is also documented accordingly. Automated logistics leads to a reduction in labor costs over many years of facility operation and enables high efficiency even in countries with high unit labor costs. In addition, consumers are actively demanding goods from a sustainable supply chain. GEBHARDT systems integrate modern infrastructure, which powers business rules that provide consolidation of orders, route sequencing, along with energy saving costs with highly dense storage facilities.