What truly sets a company apart in the fast-paced world of e-commerce logistics? At the heart of every successful logistics operation lies a blend of skilled fulfilment centre personnel, innovative automation and advanced technology. In this article, we’ll explore how these essential elements are transforming logistics and driving companies to the forefront of a competitive industry. You will also find out how processes related to warehouse automation are set up within ZEOS, based on the ZalOS operating system.
Unlocking the power of automation
Curious about how advanced tech is driving the future of fulfilment? In this video, Thomas Wolf, Head of Interlogistic Engineering at Zalando, shares insights into how ZalOS and predictive algorithms work together to streamline warehouse processes, reduce errors and improve speed.
A step-by-step journey of an order: From receiving to shipping
So, your consumer ordered a new pair of shoes. Here’s how ZEOS’s automated system springs into action to get them to their door:
1. Receive: All different kinds of shoes arrive at our warehouse in big quantities, at which point they get scanned by ZalOS and head to storage. From this point onwards, they’re available to purchase.
2. Stow: ZalOS, our Warehouse Management System, finds the best spot to store the shoes so they’re easy to find when needed. This is where our Shuttle Systems kick in, moving items to and from storage.
3. Pick: Once the consumer has placed their order, our Order Streaming technology prioritises it within our system and the shoes are retrieved.
4. Sort: The shoe order is grouped with other orders heading to the same area.
5. Pack: The shoes are carefully packaged and prepared for shipping.
6. Ship: The order heads to the nearest distribution hub, ready for delivery.
Robotics in action: Exploring key technologies
Our robots don’t just support – they elevate our operations by working hand in hand with our employees. This combination of robotics and human expertise is what makes smart warehousing possible. While robots handle repetitive tasks, our employees focus on maintaining high standards to ensure that every order is just right.
Take TORU, for example – our reliable robot designed specifically to handle shoe boxes with care and precision. Following a successful test phase, 55 TORU robots are now in full operation across our logistics centres in Lahr and Erfurt, Germany, as well as in Verona, Italy. Together, they transport up to 356,000 shoe boxes per day, making a remarkable impact on daily fulfilment speed and accuracy. But TORU isn’t a replacement for human attention to detail.
The know-how of our colleagues in logistics is indispensable for the success of automation. The TORU robots can only help if they receive support. For example, they need a precise arrangement of shoe boxes [within a picking rack]. This attention to detail can be guaranteed by our employees, who store the shoe boxes very precisely. So, we work hand in hand with new technologies to achieve the best result for our customers.
Marcus Daute, Director of Logistics Network at Zalando
And it’s not just TORU at work in our warehouses. Our automated systems span a variety of cutting-edge technologies, each with a unique role in keeping operations flowing smoothly. For example, our Robot Cells for Inbound Shoe Sortation streamline the inbound process by handling up to 550 items per hour, with 10 robot cells planned for our final automation setup. Each robot cell picks cartons from the label side, rotates them and deposits them vertically in a single layer in the container. Once full, the robot seamlessly requests a new container. With a modular design that accommodates containers of different sizes, this system reduces spare parts and maintenance costs while adapting to varying operational needs.
From line sorters and shuttle systems to Autonomous Mobile Robots that transport goods across the warehouse, these robots do the heavy lifting – up to 1,000 kg! In Mönchengladbach, Germany, our employees have named their yellow robot companions after The Simpsons: Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie work hard every day to streamline our shipping processes and free up time for our employees to direct, support and fine-tune the process. Together, our robot team and employees meet – and exceed – the demands of modern e-commerce logistics, creating a seamless and reliable experience for our customers.
The transport route of the robots may seem comparatively short. However, the journeys take place very frequently and run autonomously; this has a positive effect on the distribution of tasks among our logistics colleagues. In the past, they transported the packages themselves in logistics carts. That was a monotonous task that is now being taken over by a machine. Our colleagues can now concentrate on more demanding planning activities, such as loading parcels into trucks.
The technology orchestrating it all: ZalOS and predictive algorithms
Imagine ZalOS, our proprietary Warehouse Management System (WMS), as the backstage manager of ZEOS’s warehouse operations, making sure every part of the show is running on time. ZalOS keeps track of each item’s location in our dynamic warehousing system, where stock levels, storage layouts and demand can change very quickly.
Our dynamic system adapts based on demand, using real-time inventory tracking to monitor stock levels and prevent overstock or shortages. Thanks to ZalOS, every item is easy to locate. Predictive algorithms take things a step further by analysing past data and customer behaviour. With the combination of adaptability and real-time data, we can meet demand shifts as they happen, ensuring fast and accurate order fulfilment from a single stock pool across all 12 logistics centres.
At ZEOS, we don’t just adopt the latest logistics technologies – we’re pioneering them and setting new standards in automation that drive the industry forward.
Warehouse automation systems: Driving efficiency
At ZEOS, our warehouse automation systems do more than speed up processes; they’re designed to maximise efficiency while keeping sustainability in mind. By automating repetitive tasks like sorting, picking and packing, we’re accelerating workflows and maximising accuracy (i.e. reducing costs) and lowering energy usage.
Technologies like TORU and Autonomous Mobile Robots not only support our team, but work tirelessly to help us meet high customer demand. These robots handle the heavy lifting – quite literally – so we’re able to get orders out the door faster and with greater accuracy, meeting rising customer demands and providing high quality.
Benefits for fashion brands: Speed, accuracy and adaptability
ZEOS’s automation offers fashion brands a combination that’s hard to beat: speed, accuracy and adaptability. Here’s what makes our logistics solutions so effective:
Optimised Logistics Hardware: Every item and order combination receives the same high standard of handling, ensuring reliable and consistent service from start to finish.
Enhanced Customer Experience: Our streamlined order processing reduces delivery times, so customers receive their awaited items quickly. Whenever possible, we consolidate orders, further enhancing convenience and efficiency.
Flexible, Scalable Operations: Our modular automation systems allow the warehouse to scale up or down based on demand – whether for seasonal peaks or sudden order surges – without major physical adjustments or added labour.
Cost-Effective Logistics: Automation improves logistics cost per item (thanks to the high accuracy), making warehousing and fulfilment more affordable for brands at scale.
Space Optimisation: Our automated systems make full use of floor space and vertical storage. With robotics, smart storage solutions and advanced Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), we maximise capacity and retrieve and organise inventory efficiently.
