For Prof. Dr. Alexander Hübner from the Technical University Munich, things are quite obvious: “Omni-channel is a must-have in retail business. If you want to survive as a retailer, you have to be present on all channels.“ Hübner knows his way around, his research focus is on the design of sustainable supply chains. In the past, the topic of omni-channel was mainly a source of concern for traditional retailers. But the e-commerce platforms shook up an entire industry sector. „Today, many small retailers also have their own web platforms to serve their customers." Hübner sees a concentration of logistics centers when it comes to consumer goods or fashion.
And the challenge for food retail? “The demands companies have on logistics are increasing. Store business is running in cases and home shopping in units. In addition, there are click & collect, drives, pick-up points, etc. The logistics researchers is convinced that the challenge for the coming years will be to map all of it cost-efficiently, flexibly, and sustainably with automation. Hybrid scenarios are therefore gaining importance in this industry sector.“ WITRON recognized the development at an early stage. The WITRON answer to this is OCM - Omni Channel Machinery. On this page, we will explain what OCM means for us and you as a customer.
The logistics center will supply both Axfood stores and online customers with more than 22,000 different items. The temperature zones range from +25 degrees Celsius to minus 26 degrees Celsius. The system is designed for a daily pick capacity of approx. 1.6 million pick units. The online business accesses the same inventory as the store business. Processes that would have to be handled in two separate sections of a conventional warehouse and then consolidated extensively, are covered by the system in only one integrated warehouse logistics system. The result: significant efficiency, performance, and quality increases of the picking and packing processes as well as considerable investment savings.