Rossmann (D)
Rossmann’s online warehouse: Pick-to-Light trolley with a whole range of extras
There is a lot to do and the product range is enormous. The tried-and-tested KT3 model rolls to and fro across the warehouse in Burgwedel near Hanover, collecting paperless orders and equipped with Pick-to-Light technology. The trolley has a whole range of extras, such as two levels with a hinged safety mechanism to prevent products slipping through. The special design enables the fast transfer of picked boxes onto the conveyor belts on both sides. Rossmann requires high-speed picking for class A, B and C items (classified by how quickly they sell) with a low error rate. “There’s a lot of switching between storage areas depending on product ranges, current campaigns and sales forecasts,” says Andreas Hofmann, IT project coordinator at Rossmann Online GmbH. The time available for paperless picking is set by the warehouse management software (WMS). The Wanzl trolleys are linked with the WMS via Pick-to-Light modules. “Our KT3 is ideal for paperless picking”, says Hubert Zeller, Sales Manager for southern Germany at Wanzl Logistics + Industry.
Equipped with LED modules, a barcode scanner and a monitor, the trolleys roll around the warehouse on a daily basis, picking online orders. Rossmann Online GmbH is responsible for providing all the IT equipment in cooperation with AURIN Kommissioniertechnik, with Wanzl supplying the KT3s as a rolling foundation.
The KT3 offers a range of extras in terms of order picking:
two handles and the fifth castor underneath the centre of the trolley ensure effortless steering and manoeuvrability. The sturdy, hinged wooden/steel shelf serves as a work surface or additional storage space for heavy products such as boxes of washing powder. Up to twelve orders can be placed on the two wire shelves at the same time. At 200 and 900 millimetres high, they correspond precisely to the level of the two conveyor belts which carry products towards packaging and shipping. The safety mechanism to prevent products slipping through is hinged so that the trolleys can dock on both sides. Now the boxes with the picked goods can be easily pushed through onto the conveyor belt. Andreas Hofmann: “Not having to lift the boxes is very efficient, saves time and makes life easier for the pickers.”
