BS Handling Systems has increased throughput and productivity for Ted Baker by automating order processing at its warehouse in Derby.
The Leicester based materials handling specialist has automated the movement of stock across all three floors of mezzanine at the 1 million sq ft warehouse. The omnichannel site handles the complete fulfilment for the fashion brand including ecommerce orders, Ted Baker stores, concession partner stores and outlet stores as well as wholesale retail products. The facility services the UK and Europe as well as several countries worldwide.
The project has seen BS Handling Systems install an automated conveyor system throughout the three-floor mezzanine with a sortation carousel. The system is designed to handle the movement of goods across the floors and down to the ground floor for packing and onwards despatch. In addition to the main conveyor line, BS Handling Systems has also incorporated a box making machine, lidding machine and labelling machine into the system for complete order processing automation.
The installation has increased productivity and allows personnel to work safely with distancing by reducing the reliance on the single goods lift on site. With a capacity to handle up to 1000 plastic totes and cardboard boxes per hour, the system is capable of accommodating peak periods such as Black Friday and Christmas. It has been designed to facilitate throughput growth for Ted Baker over the next five years.
The ground floor conveyor has been installed at head height allowing for storage and walkways underneath. The system uses overhead scanners to read a license plate number on the boxes and totes to divert them to the correct processing areas.
Orders on the ground floor arrive in cardboard boxes and reusable plastic totes. The totes are delivered to packing benches on a two-tier conveyor. Personnel collect the totes from the bottom tier of the conveyor and pack them into Ted Baker packaging. Once packaged, personnel place the ecommerce order onto the top tier of the conveyor which takes completed orders to the sortation carousel on the ground floor.
Items in cardboard boxes are for retail stores, concessions or wholesale retailers. The boxes being delivered to retail stores and wholesalers are taken from the ground floor through to a lidding machine. Once they have been securely lidded up and labelled, the conveyor takes them to the carousel for sortation by carrier. Concession store items are taken out of the cardboard boxes and totes to be steamed and hung on rails for delivery.
The final area on the ground floor is for retail wholesale orders which are managed by the Value Added Services department prior to sortation. At the sortation carousel, orders from all five areas of the ground floor meet to be sorted by one of four onwards destination carriers.
Eric Hodnett, UK Logistics Manager, Ted Baker comments: “We had a great working relationship with BS Handling Systems and chose them for their honest and innovative approach – they weren’t afraid to challenge us. They developed a realistic timeline and worked extremely well on site whilst we were still operational. Despite being disrupted by the COVID-19 lockdown, they far exceeded our expectations in every aspect of the partnership.”
December 2020
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