Solutions

Mail order

Efficient picking of online products. Achieved with GTP systems, etc.

Adastria Co., Ltd. EC Logistics Center

Efficient picking of online products. Achieved with GTP systems, etc.

overview

Adastria Co., Ltd., a major casual fashion retailer, has renovated its e-commerce logistics center (Ibaraki Prefecture) to accommodate the ongoing double-digit growth of its e-commerce business. The center has introduced the latest material handling systems, including a GTP system consisting of 120 AGVs (automated guided vehicle) and 1,400 product shelves, as well as Quick Shuttle (storage equipment) and PTI system (LED sorting equipment). This allows for error-free and efficient picking of a huge number of products, dramatically improving productivity.

Equipment Features

Feature 1

Picking flow

The center handles clothing and miscellaneous goods, but fashion items often come in many colors and sizes, requiring detailed SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) management. Because the task of collecting orders from this vast inventory is complex, the center combines orders for 40 people into one and proceeds with the process in two stages: total picking and sorting by order. The workflow is shown in the flowchart below. Total picking processes high-turnover items with high shipping frequency using the GTP system, while low-turnover items are handled using the trolley picking system. The picked items join the quick shuttle and are temporarily stored. They are then extracted according to shipping instructions and sorted by order using the PTI system. The sorted items are then packaged, sorted by destination using an automatic sorting machine, and collected by the delivery company.

Picking flow

Feature 2

GTP System

One of the most noteworthy pieces of equipment introduced is the GTP (Goods To Person) system, which performs total picking of high-turnover items. An AGV lifts the shelves containing the relevant items from below and carries them to the station where the picker is waiting. The picker simply follows voice and monitor guidance to remove the items from the shelves and place them in a collection case. The introduction of the GTP system has eliminated the need for pickers to walk around the large warehouse searching for products, as was previously the case, and has also significantly reduced work time.

AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle)

AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle)

120 AGVs and 1,400 product shelves efficiently handle high-speed picking of high-volume products.

120 AGVs and 1,400 product shelves efficiently handle high-speed picking of high-volume products.

Picking station. Voice and monitor instructions make work easy.

Picking station. Voice and monitor instructions make work easy.

Effects of introducing equipment

This renewal, which utilizes a material handling system, has increased the number of items that can be shipped per day from the previous maximum of 19,000 to 34,000, improving work productivity by approximately 1.6 times.

Customer testimonials

We renovated our e-commerce logistics center with an eye toward future growth and business expansion, but we believe that the main players in a logistics center are the people who work there. Therefore, our goal was to achieve accurate and efficient picking while reducing complex tasks such as walking and searching. Introducing a material handling system centered on GTP, known as "Goods To Person," has produced the results we expected.

Company Name
Adastria Co., Ltd.
Business content
Planning, manufacturing and sales of fashion clothing and miscellaneous goods
Number of employees
Consolidated 6,329 people (as of May 2022)
Customer testimonials
*The content of this article is based on interviews conducted in August 2022. The numerical data and organizational information in the article are current as of the time of the interview.