Today's warehouses and distribution centres face a lot of challenges: increasing labour costs, less available space and frequent small orders with short delivery times. It is a constant search for solutions that reduce operational costs, generate higher productivity, optimise space utilisation and enable high service levels. Vanderlande Industries understands these challenges and has a fitting solution for all of them. It is therefore not surprising that big fashion names as Zalando, Tommy Hilfiger, Urban Outfitters, Timberland and Nike executed their warehouse projects with Vanderlande in the past few years.
For the last century the fashion industry has grown immensely. Due to the possibilities of technological progress and the invention of the sewing machine, the making of clothes became mass production instead of tailor- and hand-made. With the rise of the mass production also the fashion industry grew and brands arose. Buying and wearing fashion came within reach of most social groups in both Europe as the US, followed by the Far East and other developing regions in more recent years. With the rise of this industry also new challenges came to life, in distribution for example. And with new developments such as e-commerce and economical growth in countries like China, Brazil and India (and thereby increasing labour costs) fashion companies and distributors have to break new grounds.
Valuable expertise
The expertise of Vanderlande Industries can be of valuable help on the way to efficient fulfilment. Efficient fulfilment is key to delivering a high service level with fast, accurate order handling. Vanderlande Industries, a worldwide top-five player in material handling, understands this process like no other. Whether it is about direct to consumer-delivery (e-commerce) or distribution to retail outlets. Also Vanderlande Industries knows and understands the challenges of their (potential) customers. Due to different customer centres around the globe, the company is always located close to her customers and their markets.
Vanderlande Industries can help companies to optimise their fashion logistics. Vanderlande has the knowledge and expertise to address the specific issues facing fashion companies, such as:
- Effective handling of 'push' and 'pull' flows.
- Handle an ever larger product range.
- Setting up highly responsive supply chains.
- Efficient and effective e-fulfilment.
- Store-friendly deliveries.
Solutions and products
Vanderlande products and solutions for fashion companies include:
- Automated storage and retrieval systems, especially automated carton stores.
- Goods to man systems.
- Batch picking systems.
- Sortation systems (cross belt sorter 700 for unit sorting either in chute or direct in shipping carton), sliding shoe sorter).
- Cross docking systems.
- Combinations of systems (hybrid).
References
Vanderlande Industries fits to the requirements of (potential) customers in the fashion industry. Our references speak for themselves.
Zalando – For Zalando for instance Vanderlande designed and implemented a system with maximum flexibility for the warehouse in Erfurt, Germany. This warehouse is the linchpin in Zalando's process. Requirements of total reliability, maximum availability and redundancy as well as high flexibility and modularity have resulted in the creation of a system that is capable of handling the demanding logistic challenges of a volatile market and also offers adequate capacity for unpredictable future growth. Vanderlande Industries was able to offer the level of engineering competence and integration expertise that this mammoth project required. Vanderlande Industries' experience and versatility tipped the scales in its favour, resulting in an order for the complete conveying technology and PLC system package at main contractor level.
Nike – And with Nike Vanderlande Industries has a long history in working together. Nike operates an automated warehouse for apparel (opened in 1994) and footwear (opened in 1995) in the Antwerp sub-urb of Laakdal. This is home to Nike's Logistics Centre of Excellence, the heart of Nike's distribution operations for the EMEA region. At this site, Vanderlande built the material handling systems, as well as the two fully automated high bay warehouses for pallets and cartons (opened in 1998). Systems were extended by Vanderlande several times to accommodate Nike's strong growth. Latest extension is an automated carton store with 12 miniloads. To this day the relationship between Nike and Vanderlande Industries remains.
And there's more...
Other fashion companies who choose Vanderlande Industries to design and implement their logistics system are: Tommy Hilfiger, Urban Outfitters and Next. Big names and good references in Eastern Europe are TVOE and LPP. To find out what Vanderlande can do for you visit us at www.vanderlande.com/fashion
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