REWE Group, one of Germany’s leading food retail companies, has partnered with Cimcorp, a pioneer in intralogistics solutions, to implement a project for an automated fulfilment system for fruit and vegetables at the REWE logistics centre in Oranienburg, approximately 50 km north of Berlin.
Cimcorp’s intralogistics solution provides reliable order picking for fresh products such as fruit and vegetables in plastic crates. The agreement also includes a comprehensive customer support contract with 24/7 system support for high system availability. With Cimcorp's automation expertise, REWE secures fast and efficient deliveries of fresh produce without picking errors or delays. The automated system provides a safe working environment for logistics employees.
“Fruit and vegetables are an extremely important commodity group for REWE customers,” says Lars Sibel, Director SCM and Logistics at Rewe Markt GmbH, “but characterised by heavy physical labour in the warehouses, which makes it difficult to recruit personnel. Cimcorp offers a unique solution to automate fruit and vegetable picking and alleviate physical labour for warehouse workers and thereby ensure the reliable delivery of fruit and vegetables to stores in the future as well.”
Safe and sound through automation
Labour availability continues to be a major challenge for warehouses and distribution centres around the world. The physical strain that comes with handling heavy items day in, day out in manual warehouse operations is a significant workplace hazard. This is where the automated solution from Cimcorp comes in to automate the handling of heavy items.
“REWE expects a mature technical solution that facilitates the work of employees and offers customers consistently high delivery quality in terms of on-time-in-full deliveries,” says Torsten Prag, Logistics Manager for Region East, REWE Group.
Automation can alleviate ergonomic and labour issues, providing operations with more speed and safety. Cimcorp’s order picking solution takes care of the heavy lifting, leading to a safer and more productive work environment.
Automation ensures reliable deliveries
Automation in the distribution centre is pivotal to meet the demands of REWE’s customers for order accuracy and freshness. REWE aims to increase automation, especially at its existing sites, to ensure rapid delivery in times of increasing labour challenges.
“We believe that the new fulfilment system will guarantee our customers high delivery quality, even in times of labour shortage,” adds Prag. “However, we also want to examine what other opportunities arise as a result of faster order processing.”
With advances in technology and the increasing need for efficiency and productivity, automation has become a key driver of growth and innovation in intralogistics.
“In addition to increased productivity and efficiency, Cimcorp’s fresh food solution offers a variety of other benefits, such as high levels of hygiene and fuller trucks,” explains Riku Puska, Sales Manager, W&D Industry Sales for Cimcorp Group. “The open-floor design with no racking leads to easier cleaning and maintenance. Optimised truck loading results in less traffic and consequently reduces environmental impact.”
Sustainability in action
Automation and strategically planned intralogistics can enable businesses to become more eco-friendly. For REWE Group, sustainability is a fundamental element of its business strategy. The retailer is aware of its responsibilities and committed to sustainable activities.
Cimcorp’s order picking solution will help REWE’s supply chain and intralogistics to become greener and more sustainable. The service agreement includes maintenance and will extend the lifetime of the system. In addition, a faster supply chain enables longer shelf life, leading to less food waste. As a pioneering innovator in the field of automation that has successfully accelerated the intralogistics of customers around the world, Cimcorp is committed to achieving high quality standards while minimising environmental impact.
About REWE
With sales of 28.4 billion euros (2022), more than 160,000 employees and over 3,800 REWE stores, REWE Markt GmbH is one of Germany’s leading food retail companies. REWE stores are run as subsidiaries or by independent REWE retailers. The cooperatively organised REWE Group is one of the leading trade and tourism groups in Germany and Europe. In 2022, the company generated a total external turnover of around 84.8 billion euros. Founded in 1927, the REWE Group has more than 384,000 employees and operates in 21 European countries.
About Cimcorp
Cimcorp Group has been simplifying material flows since 1975. We improve our customers’ profitability by offering unique solutions for automation. Our reliable robotic systems run with easy-to-use software, optimised for intralogistics, and our lifetime services secure our customers’ success in business. As a global system integrator, we make it possible for our customers – who work mainly in grocery retail and the tyre industry – to succeed in their market, today and tomorrow. With a worldwide network of offices and partners – and as a member of Murata Machinery Ltd., one of the world's largest logistics automation suppliers – Cimcorp offers local support globally. For more information, visit www.cimcorp.com.
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