Leverage Automation for Future-Proofed Retailing

Working with a specialist systems integrator who understands the retail landscape and is at the forefront of technology innovation, will set you apart in a competitive marketplace. L-A-C’s proven design expertise and range of innovative products developed for the retail sector provide highly efficient and cost-effective solutions, tailor-made to future-proof your business.

Bespoke Automated Solutions for Retail Operations

In the fast-paced world of logistics, automation is playing a crucial role in shaping the future of retail. From order fulfilment to customer service, incorporating automation technology into warehouse operations brings an ever-increasing array of benefits, such as enhanced efficiency, reduced costs, and improved overall customer experience.

Challenges for Retailers:

ecommerce-shopping-cart-keyboard-ss-1920

Large number & varying sizes of SKUs

High order volumes and seasonal fluctuations

Speed of order fulfilment and delivery

Picking accuracy & efficiency

Labour shortage

Increasing real estate cost

Benefits of Retail Warehouse Automation

Space optimisation – high-density storage solutions such as automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) optimise the available footprint to provide enhanced storage capacity.

Increased SKU range and stockholding – with increased storage density comes the ability to store a larger range of products and increased stockholding.

Increased speed – from goods-in and put away to order picking, automation significantly enhances the speed of operations across time sensitive processes.

Greater reactiveness – Automation allows for later order cut-off times and an improved ability to pick urgent orders for immediate despatch.

Greater reliability – automated handling equipment makes light work of order fulfilment, reducing costly stock and manual picking errors.

ROI – with the advancement of technology, integrating automation significantly reduces operational costs with attractive ROI results.

Types of Automation Within Retail Operations

Goods Receipt

Establishing a swift process for goods receipt is crucial to the overall efficiency of retail warehouse operations. Unloading palletised, boxed or loose items from delivery trucks is often carried out manually using forklift trucks, however automation can be implemented here through technology such as boom conveyors to enhance speed and eliminate the reliance on manual labour and a fleet of forklift trucks.

The next phase of transporting goods to the relevant storage area can be fully automated through roller or belt conveyors for boxes, totes, and bins as well as pallet conveyors for fully loaded pallets. This not only improves the speed of put-away, but also ensures the safe movement of goods around the warehouse.

Goods Receipt

Goods Storage

Order Picking

Order Packing & Shipping

Types of Automation Within Retail Operations

Warehouse Automation for Sustainable, Long-Term Growth
Across retail operations, our customers benefit from a wide range of our innovative products and software solutions, manufactured to the highest standards here in the UK. From modular conveyors through to fully automated picking systems, trust L-A-C to deliver flexible and scalable solutions that will significantly enhance your operations, keeping you agile and in control of your future growth.
Goods Receipt
Establishing a swift process for goods receipt is crucial to the overall efficiency of retail warehouse operations. Unloading palletised, boxed or loose items from delivery trucks is often carried out manually using forklift trucks, however automation can be implemented here through technology such as boom conveyors to enhance speed and eliminate the reliance on manual labour and a fleet of forklift trucks.

The next phase of transporting goods to the relevant storage area can be fully automated through roller or belt conveyors for boxes, totes, and bins as well as pallet conveyors for fully loaded pallets. This not only improves the speed of put-away, but also ensures the safe movement of goods around the warehouse.
Goods Storage
Automated solutions are extremely efficient in reducing the overall time dedicated to the storage process, however the type of automation required depends on the size and throughput expectancy of the products being stored.

Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS) can transform warehouse operations as they are specifically designed to optimise space utilisation, enhance inventory accuracy, and increase the speed and reliability of inventory put-away as well as order fulfilment.

L-A-C is proud to partner with HUBMASTER, specialists in providing space optimising stacker crane storage automation solutions designed to increase storage density and accelerate operations across storage, put-away, and retrieval. Their highly flexible ASRS systems can be suspended from above the building or existing racks, thus reducing its installation footprint.
Order Picking
A variety of automation technologies can be used for the order picking process, such as ASRS for goods-to-person and stacker cranes to extract palletised goods from their locations. These systems can be integrated with lines of conveyors to move the items to the dedicated pick stations where manual operators complete customer orders.

Collaborative Robots or fully Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) can also be used for efficient order picking operations. Collaborative robots work alongside a manual operative whereas AMRs work independently to select the required items from the storage zone and transport them to pick stations for warehouse staff to collate and sort, ready for packing and onward distribution.

Within the L-A-C solution portfolio is the innovative Exotec Skypod System, a revolutionary order-picking solution using a fleet of AMRs, developed to help e-merchants and retailers to best utilise their available warehouse space. The Skypod system provides a highly efficient and agile solution for retail order fulfilment, with enhanced pick accuracy and efficiency with the robots capable of working 24/7 and in temperatures as low as 0 degrees.
Order Packing & Shipping
A robust Warehouse Control System (WCS) system can make all the difference for efficient order packing such as identifying all items to be distributed together and ensuring they are collated accurately to then be shipped in one consignment.

L-A-C’s systems and solutions are designed to be agile and flexible to ensure smooth integration with your chosen WMS system, to ensure you achieve optimal efficiency levels, real-time visibility, improved order accuracy, combined with the necessary agility to cope with peak demands.
Warehouse Automation for Sustainable, Long-Term Growth
Across retail operations, our customers benefit from a wide range of our innovative products and software solutions, manufactured to the highest standards here in the UK. From modular conveyors through to fully automated picking systems, trust L-A-C to deliver flexible and scalable solutions that will significantly enhance your operations, keeping you agile and in control of your future growth.
Goods Receipt
Establishing a swift process for goods receipt is crucial to the overall efficiency of retail warehouse operations. Unloading palletised, boxed or loose items from delivery trucks is often carried out manually using forklift trucks, however automation can be implemented here through technology such as boom conveyors to enhance speed and eliminate the reliance on manual labour and a fleet of forklift trucks.

The next phase of transporting goods to the relevant storage area can be fully automated through roller or belt conveyors for boxes, totes, and bins as well as pallet conveyors for fully loaded pallets. This not only improves the speed of put-away, but also ensures the safe movement of goods around the warehouse.

Related Case Studies

10 Intriguing Facts About Belt Conveyor Systems

A Parcel Handling Obstacle

Automated Sortation in Warehouse

5 Key Uses Of Conveyor Belts In Modern Business: Exploring Their Versatile Applications

BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY TODAY

L-A-C’s team of experts are here to support you from concept to the finished system, working together to design and deliver a bespoke solution that meets your current objectives and future growth expectations, with favourable ROI.

Across semi-automated and fully automated systems, L-A-C has the expertise and range of products to provide flexible and scalable solutions that will significantly enhance your operations and keep you agile as your business evolves.

Join us on a pivotal journey towards a more efficient, productive, cost effective and sustainable future with L-A-C’s innovative automation technology solutions.