Swisslog Congratulates The GIANT Company on its New E-Commerce Fulfillment Center
I was honored to attend the company’s ribbon cutting ceremony marking the occasion. I’m also very proud of the work we did with Peapod Digital Labs and The GIANT Company, which are both part of Ahold Delhaize USA, U.S., to deploy the facility’s micro-fulfillment technology. Swisslog’s team of automation experts brought together AutoStore, optimized by Swisslog’s SynQ software, with Peapod Digital Labs’ proprietary manual picking capabilities, to create a flexible automation solution that streamlines the company’s grocery e-commerce order fulfillment.
Moving storage and fulfillment closer to consumers while maintaining the agility to quickly relocate those functions, as market demand shifts or supply chain needs change, is an essential characteristic of the supply chain of the future. With Swisslog’s help, organizations like Peapod Digital Labs and The GIANT Company are leading the way in showing the value micro-fulfillment technology can bring to e-grocery and e-fulfillment.
The GIANT EFC will stock more than 22,000 products, allowing the company to meet growing customer demand with greater capacity, faster order fulfillment, and room to grow home grocery delivery. It is the first Ahold Delhaize USA company to implement this new EFC technology, which utilizes the latest in robotics, machine learning, and vertical integration. The facility is expected to fulfill up to approximately 15,000 home delivery orders per week.
Automated micro-fulfillment centers are quickly becoming an essential part of the supply chain. These facilities help reduce delivery costs and shorten the last mile and the time to consumer. They are also an ideal solution for fulfilling online orders for curbside pickup. With the right approach and automation technology, they can help companies meet changing expectations and enhance customer experience.
Visit our micro-fulfillment center webpage, to learn how automated micro-fulfillment centers might fit within your supply chain strategy.
Warehouse automation introduces efficiencies that enable organizations to increase productivity, respond faster to orders, and increase storage density. However, securing the capital required to support these initiatives is a hurdle some organizations struggle to overcome. Part of the challenge may be that these organizations fail to fully consider the hidden costs of maintaining the status quo. From falling behind competitors to rising costs to unpredictable service levels, carefully considering the costs of inaction should always be considered as part of the business case for warehouse automation.
