Gaming industry

The Operation

The gaming industry is a high-value niche market where customers expect the highest standards of product quality and customer service. Players in this field vary from small scale web-based card and board game outfits, to mass market chains with high-street outlets and well established global market presence. The Invar Group has worked with a high-placed firm in the latter category that manufactures and sells tabletop game supplies in over 5,000 stores worldwide, as well as owning owns 450 retail stores.

The Challenge

In recent years rapid growth of the business had placed a heavy burden on its manual picking and packing operations. So, to support future growth and to boost capacity across its order picking and despatch processes, the company launched a major global initiative to transform its multi-channel distribution.

• Internationally standardise operations
• Increase pick/pack rates
• Minimise errors
• Adhere to strict quality standards
• Enhance customer experience

The Solution

In an industry first, the same fleet of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) would be used for picking and for fetching palletised loads for decanting and replenishment, creating significant operational efficiencies and greater flexibility.

• Two phased approach – North American Hub & European Hub
• Intelligent goods-to-person operation using Hikrobot AMRs
• Pick and place light technology
• IWS/WMS
• Racking, picking stations, decant stations, complex conveyor systems and despatch equipment

The Benefits

The completion of this project has delivered major operational advantages in terms of flexibility and agility, resulting in significant productivity gains.

• Up to 2,170 order line picks per hour
• 99.9% accuracy
• 41% improved efficiency in picking and packing
• 40% improved efficiency in the replenishment process
• Pick rates increase from 2.67 units per minute to 15.88 units per minute

Testimonial

“We recognised that AMR assisted picking was a low-CapEx option that could be scaled up over time, without the hassle and expense of fixed assets. Flexibility was a guiding principle in our decision making, but more so was the ability to be agnostic. Businesses change and we needed the flexibility to integrate future technological advancements to our core operating system with ease and without any financial ties. Working with Invar and using the IWS system globally allows us to achieve this.”