The Client

Parts Authority is a leading omnichannel distributor of automotive and truck parts, tools/equipment, and transmission products to the auto aftermarket parts industry.

The Challenge

Parts Authority sought to use 75% of the facility’s capacity to fill e-commerce orders and 25% for traditional distribution fulfillment and hyper-local “hot shot” orders for customer pick up.

The Solution

In analyzing the Parts Authority’s inventory, throughput, and order data from its other DCs, KPI determined that the manual operations have a low per-person pick rate due to extensive walking and order consolidation requirements.

To minimize associate travel, KPI Solutions™ designed a hybrid system that incorporates two goods-to-person (GtP) automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS):

• A high-density AutoStore system holding more than 150,000 stock keeping units (SKUs).
• Mobile rack-to-person shelf storage holding 50,000 larger SKUs that don’t fit in the AutoStore. A fleet of 40 Geekplus autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) transport more than 1,200 racks throughout receiving, putaway, replenishment, and picking processes.

SKUs that don’t fit in the AutoStore or Geekplus racks are stored in selective pallet rack.

Receiving & Putaway

Upon receipt, associates scan items, triggering the facility’s warehouse management system (WMS) to allocate inventory based on size. Associates place items on different mobile racks based on their storage destination. Geekplus robots retrieve the shelves for putaway. Racks of items for the AutoStore route to a restocking induction point outfitted with light-directed picking indicators. Products that remain on the Geekplus shelves travel to a storage location selected by the Geekplus control software.

Picking, Packing & Replenishment

The Windsor facility operates three shifts, picking during the first two and restocking throughout all three. AutoStore retrieves parts
for multiple orders and delivers them to operators stationed at GtP ports. There, items are picked and placed into individual order totes as indicated by put-to-light. When an order is complete, its tote is pushed onto a takeaway conveyor and routed to packing. Geekplus presents racks of larger parts to pickers in a nonconveyable picking zone next to the packing area. Any orders that require pick consolidation are collected, line items are confirmed, and packing occurs. This area also utilizes automated taping, automatic print & apply for ship label application, and automated shipping box creation.

The Value

• By blending multiple automation technologies, Parts Authority has seen a 4X improvement in omnichannel order throughput.
• Picking and putaway has also seen a 4X increase in productivity.
• By leveraging dense storage in the AutoStore, inventory capacity has grown, allowing the DC to support over 200,000 SKUs.
• Traditional conveyor and automated box creation combined with AutoStore and Geekplus has improved order fulfillment speed.