In 2021, the international spectacle frame manufacturer Bellinger House implemented the warehouse management system Apport Advanced. The implementation of Apport Advanced has optimized the work processes at Bellinger in many areas as the warehouse management system has automatized many of the processes that demanded manual labor.
On a visit to Bellinger House, CEO, Malene Bellinger, Customer Service- and Warehouse Chief, Lotte Brun and Warehouse Responsible Rasmus Ladefoged showed us around at Bellinger’s warehouse and offices while demonstrating how Apport Advanced has optimized the work processes at the headquarters.
Before the implementation of the warehouse management system, Bellinger House experienced multiple challenges:
“It became clear that we had to do something about the manual processes that delayed us daily.” – CEO of Bellinger House, Malene Bellinger
The feeling of being limited daily when your company experiences increasing growth is not very soothing. It creates a demand to firstly reconsider which manual processes that may be optimized in order to make it possible to handle the experienced growth.
Bellinger House, who operates in an international market, experienced increasing demands from customers – especially, concerning their products not having barcodes. This emphasized the importance of not just being able to handle the continuous growth but also gaining a competitive advantage. Thereby, it became a necessity with an automatic warehouse management system.
At Bellinger House the implementation of the warehouse management system Apport Advanced became a quick and easy process – and the pros of having an automatic system were quickly noticeable.
Customer Service- and Warehouse Chief, Lotte Brun, explains that the employees in the warehouse now have a higher rate of picking the right products and this has increased positive feedback in the customer service department at Bellinger: “It is wonderful that we now deliver fast and the right products” CEO of Bellinger House, Malene Bellinger adds.
With the automatic warehouse management system, it is no longer necessary to be very familiar with the warehouse as the system functions as a handheld warehouse expert that leads you strategically around the warehouse.
“With Apport WMS we can receive goods and place them haphazardly on any shelf because the system will always navigate us precisely to where the product is placed.” – Warehouse Responsible, Rasmus Ladefoged
It is not difficult to imagine how time consuming it must have been that everyone had to know the warehouse from one end to another in order to pick the right products – especially, in a large warehouse with thousands of spectacle frames.
With Apport WMS this is not necessary anymore because the system knows where everything is placed and it is always ready to tell you.
“We are picking more effectively as we are now able to pick directly into shipping boxes. We do not need workers with a lot of warehouse experience. We can take people in directly from the street and give them a handheld terminal and then they are ‘good to go’.” – Customer Service- and Warehouse Chief, Lotte Brun
At Bellinger House it was quickly noticed that by having Apport WMS it is possible to occupy employees from the economics department, customer service department or a whole third to help in the warehouse when experiencing peak loads. This emphasizes the system’s availability and intuitive way of operating.
It is well-known for most companies that there are busier times than others, however, with an automatic warehouse management system it is no longer a worry at Bellinger House because it is easy to increase the workforce during peak loads.
The optimization from manual to automatic processes has given overview and surplus to prioritize resources better. It is important that you always have an overview of the situation here and now in order for you to act if you suddenly receive many orders or receive new goods.
Customer Service- and Warehouse Chief, Lotte Brun elaborates: “By implementing Apport, we now have a better overview of our tasks. This creates a better opportunity for us to allocate the right resources to the right places.”
Apport Advanced is a customized warehouse management system for integration in businesses that already operates with an ERP-system. The warehouse management system Apport Advanced is developed to grow with your company as the system is scalable and keeps track of all processes in the warehouse.
At Bellinger House a WMS is an essential factor to be able to have their aggressive growth strategy. “In the future, we expect that Apport can help us reach our goals for our growth strategy which is very aggressive. We expect to expand our warehouse and have far more picking locations – and the scalability is much easier as we have a WMS.” – Customer Service- and Warehouse Chief, Lotte Brun
The warehouse management system makes it possible to continuously develop and expand in the warehouse in order for capacity and work processes to grow with the company. Most importantly is the fact that everything is executed with a human face – both in the growth- and implementation processes.
“There is always someone you can call and receive help from here and now.” – Rasmus
Would you prefer to talk to an employee at Apport to find out what you need – whether it is a dedicated WMS or whether you can continue to use your current ERP system?
People over systems.
Process over technology.
Results above all.