Long-term collaboration for the Best Warehouse management

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About Schou

Schou is one of Denmark’s largest suppliers, with an annual revenue of 5 billion Danish kroner. They provide a wide range of products, including garden equipment, furniture, and tools, to retail chains such as Jysk, Bauhaus, and Jem & Fix. Schou’s main warehouse is located in Kolding and serves as the central logistics hub for all of Europe.

INDUSTRY

Supplier

Integration:

NetSuite

employees

100 (more during peak season)

Warehouse

100.000 sqm.

Product numbers

4.500 Before Apport Systems

From manual processes to a 40% increase in efficiency

Before partnering with Apport, Schou’s warehouse management relied on manual processes. Employees used paper and pen to pick and register items, often leading to picking errors and inefficiencies in warehouse operations. With a rapidly growing product flow, Schou faced significant logistical challenges that demanded a modernization of their warehouse management.

In 2009, Schou implemented Apport WMS and simultaneously introduced pick-by-voice technology. This solution significantly streamlined their warehouse operations. Employees transitioned from paper-based processes to receiving instructions directly through headsets, resulting in an approximate 40% productivity increase almost from day one. Apport ensured that the warehouse could keep up with Schou’s growth while establishing a more structured and stable warehouse management system.

"You could say it was a quantum leap for us, but it didn’t stop there. We have continuously developed how we use the system, and in the early 2020s, we took another quantum leap with a fully automated high-bay warehouse."

Rune Skou Raun, Logistics Director

The new main warehouse

A central logistics center

In 2022, Schou began consolidating some of its European warehouses into a large central warehouse in Kolding. This complex move involved warehouses from Denmark, Sweden, and Germany and had to be carried out without disrupting daily operations or affecting customers.

The relocation process was carefully planned and executed in multiple phases to ensure Schou could maintain their high delivery precision. Even during the move, Schou experienced the benefits of the new central warehouse structure, including reduced transportation costs and more efficient handling of goods. This consolidation was a crucial step in Schou’s development and laid the foundation for their future growth.

Schou is shaping the future through technology and automation.

A fully automated high-bay warehouse

The future is automation

As part of their strategic growth plan, Schou decided to invest in a fully automated high-bay warehouse, designed to handle large volumes of goods with maximum efficiency. The high-bay warehouse has a capacity of 40,000 pallet spaces and operates using advanced automation systems that store and retrieve pallets without human intervention. Equipped with cranes and conveyor belts, the system ensures fast and precise movement of pallets between the receiving area and storage locations. It optimizes the placement of each pallet based on the warehouse’s load and rotation needs, minimizing the time it takes to retrieve or deliver a pallet.

"On our journey toward smarter, more automated solutions, we naturally consulted with Jakob Krogh, CEO of Apport, for his expertise on how Apport could support us and guide our next steps. Jakob has been an invaluable partner in implementing Apport to manage the manual side of our warehouse, working efficiently alongside the high-bay system. Together with SSI Schäfer, who supplied the high-bay warehouse, and Apport, which handles our manual operations, we spent considerable time ensuring that both systems worked seamlessly - and they've been operating flawlessly from day one."

Rune Skou Raun, Logistics Director

The high-bay warehouse operates with its own WMS system that manages the automated processes. Apport WMS is not part of the high-bay warehouse but interfaces with its WMS system. Together, they enable the handling of both high-frequency picking tasks and large volumes of goods without compromising on efficiency or speed.

The future

Technology and partnership as the driving force

The collaboration between Schou and Apport continues. Schou plans to integrate more technology into their warehouse operations, including AGVs and drones, with Apport playing a central role. Schou greatly values the close relationship and valuable insights Apport has provided over the years and sees them as a key partner in their future growth. For Schou, it is crucial that Apport has a team that understands their business and meets their needs—this is the key to a strong and lasting partnership.

We can't implement any technological advancements without them being integrated with or connected to Apport. That's why we see Apport as an important partner. We truly value the close collaboration and the valuable input we receive almost on a daily basis. It means a lot to us - both now and for our future."

Rune Skou Raun, Logistics Director