Who is the client?
A leading UK food and beverage brand, operating a national distribution centre responsible for supplying thousands of outlets daily. The facility manages ambient, chilled and frozen products, each picked in dedicated zones. With daily store waves and just-in-time delivery windows, the DC faced mounting pressure from growing SKU ranges, tote-based picking and labour-intensive replenishment.
How did we approach the problem?
WareBee deployed its digital twin to replicate the facility across all zones. Using SKU velocity and frequency analysis, affinity groupings and labour simulations, the team identified hidden inefficiencies and tested improvements in slotting, replenishment and tote fill — validating the impact before making changes on the floor.
What did we find?
Zone-level inefficiencies. Ambient, chilled and frozen areas operated in silos but shared similar slotting and replenishment challenges. SKUs were not always positioned for efficient access, slowing pick rates.
Underused storage and picking assets. Containers and roll cages were underutilised, with picking density well below operational potential; tote usage lacked optimisation logic, raising handling effort per shipment.
Labour and ergonomics. Congested aisles and poorly sequenced tote usage slowed navigation, and workforce planning didn’t always match zone-specific peaks — overstaffing in one zone, bottlenecks in another.
Tote and shipping inefficiencies. Tote fill density was inconsistent, and heavy items were sometimes sequenced above light ones, increasing rework and damage risk in transport.
Replenishment and picking inefficiency. High-velocity SKUs in small locations created frequent replenishment cycles, while low-velocity SKUs occupied valuable real estate in high-turnover zones — lengthening pick routes and slowing fulfilment.
What steps did we take?
- Velocity-based slotting per zone — re-slotted fast movers in ambient, chilled and frozen areas to minimise walking and speed up picks.
- Ergonomic improvements — moved high-frequency SKUs to waist level, cutting fatigue and improving safety.
- Tote & dolly optimisation — improved tote fill sequencing and dolly-board routes, maximising picks per tote with heavy-to-light stacking.
- Continuous monitoring — automated alerts for slot degradation, route friction and high-variance locations.
- Operational benchmarking — quantified baseline performance and simulated improvements before committing any physical changes.
- Simulation-driven labour planning — forecast zone-specific demand and matched staffing to store dispatch waves.
What were the results?
WareBee’s holistic approach delivered ROI within three months: travel distance per picker down 22%, picking productivity up 12% across all zones, shipment density up 18%, and 15% fewer replenishment tasks — alongside real-time visibility that supports proactive decisions every shift.
Why WareBee?
In food distribution, every pick must be fast and accurate. WareBee’s zone-aware simulations, tote optimisation and ergonomic improvements enabled the DC to boost pick productivity, maximise tote fill and streamline labour — all while improving employee safety and on-time delivery quality.