Replenishment and location
Storage locations were sized wrong for demand, forcing frequent replenishment. A 50,000-item catalogue added slotting complexity, with dead stock and slow movers occupying poorly chosen locations.
Case Studies / Manufacturing
Streamlining Warehouse Operations with WareBee
A renowned European automotive leader with extensive manufacturing and distribution operations, running a state-of-the-art distribution centre that handles 50,000+ SKUs across 100,000+ storage locations, serving both just-in-time production and the replacement-parts aftermarket.
- 42%Shorter picking distance
- 13%Faster picking time
- 15%Lower labour costs
- 9%Higher storage utilisation
The approach
WareBee combined digital twin technology with warehouse simulations to pinpoint the operational bottlenecks and provide targeted, testable solutions, each validated in the model before it reached the floor.
What we found
The inefficiencies hiding in plain sight.
Look-alike SKUs
Visually and physically similar SKUs were stored side by side, driving picking errors and avoidable rework.
Ergonomics
Fast movers sat at awkward heights, causing repetitive-strain injuries and slowing picks, while routes demanded excessive walking.
Technology gaps
The WMS lacked advanced capabilities and forced manual intervention. Excel and Power BI were too limited for accurate performance tracking.
Labour distribution
Staffing did not track demand: overstaffed in slow periods, understaffed at the peaks that mattered.
What we did
Changes tested in the twin, then made on the floor.
Ergonomic enhancements
Re-slotted fast movers to waist-height shelves to cut strain and speed picks.
Zoning high-turnover SKUs
Reorganised frequently picked items by affinity analysis to cut travel and improve flow.
Dead-stock reorganisation
Moved dead stock to upper and lower levels, freeing prime picking zones.
Improved replenishment
Assigned larger locations to fast movers for efficient replenishment and fewer stockouts.
Continuous slotting
Used WareBee AI for continuous monitoring and weekly re-slotting once thresholds were met.
Automated inventory audits
Integrated compliance-policy monitoring, cutting manual audit effort by 90%.
What-if automation simulations
Modelled options such as vertical lifts to find best-fit automation by cost, ROI and operational impact.
The outcome
Within six months, picking time fell 13% (productivity up a further 8.3 lines/hour) and labour costs dropped 15%. Picking distance fell 42% through better slotting while preserving order-demand correlation. Repetitive-strain injuries dropped 20% and storage utilisation rose 9%, absorbing future growth without expanding the footprint.
Why WareBee
WareBee keeps warehouses fit for the future through continuous improvement, data-driven insight and advanced optimisation, balancing quick wins with long-term strategy so the operation stays agile as the industry shifts.
Want numbers like these?
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