NEXT Doncaster Furniture Distribution Center

Project Overview

NEXT, a large UK retailer, required fast goods movement at their two warehouses in Doncaster to meet customer demand for clothing and furniture. The partnership with Körber began in 2011 when they were chosen as a preferred supplier based on their experience in providing total pallet handling solutions. The relationship has grown over many years, building effective collaboration that works for both companies.

The primary objectives for automation were to reduce overall operational costs, minimize product damage, and ensure efficiency and competitiveness in the retail industry. These goals were critical as excessive overhead costs from transport, handling, logistics, and labor could impact profitability. The automated solution needed to provide a reliable, profitable business model that would keep NEXT ahead of competition.

The system supports NEXT's business growth, which has been achieved through prompt, fast delivery services and accurate inventory management enabled by the Körber automation system.

Technical Solution

Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS)

The system features 77,000 pallet locations across two adjacent warehouses, managed by 23 heavy-duty stacker cranes specifically designed to handle large furniture items. The cranes operate at ideal speeds for the operation with smooth transfer processes. An innovative aisle switching function allows individual cranes to be serviced offline by moving them to a maintenance area while neighboring cranes continue operations.

Key Features

The two-warehouse configuration with 1.5 km of linking RGV track creates an integrated operation that efficiently handles the large scale of NEXT's furniture and goods distribution requirements.

The heavy-duty stacker cranes are specifically designed to handle large furniture items, operating at optimal speeds with smooth transfer processes that prevent damage to products during storage and retrieval.

The aisle switching maintenance function ensures continuous operation by allowing individual cranes to be serviced offline while neighboring equipment maintains operations, maximizing system availability.

Results & Benefits

The system enables efficient storage and picking of home furniture items with accurate location tracking and zero damage, addressing one of the key objectives of reducing product damage throughout the handling process.

Reduced dispatch costs have been achieved through the energy-efficient system design and optimized material flow, contributing to overall cost reduction goals and improved profitability.

The reliable automated system supports NEXT's business strategy with a robust and resilient operation that maintains customer orders and minimizes production losses through effective after-sales support.

Challenges & Solutions

The migration from a manual picking warehouse to a fully automated operation presented significant operational challenges. Körber's turnkey solution provided comprehensive automation that transformed manual processes into efficient automated workflows.

The need to reduce overall costs, minimize product damage, and ensure industry competitiveness was addressed through the implementation of an automated ASRS with RGVs, creating efficient, damage-free handling of large furniture items that supports competitive retail operations.

System Integrator

Körber served as the system integrator, providing a turnkey solution that includes Rail Guided Vehicles, automated storage and retrieval systems, pallet building systems, picking stations, WCS software, and monitoring systems. Their attention to detail, confidence in deliverables, and competitive pricing made them the preferred supplier. The comprehensive SCADA overview provided by Körber enables NEXT to efficiently dispatch engineers to resolve issues, minimizing downtime and maintaining operational efficiency.