Kaufland e-Commerce Fulfilment has equipped employees at the distribution centre in Lutterberg with smart watches from specialist supplier Nimmsta. The wearable mobile device, developed for industrial requirements, works with the Storelogix warehouse management system from Common Solutions and enables employees to keep both hands free during order picking. This makes work easier and leads to more efficient processes.
The logistics service provider of Kaufland e-Commerce GmbH operates a total of three logistics locations. The distribution centre in Lutterberg in the district of Göttingen in Lower Saxony is focussed on the handling of forwarding goods and cross-docking for the German market. Items are prepared for shipping to the end customer at up to 14 packing stations. At its Bönen site in the district of Unna in North Rhine-Westphalia, the company handles import and parcel goods for Germany. It also serves as a returns centre. The largest of the three warehouses in Cheb, Czech Republic, mainly processes parcel goods as well as international orders and returns.
The Schwarz Group company acquired the online marketplace Real.de in October 2020 and renamed it Kaufland.de in April 2021. As part of the changeover, Kaufland parted with its grocery online shop. In 2023, Kaufland opened additional online marketplaces in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In total, the marketplaces offer more than 45 million items from over 11,000 connected retailers.
Intralogistics processes become up to 50 per cent more efficient
The Nimmsta Smart Watch guides the user through the processes of the warehouse management system. The provider has adapted the Storelogix EvoScan software for mobile order picking to the device’s touch display. Using its integrated scanner, which reads barcodes up to a distance of four metres, pickers can grasp and scan goods with a single hand movement. The touch function enables direct communication with the Warehouse Management System. Confirmations and entries are transmitted in real time. This should significantly reduce error rate and increase efficiency by up to 50 per cent.
Flexible Velcro fastening allows the wearer to customise positions of both the watch and the release button. The device weighs just 45 grams and is very comfortable to wear. This should lead to a high level of acceptance among employees and greater satisfaction in the workplace.
