ASICS: Leading the race with innovative storage solutions

The right equipment is essential to quickly reaching a desired goal – both in running and in logistics. ASICS, a sports shoes and sportswear manufacturer founded in 1949, is gearing up for today’s challenges with the help of a tailored solution by KNAPP. ASICS needed a system which meets the requirements of day-to-day business and is able to increase its capacities during peak periods. With KNAPP’s smart combination of OSR Shuttle™ Evo and all-in-one KiSoft software solution ticking all the boxes, ASICS is given a head start.

From the French village Garons, ASICS distributes their products all around Europe. As a leading brand of sports shoes and sportswear, ASICS supplies 10,000 stores in 20 European countries. During peak periods, up to 55,000 running shoes leave the new distribution center in France every day.

ASICS’ mission: To provide the best sports equipment for a healthy lifestyle as quickly as possible. And this is where KNAPP’s logistics and software solutions come in: KNAPP supplied ASICS with an automated storage and picking system, the OSR Shuttle™ Evo, and five Pick-it-Easy work stations. Coupled with the intelligent KiSoft logistics software, all relevant information and performance data is available at a glance.

“The solution had to be compatible with our WMS. We also needed a strong partner who could manage the project and handle both the software and technical rollout,” explains Maider Thicoipe, Operational Support Manager at ASICS, with regard to the system requirements. The solution was implemented according to ASICS’ needs.

The new, tailor-made automation solution allows ASICS to quickly and efficiently process all warehouse and shipping processes. The solution also provides optimized working conditions for the company’s employees. As they no longer have to walk long distances and since all Pick-it-Easy work stations are ergonomically designed, efficiency could be boosted demonstrably.

To help ASICS achieve maximum results, the components are tailored to their specific needs special requirements:

• The OSR Shuttle™ Evo represents high productiveness, reliability and storage density. When needed, the four currently used rack line systems with 38,000 storage locations can be extended by another rack line system with 9,500 storage locations.
• At five Pick-it-Easy work stations, employees fulfill orders in optimal ergonomic conditions. This increases performance and reduces errors at the same time.
• The KiSoft software provides a transparent and clear visualization of the entire logistics system including the current workload and even the status of each shuttle or work station.

The Value-added service area, located next to the Pick-it-Easy work stations, is a special feature of the ASICS warehouse logistics. In this area, cartons for B2B customers receive individualized advertising material or specific documents.

The state-of-the-art solutions also meet the requirements for sustainable business operations and reduce the company’s ecological footprint. For instance, different carton sizes are used to optimize the fill level of each packing unit. This way, less air is transported in the packing units, which also reduces ASICS’ carbon footprint.

Naturally, ASICS’ growth was taken into account during the implementation of the automated distribution center. For instance, the OSR Shuttle^TM is able to increase its performance to 100,000 shipped items in peak periods and can be extended if required.

Have we sparked your interest in intelligent warehouse logistics and software solutions? Drop us a line at blog@knapp.com and schedule a meeting with one of our experts.