Background
Parts Town UK (formally First Choice Group) holds the largest stock of catering spares in the UK. In addition to items from all major manufacturers, the company also supply tools and consumables that include refrigeration systems and environmental solutions. First Choice Group moved into a brand new 100,000 sq. ft building to include a 70,000 sq. ft Parts Automation Centre.
Parts Town UK store up to 70% of all stock inside the 12 metres high Hänel Lean-Lifts. Warehouse staff run a busy centre, picking up to 200 orders per hour and shipping over 850 orders per day. Featuring a cluster of twenty four vertical lifts, each system is linked up with the company’s ERP system. Employees use scanners that record all pick and put operations, with orders automatically being assigned job numbers and clearly indicating where specific items are stored inside the lift systems.
When a barcode is read by a scanner, this box is directly allocated a job order. Once a box is processed, the lift automatically brings the required container to the access point, shining an LED light on the identified area for the operator to retrieve from.
The automated storage and retrieval systems have transformed warehouse processes and have supported First Choice Group in their growth plans. The company has not only saved tremendous amounts of costly floor space, but has propelled its environment into a state-of-the-art distribution centre.
Twenty Four, Hänel Lean-Lifts
Reason for investment – improve operational efficiency and maximise space
Main benefit – accommodating accelerated business growth
Parts Town UK has been using Hänel lifts for many years – and we will continue to use this most reliable and advanced technology to future-proof our growth and success to the future. Industore’s expertise and experience has been invaluable to us, and our joint-collaboration on the First Choice project has produced excellent results which we are extremely proud of.”
John Whitehouse, Parts Town UK.
