TB Groupe automates its order preparation system
Building a new location means new prospects for the company
At the end of summer 2015 we featured an article about the new TB Groupe storage facility that is under construction, this project is almost finished. TB Groupe, the manufacturer of “Made in France” knives, is presently based out of Celles-sur-Durolle and will move to its new premises located in La Monnerie-le-Montel (in the French department Puy-de-Dôme) by July 2016.
Tarrerias-Bonjean will be equipped with a brand-new warehouse which is bigger and partially mechanized. This new location is necessary due to the fact that this cutlery company from Thiers continues to grow and intends to boost its productivity despite competition from China.
The company is developing this logistics hub, spanning 4,600m2 (approx. 49,513ft2), specifically designed to handle the preparation and management of orders. The inventory management and the order preparation system will be partially mechanized, allowing the company to avoid outsourcing.
TB Groupe has affirmed its attachment to the region as well as its role as spearhead of the local economy by deciding to stay in the area surrounding Thiers.
TB Groupe improves its system for preparing orders and managing inventory
For TB Groupe, who created the brands Laguiole Evolution®, Le Couteau du Chef® and Evercut® (true symbols of French high-end cutlery), this move to newly constructed premises means having an increase in space.
This new building will be bigger than the present warehouse that will continue to be used as a storage facility. Today the company calls upon external contractors for stocking inventory. However the new warehouse will provide sufficient space to carry out internal operations without hiring external contractors.
Until now all orders have been prepared manually. The new premises will allow TB Groupe to mechanize the system used to prepare orders. An area spanning 600m2 (approx. 6,458ft2) will be equipped with an innovative storage infrastructure and automated preparation system. This new organizational structure uses the newest generation of conveyor belts in a system called “goods-to-person” Intelis PTS, developed by the company Savoye, specializing in logistics.
The products needed to fulfil Internet orders will be automatically routed to the individual responsible for packing the order.
Order preparations, logistics, information processing: adaptable yet reactive
Logistics and order preparations will be redefined and improved considerably
Savoye Division designs custom-made logistics management systems by analyzing company needs in terms of order preparation, implementing information processing systems and installing and assuring that the specialized equipment is working properly.
Savoye is a division of Legris Industries Group who recently redesigned its automated system called Intelis PTS. This system is composed of automated shuttles used during retail order preparation in the warehouse. It is called “goods-to-person” because the product goes to the person instead of the person going to the product. By integrating the Intelis PTS to TB Groupe’s order preparation system the company will be adding great value to its organizational structure. This system collects products that have been stocked in a logical fashion and regroups them before being sent to clients.
TB Groupe will boost its productivity and significantly improve the quality of its services by optimizing its order preparation system. Optimal client satisfaction is clearly one of the objectives the directors of this cutlery company from the Auvergne region wish to fulfil.
A progressive project
Savoye Division proposed a system that TB Groupe adopted for its new warehouse which consists of 23 rows and 12 shuttles that circulate on 21 levels in order to collect the necessary products. An order preparation station, a packaging assembly line, a weight-checking station at the end of the assembly line, an automatic lidding machine and two sorting points are also included in the blueprints. TB Groupe has reason to believe they have a bright future ahead of them!
The new order preparation system will be able to process 200 multi-reference packages and e-commerce orders per day. For the moment, out of the 2,500 products present in the TB Groupe catalogue, 400 are already available via Internet.
This order preparation system’s projected figures speak for themselves: "For the moment, our operators can prepare 150 production lines per day. With Intelis PTS, they will be capable of processing more than 350 lines per hour!" states Philippe Boyadjis, TB Groupe’s Director of Operations.
By implementing this extremely elaborate order preparation system TB Groupe is equipping itself with a tool that will considerably improve its operator’s daily routine. Improving the company’s logistics was inevitable due to the fact that their new, successful online shop has created an increase in demand.
The company directors have been thinking about the future as this project to optimize their order preparation system can evolve and be built upon. By 2020, TB Groupe foresees installing 9 additional shuttles and, if needed, a second order preparation post. TB Groupe has decided to continue manufacturing its cutlery products in France and this decision should prove to be beneficial to the company.