New facility will be equipped with redtagger invoice insertion systems
Alsdorf, 25.07.2018 – Popken Fashion Group counts on shipping document handling and label printing systems from AKL-tec GmbH
Popken Fashion Group is a family-operated business and is a combination of Ulla Popken, GINA LAURA, Studio Untold and JP1880, all under one single roof. The multi-channel company is specialized on plus-sized fashion and distributes its’ apparel in over 30 countries across more than 600 stores. The shipping and e-commerce and selected B2B-partners are increasingly being used as sales channels. In total more than 4000 employees are working around the clock to fully satisfy the customers. The familial roots lay in northern Germany, where even today the center of the company is located. In Oldenburg the focus is on the development and the sale of the label GINA Laura, the location in Rastede is the centerpiece of Ulla Popken, Studio Untold and JP1880. At this moment a 15.000 square meters large facility is being built at this exact location. After its’ finalization the company will put its’ trust in redtagger systems for the purpose of shipping document handling and label printing by AKL-tec GmbH.
Meeting the needs of the high amount of orders
“The orders through our catalog and the internet are continuously increasing. Therefore we have been looking for a system at our new facility that can make our commissioning process more efficient and economic.”, explains Frank Blecker, project leader of PFG Logistics GmbH, another company of Popken Fashion Group. Since the requirements for this project are quite high, he visited several logistics centres accompanied by his colleague Thomas Wetter and looked at several systems. Unfortunately they did not meet the desired needs and were not cost-efficient enough to convince the the fashion group. This is because a system was needed which was capable of inserting the correct document in 1750 boxes containing outgoing orders per hour and lane automatically. International orders are especially tricky: The correct transfer slip corresponding to the target country must be selected automatically and placed into the according box.
Furthermore the present space limitations had to be put into consideration and the system needs to be suitable for multi-shift operation. To find a solution, which met the requirements the internal IT-department started an internet research which led to AKL-tecs products. “Right from the start of the conversation we became aware of the high expertise, competence and flexibility regarding the topic of shipping document handing, which is why we placed our bets on four redtagger invoice insertion systems. “For the purpose of redundancy we will be using two independent systems on every lane”, says Thomas Wetter, Operations Manager at PFG Logistics.
Automatic document insertion process
Frank Blecker explains the soon-to-be commissioning process as follows: “ As soon as the order has come in, the job is picked and sorted. Therefore the ordered products are placed inside of a plastic container and transferred to a packing station with a conveyor belt. On the way there the automatic redtagger T-300 is given the according language and country so the correct documents can be selected. The according transfer slip as well as the invoice and return slip are placed inside the box with the aid of a specialized applicator.” The required system for this purpose is the fully-equipped redtagger T-300. In addition redtagger T-200 systems are going to be located at every single ongoing lane to place the shipping label inside of every box with the format of 100×180 mm. This entire process is done without any interruption. When the parcel arrives at the packing station, the entire order is prepared for the shipment inside of boxes or containers. The use of redtagger systems enables a flexible flow of goods and increases productivity due to its’ automization. In addition, the automatic process of order handling and just-in-time print data processing create a higher throughput and cost-efficiency. “Both AKL and our IT-departments are strongly working together so ensure an overall secure process in the development. The collaboration is highly constructive and we are looking forward to the launch of the systems in the near future.”, summarize the people involved.
