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Number1 Logistics Group: Click Reply™ supported the complex distribution network

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NUMBER1 Logistics Group, the leading Italian logistics operator serving companies in the Grocery sector, embarked upon a general renewal project. The aim of the project was to design a personalised warehouse operations model, to be supported in turn by a new WMS Warehouse Management System.

With a particular focus on the difficulties posed by its intricate distribution network,NUMBER1 chose the Click Reply™ WM solution.

The complexity and type of the company’s distribution network, combined with the need for the standardisation of its logistics processes, rendered Click Reply™ WM the best solution for NUMBER1’s requirements: unified and centralised management of different kinds of stock; versatility of configuration options to keep abreast of the dynamic variations in the company’s business processes; a system capable of handling the practical complexities of Grocery stock management.

To date, Click Reply™ WM has been implemented in around 30 distribution systems in Italy and covers 60 of NUMBER1’s Partners, with a grand total of 250 installations. Meanwhile, the solution is being updated continually to incorporate new functions and other improvements requested by Clients; for example we are currently introducing Voice Picking.

REPLY VALUE

TEAMWORK AND ORGANISATION. Teamwork and organisation have held and continue to hold an extremely significant role in the creation and launch of the Click Reply™ WM solution. The vital features that have made the project successful can be summarised as follows:

  • Sharing solutions with the IT and Operations departments at NUMBER1, who supported the decisions taken by verifying the requirements of the various systems
  • Standardisation of the rules for set-up of the various systems (clear, unquestionable rules regarding the definition of maps, naming conventions, the procedures for registering initial inventory etc.)
  • Involving managers of the various systems in the roll-outs of new warehouses, to have them share their choices and goals
  • Development of specific procedures for set-up and repetitive data migration in order to:
    • increase the automation, speed and safety levels of start-up for new accounts and systems
    • reduce start-up time
    • reduce training time
    • reduce potential risks at the start-up stage.

    • INTEGRATION. Another of the most important goals in this project was the definition of the Click Reply™ WM integration model with NUMBER1’s Legacy IT systems, based on an integrative layer created using Oracle Fusion Middleware. In particular, the following middleware was used:

    • Oracle BPEL for integration with legacy systems for administrative management and transport planning
    • Oracle ESB for integration with subsystems in the field (management and control systems for automatic warehouses and palletization equipment)

    Furthermore, the design of the BPEL processes has led to the involvement of Technology Reply, a Reply Group company specialising in Oracle technology, that also co-ordinated a spin-off project for the development of a centralised monitor to control integration processes. The solution provides:

    • A log detailing all data extraction, handling and delivery activities carried out as part of the BPEL processes
    • Monitoring of the times needed for implementation of the various phases
    • Monitoring of irregularities and eventual processes that may present errors
    • The management and automatic correction, where possible, of processes presenting errors by use of a solution based on Oracle BPEL WorkList

    NUMBER1 AND CLICK REPLY™ WM TODAY

    To date, the Click Reply™ WM solution covers:

    • approximately 30 distribution systems in Italy
    • ​around 60 of NUMBER1’s Partners
    • more than 250 system / Partner set-ups (one Partner can be managed in more than one system)
    • more than 200 PC workstations
    • more than 800 RF devices

    From a practical standpoint, the original project has been fully completed. At the same time, the system is continuously undergoing updates to incorporate new functions and other improvements requested. The development and release of new features is ​​​​​carried out parallel to the system’s roll-out with NUMBER1’s new partners.