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A Deep Dive Into Revolutionizing India’s Ecommerce Warehouse Operations

July 10, 2024
Ecommerce warehousing involves storing, organizing, and managing goods in the supply chain for online retail. India is becoming one of the fastest-growing ecommerce markets in the world, so efficient warehousing solutions are essential. The Indian ecommerce warehousing market is growing rapidly now with no sign of slowing down. If you are an online retailer looking to gain a competitive edge in your market, read more to find out which technologies will benefit you as you start to plan your next warehouse operation upgrade.

Meeting Retail's New Demands: Bastian Solutions at RILA LINK 2024

February 21, 2024
Remaining competitive means staying ahead of retail's rapid changes, such as complex omnichannel business models, demanding planning cycles, and rising customer expectations. Retail leaders are coming together at this year's RILA LINK to tackle these challenges. They want integrated solutions to simplify operations and make customers happier.

Holiday Order Fulfillment Calls for An Omnichannel Approach

November 29, 2023
Sales are on the rise again this holiday season and consumers are shopping in an omnichannel way. Black Friday, Cyber Monday and sales before and after the Thanksgiving holiday marked at least a week of special discounts and sales. It also marked a year over year increase in retail activity in the United States, spending an estimated $9.8 billion during Black Friday alone, according to Adobe Analytics. Originally a single day of sales, discounts and deals came early extending the sales period before Black Friday, potentially easing the Friday sales bump. In-store sales increased by 1.1%, while ecommerce sales rose by 8.5% year over year, according to MasterCard SpendingPulse. Final totals are still being tallied but reports from MasterCard SpendingPulse, Adobe Analytics and various consulting firms indicate that most likely due to the country’s inflation and economic pressures, consumers actively took advantage of the season’s special discounts, searching for the best deals. They are buying “closer-to-need” according to TD Cowen analysts.

The Past, Present and Future of Retail Supply Chain

September 20, 2023
With the global pandemic only a few years behind us, rising diesel prices, supply chain shortages and a drastically transformed customer shopping landscape, the closing of 2022 should have looked bleaker. However, the “hyper growth” that was seen in ecommerce during the pandemic moved 2025 projections up by years. At the closing of 2022 we’re seeing retail’s first trillion-dollar year. As the meteoric growth of online sales has begun to moderate, and as we look forward to 2023 it will be imperative for retailers to address the past, present and future of retail.

6 Considerations for Retail E-Fulfillment Polybag Packing Automation

August 16, 2023
Bag or box? They aren’t the only packing options, but they are certainly the most prevalent when it comes to retail fulfillment. With ecommerce activity on the rise, planning for and designing DC efficiency around single order pick and pack operations is a necessary shift to remaining competitive in the retail industry. Not only does this factor into meeting consumers’ quick turnaround expectations but also in keeping costs low. When it comes to packing and shipping, you can make efficiencies in larger factors such as operations and system design but also in smaller details like the size of the parcel. Shipping fast and cost efficiently is a balancing act that starts in warehouse or distribution center design. Whether you are working with polybags, boxes or both, appropriate automation sizing and integration with surrounding equipment has immediate and lasting impacts.

The Effectiveness of Slotting in Warehouse Operations

March 01, 2023
Warehouse slotting, velocity slotting, re-slotting – these are all commonly used terms when referring to SKU optimization. What does it mean and what does it look like for warehouse operations? Put simply, velocity slotting is an organizational strategy that utilizes storage zones within a warehouse to store products by pick frequency. It’s impact stretches to positively impact costs, inventory performance and satisfying customer service level agreements, to name a few. Let’s take a deeper look at the effectiveness of slotting.
Posted in General Blogs

'Looking Beyond Technology' at RILA LINK 2023

February 08, 2023
Bastian Solutions will be present at RILA LINK in Orlando, FL this month. Joining the retail order fulfillment and automation conversation with thousands of supply chain executives to connect, learn and explore leading best practices. With over 2,000 retail supply chain leaders in one place, LINK is the perfect event for Bastian to connect with carriers, vendors and other key partners.
Posted in General Blogs

Industry Leaders, Innovators and Investors at Manifest 2023

January 18, 2023
Bastian Solutions is excited to join supply chain and logistics professionals for the second annual Manifest trade show, the premiere gathering of industry leaders, innovators and investors for a showcase of innovation and transformation across the logistics and supply chain tech industry. Manifest brings unprecedented access to the people and technologies changing the way the world moves.
Posted in General Blogs

Thrive During Peak Season: 3 Order Fulfillment Considerations

December 07, 2022
Peak season is here. While Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the biggest sales days of the year, have come and gone, order fulfillment operations are busy ensuring that orders are filled accurately, packaged carefully and shipped on time. For retailers, this is both a time of getting through the peak and also an opportunity to shine ahead of competitors. Handling seasonal peaks requires automation that simplifies the surge in distribution.

Webcast Recap: Robotics Accelerates Retail Digitization

October 05, 2022
In a recent webcast, Matt Kohler, Bastian Solutions’ Applications Director, and other industry leaders discussed how both online and traditional retailers can take advantage of automation as peak season approaches. A key topic discussed during the webcast was the importance of collecting and analyzing data to provide timely and actionable insights for customers.

Três fatores principais no design de produção de goods to person

September 22, 2022
Como integradora independente, a Bastian Solutions trabalha com diversas tecnologias e marcas. Como tal, não é incomum ser perguntado pelos clientes: “Quantas linhas por hora posso fazer com um sistema de goods to person?” Quando falamos de GTP (sistemas de goods to person), isso pode incluir sistemas de AutoStore, ASRS, Scallog, Kardex, Servus ou Adapto. Todas essas tecnologias oferecem métodos modernos e facilmente escaláveis de atendimento de pedidos, por meio de diferentes configurações tecnológicas e de design. Portanto, quando se trata de responder “quantas linhas por hora posso fazer”, há muitos fatores que entram em jogo, mas há três elementos principais que ajudam a fornecer uma imagem mais clara e fornecer uma taxa estimada de linhas por hora. Vamos explorar isto.

3 Key Mistakes to Avoid in Micro-fulfillment Technology Selection

September 14, 2022
Bringing products as close and as fast as possible to customers triggered a new way of looking at fulfillment centers. In addition to large regional warehouses, microfulfillment centers (MFCs) are popular topics in retail, ecommerce and food industries. Before implementing any solution, it’s key to carefully review applications and properly prepare for current and future scenarios. This step can help you avoid key mistakes and select the right technology. The last thing you want to do is to install a technology that doesn’t do the job the way you expected or needed.

3 Parcel Shipment Direct-to-Consumer Opportunity Areas

August 03, 2022
It’s no secret that, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, foot traffic in brick-and-mortar stores has seen a dramatic decrease. Recent reports show a slight increase and recovery but it is becoming increasingly clear that online shopping is the way of the future. How are businesses responding to this trend and what does this mean for parcel shipments?

Reimagining Order Fulfillment with Robotic Piece Picking Solutions [Infographic]

July 13, 2022
Transform warehouse operations to achieve smarter, more accurate, 24/7 order fulfillment with piece picking robotic solutions carefully integrated to support existing workflows and flexible enough to easily grow for future business volume, products, seasonality and new functions. Download this Infographic to learn more.

Workplace Health: Ergonomics, Safety and Health Enhanced by Logistics Robots

May 25, 2022
Post originally published and provided courtesy of Scallog. In order to coordinate and absorb those retail flows as effectively as possible to meet demand, logistics engineers must become more efficient and productive, beyond trading off their resources as an adjustment variable. Automation, and specifically goods-to-person robotics, is a crucial element to ensure efficient logistics without compromising on the operator’s safety and well-being.

Automation is Becoming the New Normal in India Warehousing

March 29, 2022
The warehousing industry has grown in the last few years by becoming more intentionally planned, multifaceted and accessible. It’s a push towards automation. This will progress further in the upcoming years, especially as companies look to meet customer’s fast fulfilment expectations and challenges like labour and real estate availability continue. The last few decades have shed a light on how products get to consumers, bringing increased attention to warehousing and distribution which has evolved the focus bringing substantial study and investment.

Latin America’s Largest AutoStore Brings Innovation for Dafiti Group Retail Ecommerce

March 02, 2022
Featuring capacity for goods to person system storage of 3.6 million products, Dafiti Group’s newest warehouse, called LEAP, houses one of the most advanced automation systems in the world providing fast delivery across Latin America. As part of the Global Fashion Group, Dafiti leads fashion and lifestyle ecommerce retail sales in Latin America and needed a facility and supporting technology to match their spirit for innovation and top-level customer satisfaction. This fast-moving system was expertly integrated with Dafiti’s current and future ecommerce growth in mind, offering a reliably convenient shopping experience for years to come. “[LEAP’s] scale and sophistication speak to the transformational growth of the fashion ecommerce industry and will help to propel our next ten years of growth in the region,” says Christoph Barchewitz, Co-CEO of the Global Fashion Group.

Maior AutoStore da América Latina traz inovação para o comércio eletrônico de varejo do Dafiti Group

March 02, 2022
Com capacidade de armazenamento de 3,6 milhões de produtos, o mais novo armazém do Grupo Dafiti, chamado LEAP, abriga um dos sistemas de automação mais avançados do mundo, proporcionando entrega rápida em toda a América Latina. Como parte do Global Fashion Group, a Dafiti lidera as vendas de varejo de comércio eletrônico de moda e estilo de vida na América Latina e precisava de instalações e tecnologia de suporte para corresponder ao seu espírito de inovação e satisfação de alto nível do cliente.

El sistema AutoStore más grande de Latinoamérica aporta innovación al comercio electrónico minorista

March 02, 2022
Con una capacidad del sistema de almacenamiento de 3,6 millones de “productos a persona”, el nuevo depósito de Dafiti Group, denominado LEAP, aloja uno de los sistemas de automatización más avanzados del mundo y ofrece servicio de entrega rápida en toda Latinoamérica. Como parte del Global Fashion Group, Dafiti lidera las ventas minoristas de moda y comercio electrónico en Latinoamérica y necesitaba unas instalaciones y tecnología de soporte al nivel de su espíritu innovador y de máxima satisfacción al cliente. Ese dinámico sistema se integró con pericia pensando en el crecimiento actual y futuro del comercio electrónico, para ofrecer una experiencia de compra confiable y práctica en los años venideros.

Top 5 Benefits of Pick to Light Explained

January 05, 2022
Pick to light has become a staple of warehouse distribution and order picking. Here are the top 5 benefits. What if there was an easier, automated way to locate these items? Say, when you want to find an item a beacon of light illuminates to direct you to the appropriate aisle, and then another beacon of light illuminates to get you to the correct shelf, and eventually the exact location on the shelf.

PUMA’s DC Automation Thrives Amid Pandemic Retail Peak Season Shifts

November 10, 2021
Designed for agility and growth, PUMA’s new Indianapolis distribution center was immediately put to the test facing unprecedented ecommerce demand in addition to new, unexpected safety measures.

PUMA’s Automation Evolution: Retail eFulfillment with Advanced Warehouse Systems

September 29, 2021
“Quite frankly, we were gonna burst.” Sports company PUMA was not only quickly outgrowing their primary U.S. ecommerce distribution center in California, they were also facing increasing pressures in the rapidly evolving and growing North America ecommerce retail market. And, this was prior to the rapid ecommerce growth triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Looking to reach their east coast customers faster and more efficiently, a new automated warehouse was planned and opened in 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

You Need it When?! The Challenges of Same-Day Delivery

September 22, 2021
With continuing growth in ecommerce sales and mobile device usage, companies will need to master the art of fulfillment in minutes to meet same-day delivery requests.

Finding the Right Automation for Grocery Ecommerce: 3 Proven Technologies

September 15, 2021
By now, we all know the headache that is the world of grocery ecommerce. Between a global pandemic, supply chain issues, product shortages and changing consumer demands, many grocers are scrambling to make the best decision for their customers and their bottom line. The industry transitioning from “how a grocer is going to automate the instore fulfillment process?” to “how are they going to optimize the whole process, including last mile delivery?” Brick Meets Click data showed that online grocery sales for pickup or delivery were $6.6 billion in April of this year. That’s down from the $7.1 billion in grocery e-commerce sales in March of this year, but up from $5.3 billion in April 2020. Reducing the labor spend for filling orders in the store is the first step; what follows is a strategy that can help reduce the overall cost of getting orders into the hands of customers, regardless of the hand-off location. Being a high-volume and low-margin industry, grocers need microfulfillment automation and technologies that are proven, scalable, dense, fast AND have a quick, high return on investment, like these:

Automated Empty Case Delivery via Robots and Overhead Monorail

August 18, 2021
In many distribution centers, timely order fulfillment relies on operators having access to empty boxes so that they can quickly complete their picks. This is often completed by building a box and then delivering it to the operator within the pick module. The question is – “What is the best way to get the box from the box erector to the operator?”

The Challenges of Grocery Ecommerce

August 11, 2021
There’s no question that online grocery ordering is here to stay. Access to fresh produce, milk, eggs, toilet paper and many more grocery items isn’t changing. However, the process by which those products get delivered to the consumer from distribution centers – that is being re-envisioned to meet changing consumer demands. And, with that come new challenges, technologies and strategies. Let’s first look back at history.

Richelieu Streamlines Order Fulfillment for Improved Customer Experience

August 05, 2021
Serving more than 80,000 customers in both Canada and the United States, Richelieu aimed to increase customer satisfaction with faster, reliable order fulfillment. As an international importer, distributor and manufacturer of specialty hardware, Richelieu manages over 110,000 SKUs. In addition to a faster and more streamlined order fulfillment approach, Richelieu was able to consolidate external storage by leveraging their Montreal facility. They looked to Bastian Solutions to advise and implement the right combination of automation technology to add to Richelieu’s facility longevity and implement a system that helps them reliably maintain strong customer service.

Adaptación de las estrategias de fabricación para el procesamiento de pedidos directos al consumidor

August 03, 2021
Internet, desde su adopción en la década de 1990, es un lugar extraordinario que continuamente abre nuevas puertas y genera nuevas oportunidades. Los modelos de negocio siguen adaptándose a nuestra nueva realidad conectada. Los consumidores ascienden cada vez más en la cadena de suministro. Los minoristas fueron los primeros en percibir esta tendencia, ya que a los clientes les encanta eliminar las tiendas físicas de su actividad diaria y comprar directamente al almacén a través del mostrador digital. Esto ha conducido al desarrollo y el dominio de los modelos de distribución omnicanal, que ofrecen diversas mercancías y marcas a través de una sola empresa. Deben competir con minoristas exclusivamente online como Amazon. Esto ha significado un cambio trascendental para el centro de distribución.
Posted in Bastian Mexico

Leveraging 3 Common Put Wall Drawbacks for Improved Order Fulfillment

July 21, 2021
Put walls aren’t new but their many operational benefits continue to stand out and help drive distribution center efficiencies, despite some common drawbacks. For companies with high order commonality and batch picking, put walls can easily have a dramatic impact to picking labor. Put walls are simply shelving units with several cubbies of the same or varying sizes, dependent on the orders being processed. Modern units have light indicators at the front and back of the wall to help direct operators to pick and put items.

Rethinking DC Packing Automation for E-fulfillment

June 16, 2021
Pick, pack and ship is fairly straightforward but with increasing pressures to process orders faster and faster, these tasks can give your company a competitive edge.

4 Steps for Evaluating and Deciding on DC Automation

May 26, 2021
If your distribution center has grown in both SKUs and order volume or your typical order has shifted from retail to more ecommerce sales resulting in larger requests for smaller orders; it’s possible your picking productivity isn’t where it should be.

How COVID-19 Will Permanently Change your Omni-Channel Supply Chain

March 19, 2020
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to force unprecedented shut downs, will the resulting changes to supply chains be temporary anomalies or permanent changes?
Posted in Industry News

Delivering Best Buy's Supply Chain Transformation

March 03, 2020
Learn how we helped Best Buy overhaul its omnichannel operations and supply chain network to stay competitive against Amazon.

The "Final 50 Feet" of Ecommerce Delivery: Trends, Challenges, and Technology

February 13, 2020
While the “last mile” has long been a focus for retailers and carriers, one particularly challenging element is the “final 50 feet” of urban parcel delivery.

Third Party Logistics vs. In-House: What's Right for Your Operation?

October 09, 2019
Every warehouse operation has unique challenges. When considering third-party logistics, it's important to have a thorough understanding of the entire operation.
Posted in General Blogs

Sifting Through Single Item Sortation

October 01, 2019
Single item sortation is frequently used to quickly fill multiple orders that contain similar items. Here's how it works.

Inside the Success of an Electronics eCommerce Distribution Center

September 13, 2019
With the right people, processes, and technology in their new advanced distribution center, NewEgg can accurately fill orders faster with a lower cost of shipping and provide overall better customer service.
Posted in General Blogs

Retail Fulfillment: The Costs to Be Free

August 15, 2019
As ecommerce continues to grow, it’s apparent that fast and free shipping is a key motivator for online shoppers.
Posted in General Blogs

What is AutoStore?

June 04, 2019
Learn more about this unique automated warehouse storage system and what makes it the best option for maximizing storage density.
Posted in System Automation

Que es AutoStore? (Spanish)

June 04, 2019
Obtenga más información sobre este exclusivo sistema automatizado de almacenamiento de almacén y lo que lo convierte en la mejor opción para maximizar la densidad de almacenamiento.

4 Steps to Reduce Operational Waste in an E-commerce World

May 08, 2019
The Toyota Production System (TPS) characterizes waste using 3 Ms: Muda, Mura, and Muri. These 4 steps can help ecommerce organizations enhance their understanding of these wastes and create a plan reduce them.
Posted in General Blogs

The Rise of the Urban DC

April 23, 2019
More and more people, especially young adults, are moving into cities. To reach this increasingly important market segment, retailers need to find a profitable and efficient way to do urban fulfillment.

Technological Advancements Enabling the Growth of Robotic Picking

April 04, 2019
In the very near future, robotic picking will become mainstream, facilitating a 24/7 picking and order fulfillment environment. Improvements in a few existing technologies have helped pave the way.

The Emergence of Kiva Look-Alikes

March 14, 2019
After Amazon acquired Kiva Systems, these look-alike vendors have copied and expanded on the fetch & carry, goods-to-person fulfillment method.

Split Case Picking Systems: A Beginner’s Guide, Part 3

February 15, 2019
With the growth in e-commerce, the demand for split case picking order fulfillment systems has never been higher. Here's Part 3 of our Beginner's Guide: Considerations for Choosing a Split Case Picking System Design
Posted in Education

Split Case Picking Systems: A Beginner's Guide, Part 2

February 14, 2019
With the growth in e-commerce, the demand for split case picking order fulfillment systems has never been higher. Here's Part 2 of our Beginner's Guide: Options for Designing a Split Case Picking System Read: Split Case Picking Systems: A Beginner’s Guide, Part 2
Posted in Education

Split Case Picking Systems: A Beginner’s Guide, Part 1

February 12, 2019
With the growth in e-commerce, the demand for split case picking order fulfillment systems has never been higher. Here's Part 1 of our Beginner's Guide: What Is Split Case Picking? Read: Split Case Picking Systems: A Beginner’s Guide, Part 1
Posted in Education

AutoStore Black Line: Your Questions Answered

January 15, 2019
What's different about the new AutoStore Black Line? We've put together a Q&A so you can learn what's new and if it's right for you. Read: AutoStore Black Line: Your Questions Answered
Posted in System Automation

AutoStore Black Line : Reponses a vos questions (French)

January 15, 2019
Qu'est-ce qui différencie le nouvel AutoStore Black Line? Nous avons préparé un Q&R pour que vous puissiez découvrir les nouveautés et savoir si cela vous convient.
Posted in System Automation

Y tú ya has comprado por internet? Como estar preparado para el Boom del e-commerce en México

January 16, 2017
Cada día vemos como están llegando nuevos servicios de comercio electrónico a los retailers que ya conocemos, así como nuevos jugadores. Esto porque todos quieren ser parte de los USD 3.2 B que representa e-retail, con un crecimiento del 15% sostenido. Leer: Preparación para el boom del e-commerce en México

I am Thankful for….Same Day Shipping!

November 22, 2016
As Thanksgiving approaches, I would like to admit that I am very thankful for same day shipping. Yes, of course this comes behind my family, friends, home, etc. However as part of a two-working-parent household with two young boys, this convenience is a lifesaver. Continue Reading: I am Thankful for….Same Day Shipping!
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