Katalogi | Mecalux | www.mecalux.pl
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Katalogi | Mecalux | www.mecalux.pl
Technology and quality in 25,000 m2 Carreras Group is one of the longest-established logistics firms in Spain. Its prestige lies in technology and quality, together with a large network of offices all over Spain and Europe. It has recently opened its second facility in the central area of Spain, in Seseña (Toledo), the company’s sixteenth warehouse on the Iberian Peninsula. or management at Carreras, the market trends are clear: there is everincreasing demand for smaller freight load dispatch, with greater capillarity and frequency of deliveries. Demand is also emerging for the delivery of whole pallet-loads within smaller freight deliveries (one, two or three pallets), with the consequent requirement of setting up consolidation centres from where pallets are picked up after being consolidated for dispatch to other locations. F In the face of these changes, Carreras recently opened a centre with 25,000 m2 of conventional warehousing, together with a cold storage chamber of 6,000 m2 (72,000 m3). The building, divided into three sections, is 12 m high and has a goods storage capacity of 36,000 pallets, of which 9,000 are in the temperature-controlled storage area at 18 ºC to preserve specific products, such as those that could melt if exposed to heat. BestPractices 115 conventional pallet racks / CARRERAS GROUP Technology partner According to its management, Carreras Group works on the proposition of service to other companies as a technology partner. And this is achieved thanks not only to its transport and warehousing network, but also through its powerful, hi-tech equipment and constant concern for its quality. The Group carries out all of its computer operations for Europe from two data centres located in Zaragoza, physically separate from each other with the aim of greater security in data recuperation in case of a calamitous event. In order to achieve good tolerance to failure, production and service systems are made up of master-slave couplings. Additionally, both communications and services have self-balance capacity incorporated (for systems to function with greater reliability and agility), and a strict manual monitoring protocol to be followed at all times for production swings. Software and traceability With regard to equipment, two synchronised IBM RS6000 servers are used for data bases and a cluster – a group of computers working in a network – for running applications developed in Java. This equipment is used by the national and international transport division, while the warehousing and distribution division use two synchronised IBM AS400 servers housing the data bases and Java applications. Communication between this division office and head office is made by means of high-capacity frame relay lines supported by other back up lines. For client-related operations, the Group makes use of CRM software. For traceability, besides the fact that the warehousing and distribution division software supports all management via RF in all manipulation processes, on-board computers are being installed in the fleet connected to head office via GPRS. Functions The facility was designed with three purposes in mind. Firstly, it is a regulating centre for all of Spain and goods destined for Portugal. This activity involves stock supplied by users, and deliveries are made under their orders. The second purpose is to operate as a pallet management service, i.e. reception, storage and dispatch of full pallets, without intermediate handling. And thirdly, it operates as a crossdocking platform for local distribution of goods coming from the company’s other regulating centres, such as those in Barcelona, Zaragoza and Bilbao. going a process of information systems security certification. The Carreras infrastructure operates with a single system centralised in Zaragoza, at the Group’s Head Office. The system not only satisfies all of clients’ needs, but also operates in a standard way with the same operating system for all warehouses, allowing easy integration of new facilities and creating a single IT management structure. Communication works with RF, meaning that paper is not used in the operating system. Moreover, there is a single database, updated in real time, with client access to its information, as desired, through the website. The functioning of this third operation involves receiving a bulk delivery at the centre. There it undergoes capillary distribution (deconsolidation and distribution) bypassing storage racks, e.g. if a partial truckload of one product arrives from Barcelona for distribution in Madrid, the pallet is broken down and the orders are prepared on the spot, without the need for previous storage on upper racks. Each day some 40 trucks supply the facility, and the same number leave on dispatch missions. In addition, another fleet of local, capillary distribution vehicles is used. The computer system offers flexible viewing. As an example, clients can consult stock of their product in one or several warehouses, or in all of the warehouses where their goods are located. According to the company’s management, the website offers complete transparency over the data stored in the database and which is transferred to the website in real time. All information in our database is backed up in a separate facility and we are currently in the process of contracting co-location services in which specialist IT companies ensure that equipment is in the best conditions of reliability and security. For internal management, the Group possesses a robust computer and communications system and makes use of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software to unify process and production management in all Carreras offices across Europe. Management system communication with clients can work in two ways: either by means of our systems integrating with theirs, or through the use of market standards such as those developed by AECOC (Spanish Commercial Encoding Society). With regard to communication with vehicles, on-board computers are presently being installed in the Carreras Group fleet. Logistics IT The integration of this centre into the Group’s network is being carried out with the help of high-level technology that is currently under- Among its other purposes, the centre operates as a pallet management service, i.e. reception, storage and dispatch of full pallets, without intermediate handling. 116 BestPractices BestPractices 117 conventional pallet racks / CARRERAS GROUP The system not only satisfies all of client’s needs, but it allows easy integration of new facilities and creates a single IT structure The total surface area of the Carreras Group logistics facilities is 220,000 m2. Seseña operation procedures The technology in place at Carreras confers great versatility to its facilities where design plays an important part to offer better storage efficiency. The Carreras centre in Seseña consists of one 184 m-long building, divided into four compartments or sectors, three of which fitted out with racking. There are 32 racks per sector laid out in two blocks of 16 each and arranged in seven double and two single rows (eight aisles 3,125 mm wide with guards), making a total of 96 racks. Half of these comprise 15 bays, and the other half has 16. Each of the bays is 2,700 mm long by 1,100 mm deep and a holding capacity for three pallets. Each rack is made up of six levels, reaching a height of 10.5 m, and leaving room for a final load on the sixth level, seeing that the roof is 12 m above the floor. Opposite the picking and manipulation area there is a goods reception area. This is carried Security measures Conservation of goods is not only a question of the conditions in which they are kept, but also care for their integrity. This includes both risk of accident – fire – as well as those events where persons could be involved (knocks, 118 BestPractices out through one of 26 loading bays, after which the operating process begins. Once past the inspection of state of goods on arrival, and after corresponding quality controls have been made, the pallets are identified, depending on the established procedures. There are clients who give notice of the arrival of goods, while others take goods directly without prior issuing of a dispatch note. This flexibility is not a problem for the warehouse. There is a procedure for inclusion of unexpected deliveries into facility processes. Distribution order The bays and loading and unloading areas have a routine order of use. As the centre is open 24 hours a day, goods are mainly received in the morning. In the afternoon/ evening, goods with long-distance destinations are sent for arrival the next morning, while vehicles carrying out following-day deliveries are loaded at night. manipulation, and in extreme cases, theft). Measures adopted in Carreras facilities comply with fire detection and prevention standards. As an example, passageways have been established halfway along each rack, which, together with the aisles formed by the racking, allow persons to find an exit perpendicular to the stored goods every 21 m, approximately. Additionally, there is 24 hour-surveillance and there is system of CCTV cameras inside the facility to supervise activity and operations, and outside to support prevention tasks. Regardless of how goods are received or how they are identified at origin, Carreras undertakes its own labelling process which includes all the information necessary for later traceability control, from pallet content to use-by date, batch no., best before date, etc. After identification, the next step is placement of pallets, controlled by an order that arrives at the operator's workstation when a label is scanned. Chaotic storage The warehouse is chaotic, but for practical purposes, the management software is parameterised to group goods together in areas assigned to clients. This ordering does not take into account the extensive rules governing placement on racks because it is not necessary. This contrasts with the rules used in the picking stage, an operation in which it is essential to have variables like weight, volume, and shape when preparing order pallets. Thanks to these rules, prepared goods are easy to identify without need for handling, and are transferred with guarantees of their being intact; for example heavy boxes with jars of conserves are prevented from being placed over packets of biscuits that can be easily crushed. Picking is carried out by operators near the racks where the product for collection is stored. RF terminals are used by operators to communicate with the computer system, which in the case of picking operators are barcode scanners with RF support. By means of the terminal, the computer system shows the operator the reference and quantity of the product to be prepared at all times. Automation with limits While this automated system allows optimum resource management, not everything is automated. The warehouse manager, depending on available staff and equipment, has authority and flexibility in designating the tasks to be carried out at all times. Likewise, it can be de- cided whether goods should be taken out as far as the picking and manipulation area or left directly in the loading bay. Goods are moved with the help of 9 pallet trucks, 4 forklift trucks and 23 seated rider pallet trucks. Technology always controls the movement of the load that these stacking machines carry, as well as the orders associated with the goods, whether initiated by the computer system or given by the warehouse manager. In this way, there is constant traceability at all times and clients can know the state of their order dispatch in real time by Internet. # BestPractices 119 conventional pallet racks / CARRERAS GROUP Technical details Height of racks: 10,500 mm Length of racks: 42,200 mm and 45,200 mm Width of racks: 1,100 mm. Those arranged back to back give a total width of 2,400 mm No. of racks: 96 Load levels: 6 Bays per rack: 15 and 16 Length of each bay: 2,700 mm Capacity per space: 3 pallets No. of aisles: 3,280 mm with guard and 3,330 mm without guard Unit load: 800 x 1,200 / 1,300 / 1,850 / 1,950 / 2,400 mm pallets Maximum weight: 1,000 kg Total capacity: 27,000 pallets 42,200 mm 10,500 mm 45,200 mm 120 BestPractices BestPractices 121