Business Challenge

Before updating its facility, which had reached nearly 170% capacity, Monat relied on manual processes to accomplish every task, even making boxes. Employees used paper-based methods in their work, memorising the locations of products in the warehouse and writing down the quantities they needed to pick or transport to various locations.

These processes limited the operation's capabilities and made it vulnerable to errors. Monat's CEO identified bottlenecks in the company's processes and contacted Alpine Supply Chain Solutions, a Levata partner. The three companies worked together to meet the challenge of replacing manual and paper-based processes with an efficient operation equipped to meet the needs of a growing market.

The Solution

The first step in Monat's digital transformation was labelling warehouse racking. Levata worked with Monat and Alpine to develop a naming structure that worked with Monat's SAP® Extended Warehouse Management (EWM) system. Levata then created rack labels in batches, so Monat could efficiently apply them.

Levata also consulted with Monat about the best barcode scanner and printer options and assisted with device testing. After extensive research, Monat chose mobile and corded scanners to meet the needs of different use cases within the operation. The company also implemented vehicle-mounted computers for forklift drivers and industrial printers for barcode label printing.

These solutions enabled Monat to move from a manual operation to sophisticated processes, such as directed putaway, triggered replenishment, and triggered case picking.

Benefits and Results

Monat's gains in efficiency with the new solution have been dramatic. The warehouse improved lines per hour from 80 to 260, more than tripling order throughput. The company has also seen significant improvement in order accuracy.

Training is also streamlined with the new system. New employees can work independently with the easy-to-use barcode technology after only about an hour of training.