FM Logistic implements robots for logistics service of IKEA e-commerce in Poland

FM Logistic and IKEA officially starts new chapter of their cooperation in terms of warehousing and logistics services for the e-commerce. For the first time in Poland, the warehouse will be equipped with robots from the Locus Robotics, which will support processing parcel orders from the whole country. This is the largest implementation of logistics process automation at FM Logistic in Central Europe and a further step in developing the IKEA omnichannel in Poland.

For the first time in Poland, the FM Logistic warehouse is the place where 46 assisting robots from the American company Locus Robotics were used to process orders – basically the only solution on the market that fully cooperates with humans. It is also the world’s first implementation of second-generation robots.  Their lifting capacity has been doubled to 36 kg and allow to prepare four orders simultaneously assisting warehouse staff with picking. They drive up to the relevant rack and display on the screen which article and how many pieces need to be picked. Then, thanks to laser sensors, they determine the shortest route between the racks and move on to the next worker. In a further step, the orders reach the automatic conveyor line, where they are sorted for packing according to various technologies: from envelope to packing in height-reduced or cut-to-size cartons, and finally they are allocated to separate loads for the relevant courier companies.

“At FM Logistic, we follow the principle of automating logistics processes only for measurable results. In this project, to meet both the high-quality expectations of the customer as well as final consumers, and to facilitate the work of our warehouse teams, the use of large-scale automation represented the best solution,” says Guilhem Vicaire, Central Europe Business Solutions Director, FM Logistic and further explains “Given the wide variety of products and their dimensions, we applied several different technologies. Currently, around 50% of orders are processed fully automatically. Second half is packed manually where around 8% are so-called sensitive products, such as glass,  and 10% of orders are oversize products that, due to their size, cannot be picked by robots. We estimate that thanks to the solutions applied, we have achieved an efficiency of 225% in order picking and 175% in packing. This represents real support in implementing and developing our customer’s omnichannel strategy.”

The warehouse supports around 7,000 types of IKEA products on the 16,000 sqm area. With the location of the unit, modern infrastructure and automation used by the provider, IKEA customers in Poland now have an additional 2.5 hours to place an order for next-day delivery. The warehouse capacity now allows for processing over 1 million orders in the first year of its operation and secures the increase of the number of parcels for the coming years. Implemented automated logistics solutions such as packaging on demand will also result in lower paper consumption.

“At IKEA, we keep making the world of home furnishing affordable, sustainable and more convenient for everyone. Purchasing and assembling furniture has always been a natural part of IKEA’s customer experience. But now they are looking forward to diverse options. The omnichannel approach to sales ensures that our customers receive high-quality home furnishing items – whenever, however, and wherever they want them,” – says Sebastian Kaczmarski, Central Fulfilment Operations Manager, IKEA Distribution Services S.A. and adds, “This investment also represents the next chapter in a cooperation of more than 20 years between IKEA and FM Logistic in Poland.”

As a logistics provider, FM Logistic focuses on providing its customers with new value and co-designing sustainable omnichannel supply chains. Automation is one of the pillars of this strategy, but the key is the customized selection of solutions tailored to the needs of a particular customer. FM Logistic experts assist customers in this process, with key expertise in solution design, execution and operation the warehousing systems.