Sustainable logistics solution for faster order processing

SANICARE, a brand of BS-Apotheken OHG, headquartered in Bad Laer, Lower Saxony, Germany, advises and cares for 1.6 million customers throughout Germany. In June 2018, the company modernized its buildings with a high-performance logistics system. General contractor for the implementation was SSI Schaefer, the world’s leading provider of modular warehousing and logistics solutions.

After a three-month planning phase, the retrofit started in April 2018 during daily operation. The system was completed in June. It is now possible to handle the majority of orders using a standardized process. 55% of all picking processes are performed automatically and only need to undergo a final check before shipment. Thus, the system can process approx. 1,000 shipments per hour. In total, BS-Apotheken OHG achieves an automation degree of 70% of all shipments using the existing picking automats. "The retrofit enables us to process orders fast and efficiently, even at peak times, and thus to achieve more customer satisfaction," says Heinrich Meyer, owner of BS-Apotheken OHG.

For picking fast movers, SSI Schaefer installed an A-Frame as an automatic picking system with capacity for 850 top items. After dispensing the items from the automat onto the collecting belt, the products are transported to the filling point and into the picking cartons. A separate costly repacking process can be omitted. "Filling cartons directly from such a system is unique in the mail-order pharmacy sector," emphasizes the owner of BS-Apotheken OHG. The filling point can handle four different carton types. Newly installed replenishment areas in close proximity to the A-Frames ensure permanent replenishment of the automats.

For picking medium and fast movers, the order cartons are transported on the SSI Schaefer bin and carton conveying system to the ROWA automats. These automats have a capacity of 100,000 medication packages which are automatically transferred to the shipment. Manual picking processes for orders with specific medication and customer requests have been integrated into the process as well. In the shipping area, the cartons are closed automatically and address labels are applied using the Schäfer Compact Insertion (SCI). The logistics software WAMAS^® used for system control and continuous optimization of the material flow completes the system.

Company BS-Apotheken OHG

BS-Apotheken OHG owns three large mail-order pharmacy brands. Among them is the Sanicare brand – one of the largest German mail-order pharmacies headquartered in Bad Laer (Lower Saxony, Germany). Hundreds of experts from their own pharmacies and partner companies ensure personal, comprehensive pharmaceutical advice and care for the 1.6 million customers throughout Germany. Sanicare supplies their customers with original goods after directly ordering from the manufacturers, usually within one day after receiving the order. Sanicare was presented with the customer award "Kundenliebling 2015" in gold and is one of the most favorite brands of German consumers according to a consumer study conducted by Focus-Money, the market research institute Service Value GmbH and Deutschland Test. Sanicare is listed at the German Institute for Medical Documentation and Information (DIMDI) as approved mail-order pharmacy and has the EU Internet logo. www.sanicare.de.