Rewe, a German retailer, has partnered with automated intralogistics solutions provider Cimcorp to automate fruit and vegetable picking processes.
An automated fulfilment system for fruit and vegetables has been installed at Rewe’s logistics centre, located in Oranienburg, which is around 50km north of Berlin.
One of the major challenges the solution is hoped to address is the manual handling of fresh produce, which, when done manually, can be labour-intensive and lead to errors.
Cimcorp’s automated solution is intended to provide fast and accurate deliveries of fruit and vegetables to improve the reliability of Rewe’s supply chain.
Lars Sibel, director of supply chain management and logistics at Rewe, highlighted the importance of automating the handling of fruit and vegetables to alleviate physical strain on warehouse workers and ensure consistent delivery to stores.
He said: “Cimcorp offers a unique solution to automate fruit and vegetable picking and alleviate physical labour for warehouse workers and thereby ensure the reliable delivery of fruit and vegetables to stores in the future as well.”
Staffing shortages and labour availability are enduring challenges for warehouses and logistics hubs around the world.
“Rewe expects a mature technical solution that facilitates the work of employees and offers customers consistently high delivery quality in terms of on-time-in-full deliveries,” added Torsten Prag, Rewe’s logistics manager for region east.
Some of the additional benefits of the automated solution highlighted by Cimcorp include increased productivity, efficiency and improved hygiene standards.
Moreover, the implementation of Cimcorp’s order picking solution is expected to contribute to improved supply-chain sustainability through reduced food waste and environmental impact.
The latest automated solutions for intralogistics in retail and food and beverage will be on show at Robotics and Automation 2024.
