SSI Schaefer extended and modernized the JYSK distribution center in Denmark

JYSK is a leading retailer of mattresses, furnishings, and home accessories, with more than 2,800 stores worldwide. In order for the wide variety of products to arrive in stores and be delivered to customers on time around the world, the logistics must run perfectly. By modernizing and expanding the location in Denmark, JYSK and SSI Schaefer not only built the largest dynamic distribution center in the country, but, most importantly, guaranteed the efficiency of the processes for today and tomorrow – with a fourth highly dynamic high-bay warehouse and the customized WAMAS logistics software.

Long-term partnership

The successful collaboration between JYSK and SSI Schaefer began with the first project in Denmark in 2007. This was followed by two additional logistics centers in Poland and Sweden. All are custom-designed to local specifications and controlled by the proprietary WAMAS logistics software.

SSI Schaefer worked as the general contractor in preparing the logistics concept for the project in Uldum, Denmark, and was responsible for the turnkey creation of the major project, providing an innovative solution of significant size and with state-of-the-art equipment. In the first step, three combined high-bay warehouses (each 136 m in length, 54 m in width and 39 m high) were constructed with two connected miniloads, which used a 2.5 km pallet conveying system and a 1.8 km bin and carton conveying system.

More transparency, capacity and efficiency thanks to extension and modernization

With the company growth and the continuous expansion of the product portfolio, demands on warehouse capacities and processes have increased. The location has benefited from the completed modernization and expansion measures introduced in 2019 – especially from the fourth high-bay warehouse (150 m long by 100 m wide by 43 m high) which added another 82,000 storage locations and seven additional picking work stations. Some of the modernization and expansion measures such as the expansion of the miniload, were implemented by the SSI Schaefer Customer Service & Support team as a retrofit without interrupting operations.

The result is one of the largest distribution centers in Denmark with an overall capacity of 215,000 storage locations for pallets, plus 45,000 storage locations for trays. Yet, what is impressive is not just its size, but also its efficiency – four external warehouses were centrally consolidated. This makes cumbersome, expensive product tourism a thing of the past.

“The integrated concept offered by SSI Schaefer meets our requirements with flying colors: The intelligent interaction between highly dynamic pallet warehouses and miniloads, the ergonomic picking concept, and the WAMAS logistics software is what makes the solution so successful,” says Allan K. Kjærgaard, Executive Vice President Logistics at JYSK.

Intelligent control of an increasing variety of items

The greatest challenge is the various sizes and types of items offered. The oversized packages that are typical in furniture retail required a clever solution for efficient processing in the distribution center. JYSK uses custom big box steel pallets which allow safe transportation of particularly large and heavy items. The key feature is the 32 energy-efficient Exyz storage-retrieval machines in the four high-bay warehouses. These machines can either take up two Euro pallets simultaneously or one big box pallet, and can then safely store and retrieve them. Combined with the highly dynamic miniloads, this is the perfect solution for JYSK. The miniloads, were expanded to include six additional aisles with state-of-the-art Schäfer Miniload Cranes and 15,000 storage locations.

Ergonomic handling of diverse items

The working environment and the well-being of the employees played an important role in the planning. For this reason, the work stations at the picking level have been designed in line with the strict legal requirements for ergonomics and health protection in Denmark. Therefore, ergonomic picking stations according to the goods-to-person principle supported by a Pick by Light system and modern working aids such as vacuum lifters and scissor lift tables are used in the distribution center. Pallets retrieved from the high-bay warehouses can therefore be lifted or lowered at the push of a button to facilitate an ergonomic, anatomically designed working position. Optimally adapted gripping processes and internal procedures enable an above average picking performance. There is another special feature in the work environment: Thanks to the use of scissor lift tables, the pallet conveying system is located outside the picking area. Therefore, the employees are able to work with minimal noise pollution.