MRG - Retail Distribution Center Automated Goods-to-Person Intralogistics

Project Overview

MRG, a retail organization, sought to transform its small parts picking operations at a retail distribution center to gain significant competitive advantages. The core challenge was modernizing the inefficient manual person-to-goods picking process by transitioning to an automated goods-to-person principle. The project required a flexible solution that could adapt to different product types, order structures, and customer groups, while also incorporating future expansion capabilities from the outset.

The facility needed to integrate the new automation into an existing building without major structural modifications, ensuring seamless compatibility with pre-existing operational structures. A key objective was to streamline the complex picking process while maintaining adaptability—critical in the dynamic retail landscape where order profiles and product assortments frequently change.

psb intralogistics was selected to deliver a comprehensive intralogistics solution centered on high-performance picking systems and a scalable shuttle warehouse. The solution was designed to not only address immediate efficiency needs but also provide a foundation for long-term growth through modular expansion capabilities.

Technical Solution

Multi Access Warehouse Shuttle Storage System

The heart of the storage solution is a 1-aisle Multi Access Warehouse featuring 6,500 container positions, 1 container lift (THM-Lift), and 12 level-bound vario.sprinter shuttles. This automated storage system serves as the central inventory hub for small parts and residual quantities, providing fast and reliable access to containers for the picking systems. The shuttles operate on dedicated levels, retrieving and delivering containers to the lift, which transports them to the connected picking stations. A defining feature of this system is its inherent scalability: it can be expanded with additional in-aisle container lifts, up to 2 extra aisles in width, and extended aisle lengths with supplementary vario.sprinter shuttles to match growing capacity and performance needs.

Key Features

The transition from manual person-to-goods to automated goods-to-person picking represents a fundamental operational transformation, eliminating unnecessary worker movement and significantly increasing picking efficiency. Each rotapick system’s 1,000 picks/hour capacity delivers industry-leading throughput for small parts.

The Multi Access Warehouse’s 6,500 container positions and 12 vario.sprinter shuttles provide robust storage capacity with fast retrieval times, supporting the high-performance picking systems. The system’s level-bound shuttle design ensures reliable, predictable material flow.

Scalability is a core design feature, with the ability to expand storage capacity via additional lifts, aisles, and shuttles, and picking capacity via extra disks or full rotapick systems. This future-proofing ensures the solution can grow with MRG’s changing needs.

The dual-supply mode for rotapick systems optimizes efficiency by matching supply methods to product volume—direct carton supply for high-volume items minimizes handling, while container storage for low-volume/residual items maximizes space utilization.

The solution’s flexibility allows adaptation to different products, order structures, and customer groups, making it suitable for the diverse needs of retail distribution, from store orders to direct customer shipments.

Seamless integration into existing building structures and operational processes minimizes implementation disruption and capital expenditure, leveraging MRG’s existing infrastructure while upgrading capabilities.

Results & Benefits

The core achievement is the successful transition from manual person-to-goods to automated goods-to-person picking, which has significantly streamlined the small parts picking process. This transformation has reduced worker fatigue from excessive walking and reaching, while increasing picking speed and consistency.

MRG has gained clear competitive advantages through improved operational efficiency, with higher throughput and more reliable order processing. The high-performance rotapick systems (1,000 picks/hour each) enable the facility to handle peak demand periods more effectively.

The solution’s flexibility has enabled MRG to adapt to diverse product types, varying order structures, and different customer groups (stores, direct customers), enhancing operational agility in the dynamic retail market.

The scalable design has established a future-proof infrastructure, allowing MRG to expand capacity and performance as needed without replacing core systems. This adaptability reduces long-term capital costs and ensures the solution remains relevant as business needs evolve.

The dual-supply mode has reduced unnecessary handling and repackaging, shortening order cycle times and minimizing the risk of damage or error. Direct carton supply for high-volume items eliminates intermediate steps, improving overall process efficiency.

Challenges & Solutions

MRG’s primary challenge was the inefficiency of its manual person-to-goods picking process, which limited competitiveness and scalability. The solution was implementing an automated goods-to-person system combining rotapick high-performance picking systems and a Multi Access Warehouse shuttle storage system, eliminating manual walking and delivering goods directly to operators.

A second key challenge was the need for flexibility to accommodate different products, order structures, and customer groups. The solution’s modular design—including dual-supply modes, expandable rotapick systems, and configurable shuttle storage—enables seamless adaptation to changing operational requirements without major system overhauls.

The third critical challenge was integrating new automation into an existing building while planning for future expansion. psb addressed this by engineering a solution that fits within the existing footprint and operational structures, with inherent scalability features (additional lifts, aisles, shuttles, and rotapick systems) designed from the outset to support growth without disrupting current operations.

System Integrator

psb intralogistics served as the system integrator and solution provider for the project, delivering a comprehensive, turnkey intralogistics solution tailored to MRG’s retail distribution needs. The company was responsible for designing the integrated system of Multi Access Warehouse, rotapick picking systems, and conveyor technology, as well as ensuring seamless integration into MRG’s existing building and operational infrastructure.

psb’s expertise in modular, scalable intralogistics solutions was critical to addressing the project’s core requirements—flexibility, efficiency, and future-proofing. The company’s design prioritized both immediate operational improvements and long-term adaptability, with expansion capabilities built into the system architecture.

The successful implementation reflects psb’s ability to deliver complex automation solutions that fit within existing facilities while transforming operational performance. By combining high-performance picking technology with scalable shuttle storage, psb enabled MRG to achieve its goal of transitioning to goods-to-person picking, gaining competitive advantages through improved efficiency and flexibility. The partnership demonstrates psb’s leadership in retail intralogistics solutions that balance performance, adaptability, and practical implementation.