3PL provider Baxster Logistics digitizes its warehouse in France

Baxster Logistics: a passion for logistics and transportation

Baxster Logistics es un operador logístico que proporciona servicios de almacenaje, preparación de pedidos y distribución de mercancía a clientes de cualquier sector industrial en Francia y toda Europa. Su compromiso con la satisfacción del cliente le lleva a buscar constantemente soluciones adaptadas a sus necesidades.

• Founded in: 2008
• Staff: 10 employees
• Presence: France

The advance of Logistics 4.0 is driving the digital transformation of more and more companies. Third-party logistics providers such as Baxster Logistics are turning to digitization to integrate all operations taking place in their logistics facilities and to inform their customers of the status of their items. French 3PL Baxster Logistics has decided to transform its business to boost the efficiency of its business and logistics management. “Our aim is to attract new customers by offering professional service to companies in all sectors,” says Nébil Othmani, Manager of Baxster Logistics. So, how has Baxster Logistics revamped its logistics operations? To begin with, it moved to a new, bigger warehouse — 11,811 ft² — in Saint-Priest, France. “We wanted to accommodate a larger number of SKUs,” says Othmani. The company has also equipped its facility with the Easy WMS warehouse management system in the cloud-based SaaS (software as a service) model to more accurately control the SKUs it has in stock.

Digital transformation of a 3PL provider

At its former facility, Baxster Logistics tracked its stock via Excel. Operators would make a note of the products that arrived at the warehouse and those that were dispatched. “But we knew that if we wanted to increase our product and order numbers, this way of working would become obsolete,” says Othmani.

Moreover, manual management of the goods entailed a very high risk of errors. “In moving to a new facility, we couldn’t afford to make mistakes. To expand our product portfolio, we had to avoid mistakes at all costs,” says Othmani.

Baxster Logistics came to the conclusion that it had to modernize and digitize its logistics infrastructure. After comparing different solutions on the market, the company chose Mecalux software for its versatility and flexibility. “This software is capable of adapting to changes in our business, such as increases in the number of products received and orders shipped. What convinced us was the fact that Easy WMS would enable us to provide our customers with a higher level of service in addition to on-time, error-free deliveries,” says Othmani.

Baxster Logistics opted for Easy WMS in the cloud because of its accessibility. “Our operators can access Easy WMS from any computer or RF scanner to verify the status of the different warehouse operations,” says Othmani.

Likewise, the delivery of Easy WMS in the SaaS model made implementation of the system even simpler. Data storage was relocated to servers outside the warehouse, so Baxster Logistics does not have to concern itself with maintenance tasks.

Easy WMS also represents a major step forward from an administrative point of view. The software generates reports on all processes taking place in the facility, creating a record of the operations carried out for each customer. “We’ve minimized the time it takes to invoice our services to our customers and can now do this more easily and accurately,” says Othmani.

Effective operations

With Easy WMS, Baxster Logistics now has a more efficient warehouse with optimized operations to provide its customers with better service. As all items are monitored from their receipt to their dispatch, traceability is complete and no mistakes are made.

In the Baxster Logistics facility, the work of the operators is key. Therefore, the company has outfitted these employees with RF scanners, which provide them with detailed instructions from Easy WMS. The software tells them, for example, which aisle to go to and where to slot or remove the pallets. As a result, the operators complete their tasks more quickly and accurately. One of the most notable changes Baxster Logistics has seen with Easy WMS is pick path optimization. As directed by the software, the operators walk the shortest possible distances when completing both storage and order picking tasks.

This is how Easy WMS controls and enhances Baxster Logistics’ operations:

• Goods receipt. As the pallets arrive at the warehouse, the operators identify them one by one by reading their barcodes with the RF scanners. This way, Easy WMS knows which products were received and can assign them a location.
• Storage. Easy WMS incorporates an algorithm to assign each pallet a slot taking into account factors such as the customer to which it belongs, the SKU it contains, and its demand level.
• Order picking. Most pallets are shipped as full pallets without having to be broken down. Easy WMS tells the operators which pallets to locate and where to find them. The operators then move the products to the dispatch area, where they are grouped by customer or delivery route.

Technology that accompanies change

Baxster Logistics has completely transformed its supply chain. By moving to a new warehouse, the company has not only expanded its storage capacity but also optimized its processes. Easy WMS ensures more accurate control over the SKUs of Baxster Logistics’ customers and supervises its storage and order preparation tasks in real time.

With well-managed, streamlined logistics operations, the company can continue to grow and increase its clientele. Mecalux software will be by Baxster Logistics’ side at all times, incorporating additional functionalities as required.

Easy WMS has optimized operations in our warehouse, which has helped us to provide our customers with better service. The software generates reports on all operations. Thus, we’ve minimized the time it takes to invoice our services to our customers and can now do this more easily and accurately.