Mec-Diesel expands its auto parts e-commerce and boosts efficiency with Modula VLMs
Case Summary
With 35 VLMs an automotive parts distributor expands online e-commerce to over 26,000 auto parts while boosting efficiency and inventory control
Since 1983, Mec-Diesel has been operating in the sale of spare parts for engines and vehicles. With the success of its sophisticated e-commerce portal, Mec-Diesel wanted to expand its product offering and inventory levels within its existing warehouse space. The installation of 35 Modula VLMs enabled them to grow their business by storing a large parts inventory, optimizing floor space, and dramatically increasing productivity.
The Challenge
Offer their online customers a larger choice of auto parts, while increasing picking productivity and improving inventory control.
Throughout the years, Mec-Diesel has grown its business to reach customers in over 80 countries, delivering automotive spare parts worldwide. With their e-commerce portal, customers can order the parts online and have them shipped directly.
With this growth and success, Mec-Diesel needed to find a way to increase its product offering and SKU lines to keep up with customer demands. Without purchasing extra warehouse space or moving to a new location, they needed to find a way to store and manage this expanded inventory effectively.
The Solution
35 Modula vertical lift modules to expand their auto parts e-commerce and Modula Cloud to securely monitor their operations.
Modula worked with Mec-Diesel to tailor 35 Lift ML75Ds to the shape of the warehouse, effectively optimizing all spaces, even under the beams. The Modula VLMs, equipped with double internal bays, were installed facing each other along an aisle using all the vertical space available, housing over 26,000 spare parts.
With an installation time of less than a week, Mec-Diesel boosted its current e-commerce platform by sending orders directly to Modula’s vertical warehouse management systems and optimizing the overall process. Thanks to the visual aids, pickers are guided throughout the entire picking phase: picking takes place from the tray delivered at an ergonomic height and the operator is assisted by the alphanumeric led bar indicating the code, quantity, and location of the auto part needed.
When different parts are present in the same vertical warehouse, the dual-bay optimizes picking times, making the products available in a short time. Then, once picked, the products are transported to the packaging area so that they can be packed and shipped quickly to the client. All this results in a much more efficient and 40% faster Order fulfillment.
In addition, Mec-Diesel is using the Modula Cloud platform to remotely control and monitor several of its branches throughout Italy. This allows them to see all of the data within their automated storage systems, including volumes, efficiencies, saturations, speeds, and item rotation. All with just one click!
“Modula warehouses met a fundament need here at Mec-Diesel – the need for space in the warehouse so we can expand our range of products. This was the best solution because it allowed us to assume our daily operations and assembly times for the machine turned out to be truly efficient.”
