Modula VLMs boost an e-commerce’s custom print order fulfillment

Headquartered in Belgium, Smartphoto is one of the leading B2C e-commerce stores for custom print order fulfillment. Their items range from high-quality personalized products such as gifts, cards, photo books, photo calendars, to prints, wall decorations, and more.

With a presence in over 12 European countries, Smartphoto processes and ships more than 2.7 million packages of personalized products each year.

The distribution center was struggling to keep up with e-commerce demand and was looking for a more efficient way to support its online fulfillment orders.

They were also looking for a solution to optimize the available space and better connect their production area located on the second floor, to the order preparation area on the first floor. Here, the orders are packed and prepared for shipment to the final customers.

With the installation of 2 ML 50D Lift vertical lift modules equipped with laser pointers and led display bars, Smartphoto is now able to achieve unprecedented picking rates for their custom print order fulfillment. During peak periods, they can accurately process 800 orders per hour per Lift.

Moreover, by installing the 2 Modula units through two floors, the production is now seamlessly connected to the packaging area.

Each VLM has two bays – one on the second floor where the production process happens, and one bay on the first floor where the finished goods are sorted by order and then sent to the packaging department for packing and shipment preparation.

The VLMs not only offer a high-density storage solution to store goods, but also conveniently act as an elevator for transporting goods between floors. This results in a much streamlined and accurate handling of the products.

Thanks to the new automated system by Modula, Smartphoto can now count on a fast and precise e-commerce custom print order fulfillment process that ensures timely and accurate delivery to the final clients.