The kitchen and cupboard specialist chose a technical solution proposed by Etilux to manage the orders that pass through its 10,000 m² logistics hall in Namur every year.

Every morning, a veritable ballet of lorries springs to life in the Rhisnes business park, in the hills above Namur. Approximately 600,000 pieces of kitchen furniture and 140,000 household appliances and accessories (sinks, bathroom fittings, lights, chairs, etc.) pass through the EGGO logistics centre.

The lorries are unloaded and the goods are stored on six-metre-high racks using well-equipped clarks. ‘On average, a dozen warehouse staff work in our 10,000 m² hall,’ explains François Laermans, Logistics Director. ‘It was built in 2013, with a strong focus on sustainable development (330 solar panels on the roof, waste sorting, economical energy management, etc.). They manage inventory that is equivalent to three days’ worth of deliveries. This is a complex task because of the seasonal nature of sales (peaks during the Batibouw trade fair or the July sales, for example), but also because of the bespoke nature of all our kitchen furniture.‘

 As a result, each order is unique and requires the utmost care. The various pieces are collected with blue trolleys. ‘To date, all these items, as well as the customer’s name, are listed on a sheet of paper attached to the trolley. The contents of each box are also written on a piece of paper. Of course, things are even more complicated when a part is missing.’ This method will soon be a thing of the past.

Searching for a supplier

The EGGO team was looking for a solution to facilitate this management and make work more comfortable and efficient for the staff. ‘We already had warehouse-management software (WMS),’ says Philippe de Raedemaecker, Director of IT. ‘So we looked for a partner for the hardware. As always, we browsed the market for suppliers and explained our problems and our dreams!‘

 Etilux caught their attention thanks to its advice and its experience. ‘They offered us different scanning solutions that we had the opportunity to test” explains François Laermans. ‘We realised that our dream was not practical. We had to find the right device, which was also suitable in terms of ergonomics and was easy to interpret.

A simple and effective system

The new hardware proposed by Etilux could work with the existing WMS, which was retained as a result. It takes the unique characteristics of the different suppliers into account

‘Technically, the system works with Android,’ explains Philippe de Raedemaecker. ‘Our only concern was strengthening the Wi-Fi network in the hall‘.. 

 Now everything is simplified

All goods are attributed to a customer and their precise location is known, no matter where they are in the chain: unloading, reception, storage, order preparation, docking, etc. The new process also facilitates the finalisation of orders, for example, when a part is missing.

‘We are delighted with the equipment and advice provided by Etilux‘ says François Laermans and Philippe de Raedemaecker. The support includes all aspects, including small accessories, such as sheaths, USB holders, cords, back-up batteries, etc. The collaboration between the Liège-based company and the Namur-based company is set to grow. EGGO intends to invest in small portable printers in the near future, for situations when a small label needs to be printed in case of a missing or illegible bar code. This equipment will prevent the staff from having to go to the big printer.

The solutions proposed by Etilux