Productivity up 300 percent for New Wave

May 10, 2019

With the help of Element Logic, wholesale retailer New Wave moved into a new warehouse without the customers noticing, in the same period picking up a Supplier of the Year award.

New Wave is a Norwegian textile wholesale retailer, specializing in sportswear and workwear. With a stable growth and high seasonal peaks, they acknowledged that their old warehouse was no longer doing the job.

“It was too small and could not keep up with customer demand. It was simply not efficient for us anymore,” says Morten Halvorsen, CEO of New Wave. “We knew we had to take a step into the future and automate our warehouse.”

Today, New Wave has moved into a brand-new warehouse in Østfold county. During the two years of preparing the move, Element Logic has been there every step of the way, securing a smooth transition as well as optimizing every inch of the 8 000 square meter building.

autostore — New Wave CEO Morten Halvorsen and Element Logic’s consultant Kjell Blakseth can shake hands on a job well done. Their new automated warehouse was up and running from day one and is already delivering results.

Up and running from day one

“We have worked closely with New Wave throughout the entire moving process. This enabled New Wave to acquire ownership of the technology, and us to gain valuable insight on how the system could be optimized,” says Kjell Blakseth, consultant at Element Logic.

“They have delivered all the warehouse equipment and worked together with our construction contractor for optimal warehouse performance. Everything has been delivered on time and successfully set up. We were up and running from day one,” Halvorsen continues.

With the automated AutoStore solution from Element Logic, the picking capacity has increased by 300 percent and the picking area has been reduced with 8000 m3.

“This result is just from the few months we have been here. Now that we are approaching a peak season, we will really get to see the automated warehouse in its full capacity,” says Halvorsen.

He is looking forward to the opportunities of scalability in the future.

“Our estimates show that we can double our revenue in this warehouse without having to expand the warehouse further.”

Element Logic has customized a waste management system that goes straight from the workstation – to the container outside the building.

Motivated warehouse workers

Another positive consequence after moving from the old to the new warehouse, is the effect on the workforce. The implementation of AutoStore has reduced the number of forklifts by half

“An ergonomically adapted workday, with cleaner air and modern technology has had great impact on the employees,” Halvorsen explains.

Controller and warehouse worker Martin Nordahl in New Wave confirms this.

“Your body is no longer sore when you wake up in the morning, and in general I think the atmosphere in the warehouse has improved significantly. In designated warehouse zones you can now work while listening to music or podcasts, because you don’t have to worry about being run over by forklifts,”Nordahl states.

All in all, New Wave has become a much more agile and efficient company after automating their warehouse.

“In the future, we expect a healthier business with increased customer satisfaction, based on quicker deliveries with less mistakes. Simply put, we are becoming a better supplier with the help of Element Logic and AutoStore,” the CEO of New Wave concludes.