Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Press releases are provided by companies as is and have not been edited or checked for accuracy. Any queries should be directed to the company issuing the release.

WITRON EMPLOYEES & SYSTEMS PROVEN ESSENTIAL IN PANDEMIC CRISIS

As the COVID-19 pandemic raged across Europe and North America, WITRON technicians and the vital logistics systems they maintain continued to deliver essential groceries, sundries and other consumables without significant downtime.

WITRON EMPLOYEES & SYSTEMS PROVEN ESSENTIAL IN PANDEMIC CRISIS

As the COVID-19 pandemic raged across Europe and North America, WITRON technicians and the vital logistics systems they maintain continued to deliver essential groceries, sundries and other consumables without significant downtime. With equipment running 24/7 for an extended period throughout the supply chains on two continents, WITRON suffered only ONE technical breakdown, and thanks to committed cooperation, only four sick employees. “In the months of March, April, May, and through to mid-June, the panic related shopping habits of the consumers presented us with major logistical challenges. The highest volume sales weeks of the year, usually at Christmas and Easter, were clearly exceeded. All employees as well as the technology and the WITRON OnSite teams, e.g. at EDEKA in Hamm (Germany), were faced with extraordinary challenges. During this time, WITRON’s automation technology with its readiness and performance has made a significant contribution to meet the needs of our customers”, explains Peter Bayer from Edeka Handelsgesellschaft Rhein-Ruhr. These trends were consistent not only in Germany, but worldwide, as retailers were struggling with enormous order volumes.

When Christian Dietl, CEO of WITRON Services, reviews the numbers of June 2020, he is proud of his colleagues who are working in many logistics centers all over Europe and North America. “Together with our customers, we have kept the warehouses running; we have never ever experienced such a rush. And this was not only in one country, but in the US, Canada, France, Spain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway, and in the Benelux countries - wherever we are on site with our service teams and wherever the logistics centers are running with our automation technology OPM”, said Mr. Dietl.


While the inner cities of Europe were emptying and the throughput in the stores was increasing, the logistics centers were running at full speed. The importance of automation was growing and so was the importance of the people in the warehouses. Truck drivers were no longer allowed to enter the distribution centers, and the staff in the logistics centers now had to handle the incoming goods. “New personnel was obviously out of reach. We had to restructure our teams to prevent infections. So we worked with smaller maintenance teams and really only carried out the most necessary life-sustaining measures on the machines”, explains Dietl. WITRON’s technicians developed efficient concepts to keep the system performance high at all times, while at the same time we had to cut down the planned maintenance intervals due to time constraints. “In addition, our cross-trained colleagues on site can change their roles very quickly - from a system operator to a maintenance technician and back again. We learned a lot about the load limits of the components and this is now being incorporated into our future concepts.”

The flexibility of WITRON’s technicians paid off through the heart of the pandemic’s heaviest months for Canadian customer Sobeys, “I have always said that we have the best team because there is only ONE team at the Terrebonne distribution center, consisting of Sobeys AND WITRON colleagues”, said Fabien Roy, Logistics Manager at Sobeys in Canada.

Covid-19 created significant stresses across virtually every supply chain in Europe and North America, but for Christian Dietl and his service and maintenance teams, the ability to overcome the hardships both human and mechanical was a testament to their teamwork and technology. “The disease is still there, it will occupy us for even longer - socially, economically, and technologically. It turned out that the WITRON crisis management works; the systems run reliably with high availability even under permanent high volume requirements, and the OnSite teams roll up their sleeves - supporting them around the clock with great commitment. Together with our customers, we will continue to successfully master the challenges.”

https://www.witron.de/en

The Latest

More Stories

Creform stationary lineside flow rack provides for an organized flow of materials

Creform stationary lineside flow rack.

Photo courtesy of Creform

Creform stationary lineside flow rack provides for an organized flow of materials

Greer, SC—Creform Corporation, a manufacturer of unique products for material handling structures has designed and built a stationary flow rack to be used lineside for an assembly line. The flow rack can be virtually used in any industry and for most application and is particular useful holding an optimal amount of inventory at the point of assembly which maximizes floor space. It also can prevent excessive inventory which is one of the seven waste considerations in lean manufacturing. This flow rack contains an “L shaped” slide pipe and skate wheel conveyor.

Creform sales engineers worked closely with the customer to design this customized solution to meet their specific needs. The result is an optimized flow rack where parts and materials are strategically organized at the point of use. This setup enables workers to quickly locate the components they need, reducing downtime and saving time. Creform offers multiple flow lane options and can create virtually any hybrid solution.

Keep ReadingShow less

Featured

autonomous tugger vehicle
Lift Trucks, Personnel & Burden Carriers

Cyngn delivers autonomous tuggers to wheel maker COATS

photo of self driving forklift
Lift Trucks, Personnel & Burden Carriers

Cyngn gains $33 million for its self-driving forklifts

Toyota Material Handling's Core Electric Forklift

Toyota Material Handling's Core Electric Forklift

Photo courtesy of Toyota Material Handling

Toyota Material Handling expands portfolio with high-performance, eco-friendly forklifts

COLUMBUS, Ind.,Jan. 16, 2025 – Toyota Material Handling, the North American leader in material handling products and solutions, is expanding its innovative product portfolio with two new offerings: the Integrated Mid & Large Electric Pneumatic Forklifts and a refreshed Core Electric Forklift series. These models deliver superior operational efficiency while enhancing environmental sustainability, reinforcing Toyota’s commitment to its Vision 2030 and its goal to become a carbon-neutral company.

“Our two newest products reinforce Toyota’s commitment to environmental stewardship without compromising the efficiency and power of our reliable products,” said Bill Finerty, President and CEO of Toyota Material Handling. “These two new models are impactful in many different applications, meeting the needs of all our customers and harnessing the innovation and power of our electric products.”

Keep ReadingShow less

Armlogi expands shipping capabilities with Amazon Shipping integration

WALNUT, CA, Jan. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Armlogi Holding Corp. (“Armlogi” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: BTOC), a U.S.-based warehousing and logistics service provider that offers a comprehensive package of supply-chain solutions related to warehouse management and order fulfillment, today announced the integration of Amazon Shipping into its suite of shipping solutions. This new addition is expected to enhance Armlogi’s shipping capabilities, providing customers with more efficient and cost-effective options for parcel delivery.

Since its launch last week, Amazon Shipping has already enabled Armlogi to handle thousands of parcels daily. This service supports Armlogi’s commitment to offering versatile, reliable logistics solutions by ensuring timely pickup and delivery for a broad range of customer needs. Amazon Shipping is particularly noted for its efficiency and cost-effectiveness, making it an attractive option for businesses looking to optimize their shipping and distribution strategies.

Keep ReadingShow less
a headshot of Bill Pedriana at Noblelift
Photo courtesy of Noblelift

NOBLELIFT North America welcomes Bill Pedriana as newpresident

Des Plaines, Illinois – January 7, 2025: NOBLELIFT North America, a global leader in lithium-iron material handling technology, is excited to announce the appointment of Bill Pedriana as its new President. With nearly four decades of experience in the material handling industry, Pedriana is poised to lead NOBLELIFT North America into a new era of innovation, growth, and customer-centric success.

Bill Pedriana served as Chief Marketing Officer at Big Joe Forklifts, where his visionary leadership helped rebuild the brand, develop groundbreaking products (including the Joey series of access vehicles and their cobot pallet truck concept), and execute comprehensive sales and marketing strategies. For 14 years, Pedriana played an instrumental role in achieving an extraordinary 14x growth in sales and helping to drive the global expansion of Big Joe’s parent company, EP Equipment.

Keep ReadingShow less
Loren Swakow of Noblelift

Loren Swakow announces retirement as managing director of NOBLELIFT North America

Des Plaines, Illinois – Loren Swakow, Managing Director of NOBLELIFT North America, has announced his retirement effective January 31st, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of unprecedented growth, innovation, and strong relationships built over nearly a decade at the helm of the company.

Swakow joined NOBLELIFT in October 2016, tasked with the challenge of bringing an unknown brand into the highly competitive American market. At the time, NOBLELIFT had no dealer network and minimal brand recognition. Over the course of eight years, Swakow's strategic leadership and expertise have led to remarkable success, driving average annual growth of 43%. Today, NOBLELIFT is supported by a professional dealer network spanning the entire country, with sales growth consistently outpacing the industry, a true testament to Swakow’s vision and determination.

Keep ReadingShow less