Industry
Distribution and logistics
4 SILO² VLMs for Uniservice hydraulic distribution: from 180 picks per day to over 200 in half a day
- Distribution and Logistics
- SILO²
- Accessosries and components
When downtime hits, fast response matters as much as product range
To manage SKU growth, serve dealers, OEMs and the retail counter at the same time, and maintain fast, accurate delivery times, Uniservice installed four ICAM SILO² automated vertical storage systems at its Casoria facility near Naples, integrated with Zucchetti’s Infinity ERP. The result: picking errors eliminated across 20,000 SKUs, picking productivity more than doubled and space maximized in a 92 m² pod of machines.
Product
SILO²
Key results
· Picking errors eliminated
· From 160 to 180 picks per day to more than 200 picks in half a day
· 50% more SKUs within the same footprint
Key feature
• Dedicated priority for each picking and refilling station: one for the counter, one for shipments
• ICON integration with Infinity ERP
Uniservice: wide product range, technical consulting and on-time delivery
Founded in 2004 in Casoria, near Naples, Uniservice is a benchmark in the distribution of hydraulic system components, including hoses, fittings, pumps, valves, cylinders and seals, serving dealers, OEMs and end users.
Exclusive distributor of Manuli, Casappa, Ikron and Atlantic for Central and Southern Italy, Uniservice operates 4 branches and has its own design office and turning workshop for customized products. With 20,000 SKUs in stock and 40 to 50 new SKUs added every month, product range is the company’s first promise to the market.
Its second promise is speed: when a customer has equipment downtime caused by a faulty hydraulic component, they cannot wait.
Exclusive distributor of Manuli, Casappa, Ikron and Atlantic for Central and Southern Italy, Uniservice operates 4 branches and has its own design office and turning workshop for customized products. With 20,000 SKUs in stock and 40 to 50 new SKUs added every month, product range is the company’s first promise to the market.
Its second promise is speed: when a customer has equipment downtime caused by a faulty hydraulic component, they cannot wait.
The logistical challenges
As its product range grew and retail outlets were opened, Uniservice found itself managing two very different types of orders at the same time: large order lists from dealers and OEMs, with up to 200 lines, and walk-in purchases at the retail counter.
All SKUs were stored on traditional three-level racking, accessed with ladders.
Uniservice needed a system that would make every operator autonomous across 20,000 SKUs, regardless of their product experience.
The critical issues were clear:
• Operators had to walk through aisles and climb ladders while handling 4 to 5 kg packages, with a risk of falling and time loss.
• SKUs were constantly increasing, while the existing racking could no longer contain them.
• Picking errors were common, especially for new operators who were not yet familiar with the product range.
• It was impossible to manage the retail counter and shipments in parallel without slowing down both flows.
4 SILO² VLMs installed in a pod of machines configuration: 100 m³ in 92 m², with IRIDE-guided picking
The four SILO² vertical storage systems, over 7 meters high, are installed in two side-by-side pairs facing each other, creating a pod of machines configuration that provides almost 100 m³ of capacity in just 92 m². Each system is equipped with 2 picking and refilling stations with IRIDE, the visual guidance system that allows any operator to pick the correct item simply by entering the code, without needing to know the product. This is especially important for Uniservice, which adds around 40 to 50 new SKUs every month.
25% of high-turnover SKUs stored in the SILO² VLMs cover 60 to 70% of all daily picking activity.
Items are allocated by package size for Manuli small parts and by product family for spare parts, with picking always managed according to FIFO logic.
25% of high-turnover SKUs stored in the SILO² VLMs cover 60 to 70% of all daily picking activity.
Items are allocated by package size for Manuli small parts and by product family for spare parts, with picking always managed according to FIFO logic.
Retail counter and shipments in parallel: dedicated priority for each picking and refilling station, orders managed by the ERP
The two picking and refilling stations of each SILO² have distinct priorities: one is reserved for the retail counter, with absolute priority; the other manages the consolidation of orders to be shipped.
Orders received electronically flow into Zucchetti’s Infinity ERP, which automatically breaks them down into allocation lines and routes them to the different storage systems.
Since 20% of SKUs are shared across multiple simultaneous lists, operators can prepare several orders in parallel with a single tray delivery, drastically reducing idle time. The result: from 160 to 180 picks per day with traditional racking to over 200 operations in half a day, with 62-second cycles and 200 to 300 total daily picks.
Orders received electronically flow into Zucchetti’s Infinity ERP, which automatically breaks them down into allocation lines and routes them to the different storage systems.
Since 20% of SKUs are shared across multiple simultaneous lists, operators can prepare several orders in parallel with a single tray delivery, drastically reducing idle time. The result: from 160 to 180 picks per day with traditional racking to over 200 operations in half a day, with 62-second cycles and 200 to 300 total daily picks.
Key results
More speed, zero errors, maximized space across two parallel channels
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Picking errors brought to zero
IRIDE guides every pick regardless of the operator’s product knowledge
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From 160 to 180 picks per day to over 200 in half a day
Productivity per operator more than doubled
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25% of SKUs, 60–70% of all picks
SILO² VLMs concentrate high-turnover SKUs for maximum efficiency
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Station-specific priorities
Counter and despatch run in parallel with no interference
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+50% more SKUs within the same floor space
100 m³ managed in 92 m², with residual capacity to expand the product range without new structural investments.
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Operators autonomous from day one
No product knowledge required: the SKU code drives the entire process
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Safer operations
Ladders and walking distances while carrying loads have been eliminated, reducing injury risk to zero
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ICON and Infinity ERP integration
ERP orders are automatically converted into picking missions at the picking and refilling station: no manual steps, no loss of information
For a company like ours, which must guarantee a broad product range and fast, accurate deliveries to customers experiencing downtime caused by damaged machinery, material storage and picking operations play a fundamental strategic role. In the intralogistics evolution project we had in mind, ICAM proved to be the ideal partner thanks to its innovative vision, technical know-how and consulting approach, focused on identifying the best solution, tailored to our space and business goals.
Explore the product chosen by Uniservice
SILO²: the Vertical Lift Module
With 2 to 7 storage columns, over 120 tray size configurations and specific load bearing capacity up to 1,000 kg/m², SILO² is ICAM’s answer for companies managing small and medium-sized items, even those with a very high specific weight, in high-intensity operational environments. Fast picking, tracked operations and recovered space. All coordinated by ICON, ICAM’s proprietary software
Explore SILO²
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