Industry
Automotive
Elleffetrade: 8 SILO² VLMs to speed up automotive spare parts distribution
- Automotive
- SILO²
- Spare parts MRO
When inventory grows, the warehouse has to keep pace
With 52,000 SKUs across spare parts and accessories for cars, motorcycles, trucks and bicycles, and 650 orders per day, 85% generated by the B2B eCommerce channel, Elleffetrade needed a warehouse that could keep pace with maximum accuracy. ICAM installed 8 SILO² multi-column automated Vertical Lift Modules in a pod of machines in the body components area: 14,000 SKUs managed in a 20% smaller footprint, 100% of daily orders fulfilled, picking errors reduced by over 90% and +19% productivity per operator.
Product
SILO²
Key results
• 100% of orders fulfilled every day
• – 90% picking errors
• +19% productivity per operator
• – 20% floor space for 14,000 SKUs
Key features
– 8 SILO² VLMs in a pod of machines in the bodywork parts area
– ICON integration with WH&RE Automotive ERP
Elleffetrade: wholesale automotive spare parts distribution since 1978, from Bari across Southern Italy
Luigi Fabi, owner of the Elleffetrade brand, has been distributing automotive spare parts and accessories for cars, motorcycles, trucks and bicycles wholesale since 1978. The warehouse in Bari covers around 6,000 m², with usable height of over 10 meters, and serves spare parts dealers, accessory retailers, auto glass installers and online sellers through drop-shipping across Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, Molise and Campania.
With 52,000 SKUs in its catalog and a proprietary B2B eCommerce channel generating 85% of the approximately 650 orders received and fulfilled every day, Elleffetrade is a benchmark in the automotive aftermarket in Southern Italy.
Steady catalog growth and the increasing complexity of the eCommerce channel led the company to invest in warehouse management: more SKUs, more orders, the same promise of accuracy and speed.
With 52,000 SKUs in its catalog and a proprietary B2B eCommerce channel generating 85% of the approximately 650 orders received and fulfilled every day, Elleffetrade is a benchmark in the automotive aftermarket in Southern Italy.
Steady catalog growth and the increasing complexity of the eCommerce channel led the company to invest in warehouse management: more SKUs, more orders, the same promise of accuracy and speed.
The logistical challenges
With SKU growth and the expansion of the B2B eCommerce channel, traditional racking could no longer keep up in terms of capacity and operational efficiency.
• saturated traditional racking: no longer able to hold the growing number of SKUs, with space becoming increasingly limited in the bodywork parts area
• long search times: warehouse operators had to travel long distances to pick and deposit items, directly affecting order fulfillment speed
• frequent picking errors across SKUs with similar shapes and sizes: spare parts often distinguishable only by code, leading to returns and end-customer dissatisfaction
• no structured traceability: inbound and outbound operations were not recorded in real time, making inventory not always reliable
• unsynchronized multichannel management: counter sales, picking of traditional orders and B2B eCommerce operated with separate logics
8 SILO² systems in a pod of machines: 14,000 SKUs in 20% less space
ICAM designed and installed 8 SILO² multi-column automated vertical storage systems in the bodywork parts area, arranged side by side and opposite in a pod of machines.
Each storage system is nearly 10 meters high, with 3 storage columns, occupies 23.21 m² footprint and provides 72.35 m³ of capacity. The overall installation manages more than 14,000 SKUs of small and medium-sized spare parts and accessories in 20% less space than the previous traditional racking. Spare parts are allocated by picking frequency and product type to ensure an optimized workflow.
Each storage system is nearly 10 meters high, with 3 storage columns, occupies 23.21 m² footprint and provides 72.35 m³ of capacity. The overall installation manages more than 14,000 SKUs of small and medium-sized spare parts and accessories in 20% less space than the previous traditional racking. Spare parts are allocated by picking frequency and product type to ensure an optimized workflow.
IRIDE on every station and ICON integration with WH&RE Automotive ERP
Every picking and refilling station is equipped with IRIDE: the operator calls up the item from the PC, the tray is delivered at an ergonomic height, and IRIDE indicates exactly which item and quantity to pick. ICON software, integrated with WH&RE Automotive ERP, provides total real-time traceability for every inbound and outbound movement.
Any operator, at the sales counter, in order preparation or in eCommerce replenishment management, accesses the same system and picks the correct item within minutes.
Any operator, at the sales counter, in order preparation or in eCommerce replenishment management, accesses the same system and picks the correct item within minutes.
Key results
650 orders per day, all fulfilled: zero errors, no manual searching
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100% orders fulfilled every day
All 650 daily orders, from B2B eCommerce and traditional channels, completed without delays or slippage
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–90% picking errors
IRIDE on every station eliminates manual search: operators pick only what the system indicates and confirms
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+19% operator productivity
Less travel, less waiting, more correct picks in the same amount of time
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14,000 references in –20% floor space
The same catalog managed in less space, with room for further growth
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Full real-time traceability
ICON–WH&RE Automotive ERP integration: every item tracked from receiving to shipping, with stock always up to date
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Unified management across all channels
Counter sales, traditional orders and B2B eCommerce served by the same system with identical speed and accuracy
Explore the solution chosen by Elleffetrade
SILO²: the Vertical Lift Module
With 2 to 7 storage columns, over 120 tray configurations and load capacities up to 1,000 kg/m², SILO² is designed for the efficient storage of small and medium-sized items.
Explore SILO²
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