Industry
Distribution and Logistics
GLS: SILO² automates exception parcel management, reducing inventory time from 2 hours to 2 minutes
- Distribution and Logistics
- SILO²
- Finished products
When every missed delivery becomes a new delivery mission
In last-mile logistics, delivery exception parcels generate a continuous operational flow. Receiving, identification, storage and redelivery activities take place every day, handling volumes that continue to grow year after year.
When managed manually, what should be a routine process can quickly become a bottleneck, slowing operations, consuming valuable space and ultimately affecting the service experience delivered to the end customer.
Product
SILO²
Key results
• 98% reduction in inventory time, from 2 hours to 2 minutes
• 78% faster redelivery list processing, from 90 to 20 minutes
Key feature
Side-by-side picking/refilling stations, IRIDE and dual loading modes
GLS: a last-mile logistics network spanning 40 countries
GLS (General Logistics Systems), part of the Royal Mail Group, operates in 41 countries and serves more than 120,000 customers through a network of over 147 depots across Italy. The Cosenza branch, active for more than 25 years, employs around 70 people, including warehouse operators, drivers and office staff, operates a fleet of more than 40 vehicles and serves over 2,000 customers across the province every day.
As e-commerce volumes have continued to grow, managing delivery exception parcels, shipments that are not delivered on the first attempt and remain in storage awaiting redelivery or customer collection, has become a critical factor in maintaining both service quality and operational efficiency.
As e-commerce volumes have continued to grow, managing delivery exception parcels, shipments that are not delivered on the first attempt and remain in storage awaiting redelivery or customer collection, has become a critical factor in maintaining both service quality and operational efficiency.
The logistical challenges
Annual parcel volumes at the Cosenza branch were growing by around 20%, making manual handling of delivery exception parcels increasingly unsustainable.
The management of exception parcels had become a major operational bottleneck, affecting processing times, operating costs and, ultimately, the quality of service experienced by the end customer.
The main operational challenges included:
• around 1,200 parcels per day stored on the floor across approximately 200 m², exposed to dust and dirt
• manual parcel searches for redelivery list preparation, requiring around 2.5 hours per day
• daily inventory checks based on manual scanning of every parcel, taking more than 2 hours
• frequent retrieval errors affecting delivery times and customer satisfaction
• during peak seasons, storage areas reached full capacity, requiring additional temporary staff
Multi-column SILO² VLM for high-density storage of exception parcels
The SILO² VLM stands nearly 8 metres high and features three storage columns within a footprint of just 23 m².
The trays, equipped with side panels and dividers, can handle packages weighing from 100 g to 35 kg and up to 60 cm in height. The trays, equipped with side panels and dividers, can handle packages weighing from 100 g to 35 kg and up to 60 cm in height.
Automatic space allocation based on parcel dimensions optimises tray occupancy and maximises the use of available storage capacity.
Each tray can be reconfigured over time to accommodate future operational requirements and changing storage needs.
The trays, equipped with side panels and dividers, can handle packages weighing from 100 g to 35 kg and up to 60 cm in height. The trays, equipped with side panels and dividers, can handle packages weighing from 100 g to 35 kg and up to 60 cm in height.
Automatic space allocation based on parcel dimensions optimises tray occupancy and maximises the use of available storage capacity.
Each tray can be reconfigured over time to accommodate future operational requirements and changing storage needs.
3D scanning, ICON and IRIDE: full parcel traceability from receipt to retrieval
Upon arrival, each parcel is processed by a 3D scanner that captures its weight and dimensions and transfers the data to the GLS ERP system, integrated with ICON.
L’operatore sceglie tra due modalità di carico: selettiva, con un collo alla volta e vassoio assegnato automaticamente da ICON in base all’ingombro, o massiva, con più colli depositati in sequenza su vassoi vuoti disponibili.
In both cases, barcode scanning creates a unique link between the shipment number and its storage location within the VLM, ensuring full real-time traceability and retrieval accuracy.
The two side-by-side picking/refilling stations operate in parallel, while IRIDE guides each retrieval through visual instructions displayed directly in front of the operator. Operations can be confirmed or adjusted via the control panel, without the need to access the control console PC.
L’operatore sceglie tra due modalità di carico: selettiva, con un collo alla volta e vassoio assegnato automaticamente da ICON in base all’ingombro, o massiva, con più colli depositati in sequenza su vassoi vuoti disponibili.
In both cases, barcode scanning creates a unique link between the shipment number and its storage location within the VLM, ensuring full real-time traceability and retrieval accuracy.
The two side-by-side picking/refilling stations operate in parallel, while IRIDE guides each retrieval through visual instructions displayed directly in front of the operator. Operations can be confirmed or adjusted via the control panel, without the need to access the control console PC.
Key results
More speed, greater control and less waste for both operators and end customers
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Inventory time: –98%
Inventory from 2 hours to 2 minutes
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Redelivery lists: –78%
Redelivery lists in 20 minutes
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–40% picking errors
IRIDE guides every operation
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1,200 parcels/day in 23 m²
Compared with the 200 m² of floor space previously required
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Full traceability
Every parcel linked to its position, locatable in seconds
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Shorter counter waiting times
The parcel is available at the picking/refilling station within seconds of entering the shipment number into the ERP system.
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Seasonal peaks managed
High parcel volumes handled without additional staff, even during the Christmas peak season
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Improved customer satisfaction
More reliable deliveries improve service quality
Thanks to the installation of a vertical storage system, GLS have been able to benefit from a number of advantages. The first undoubtedly relates to savings in terms of human resources and therefore the overall cost of labour for the company. In addition, there has also been a reduction in the queues that formed as customers waited to collect their packages. Another advantage has been the possibility to automatically manage the storage system. Lastly, we have been able to increase the level of security for the goods we store. Today these packages are safely stored inside the SILO², where they are protected from any unauthorized access, but above all from the dust and dirt that are commonly found in a warehouse environment.
Explore the GLS Cosenza project in detail
Discover the product chosen by GLS
SILO²: the Vertical Lift Module
From 2 to 7 storage columns, over 120 tray size configurations and a specific tray load bearing capacity of up to 1,000 kg/m²: SILO² is ICAM’s solution for high-density storage of small and medium-sized items.
Explore SILO²
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