MDS – France’s leading book distribution company – is using Scallog's mobile robotics solutions to optimise its client service.

In a bid to meet ever-rising demand at its Dourdan distribution centre, MDS has set itself the target of speeding up delivery for low-volume heterogeneous orders – but without increasing operating costs or compromising on quality.

To make the whole process smoother, to increase reliability and to speed up low-turnover orders at the end of its automated line, MDS has chosen a decidedly modular, flexible and scalable technology: Scallog’s Goods-to-Man solution.

Dourdan – an automated distribution hub in keeping with MDS's aim
Goods to Man – equal to current book distribution challenges
People and books: central to the drive to automate low-turnover order preparation

Initial gains – from increased operational performance to fewer arduous tasks.

Using robotics as incontrovertibly increased efficiency: resupply operations now take less time and productivity (when it comes to order preparation) has been increased by a factor of 2.5 – more than 200 lines can now be processed per hour!

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Dourdan – an automated distribution hub in keeping
with MDS's aim

MDS is owned by the Média-Participations Group and is a major player in the book distribution sector. Well-known across the press, audiovisual and publishing sectors, the Média-Participations Group recently merged with La Matinière-Le Seuil.

The MDS distribution centre in Dourdan covers some 35,000 m² and has 32 km of shelf storage.

The company currently has more than 15,000 clients – everything from bookstores, supermarkets and e-commerce sites (such as Amazon and Fnac.com) – to major cultural centres and tourist sites.

Part 1

Dourdan – an automated distribution hub in keeping with MDS's aim

Part 2

Goods to Man – equal to current book
distribution challenges

Part 3

People and books: central to the drive to automate low-turnover order preparation

Part 4

Initial gains – from increased operational
performance to fewer arduous tasks.

Goods to Man – equal to current book distribution challenges

To optimise order preparation costs while at the same time increasing productivity and reliability, more than 60% of what MDS does is being mechanised.

optimize order picking costs
gain in productivity
increase reliability in production.

Indeed, without any kind of robotic assistance, a typical operative walks an average of 10 km per day.

Benefits of our solution

X 3

multiplied productivity

+ 30 %

additional storage space

< 2 years

a guaranteed return on investment

People and books: central to the drive to automate low-turnover order preparation

The project took place in four key stages:

First of all, process definitionand picking and resupply in connection with the workflow automation system,
Secondly, creation of the software interfaces
using Scallog's expertise in this area,
Then installation of stations, of the robot
pathways and the mobile shelf units.
Finally, creation of the surface area, installation of equipment, interfacing of the solutions and implementation of the processes.

Initial gains – from increased operational performance to fewer arduous tasks.

Storage space saved – Across the whole mechanised Scallog area, more than 10,000 products are now stored over a small area.
Gain in operational performance: Productivity is multiplied by 2.5.
Improved working conditions – Operatives no longer need to work their way through the aisles and undertake numerous arduous manual tasks.

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