In the Netherlands, Actemium improves the reliability and efficiency of the order picking process for Mathot
Mathot Medical Specialty Shops supplies medical consumables and devices to private customers as well as healthcare institutions. Employees in Mathot’s warehouse near Haarlem collect 700 to 1,100 orders every day. Delivery reliability is paramount at Mathot: customers need the medical products. But it is also a major challenge. Although it already had delivery reliability of 99 %, Mathot called on Actemium to optimize its logistics process.
Picking process from 3 to one step
Picking process used to have 3 process steps: picking, checking and packing. Now, thanks to the solution implemented by Actemium, there is only one process step. Mathot tries to handle the products as little as possible and to minimize errors that affect customers by having pickers get the right products in one go and put the products straight into the customer’s box. This eliminates two moments from the process when products could be mixed up, and greatly reduces the risk of error.
Risk of error fell by a factor of 4 and improved working conditions
Actemium advised several adjustments to the logistics process and implemented paperless picking with voice with headphones that send order pickers to a location. They now work with audio instructions that they confirm with their voice. They have their hands free, and greater focus in their work and on the location of the product to be picked. Moreover, they no longer pick based on product knowledge, but on the basis of a reference number, thanks to a check digit shown on the box. This not only improved reliability and efficiency by another 20 %, but also flexibility. The chance of error is now close to nil.
Moreover, with the old system, order pickers walked an average of 18 km a day. With the new one implemented by Actemium, they do about 11 to 12 km and are less tired.
Full satisfaction
In 15 months, Mathot has recovered the entire investment. Costs have been recovered by working more efficiently. Reliability, efficiency and flexibility: the partnership between Mathot and Actemium is a real success.
