INTERSPORT expands and modernises central warehouse together with Körber

Bad Nauheim/Heilbronn, 06. April 2022.

From the planning phase to finalization, Körber is responsible for the practical implementation of a fully automated warehouse that is not only technologically state-of-the-art, but also the growing demand for intelligent storage capacity in the coming years. can cover. In the future, up to 10,000 parcels per day can be sent there.

INTERSPORT Deutschland eG wanted to expand the capacity of its own central warehouse and at the same time greatly increase its degree of automation. The warehouse in Heilbronn had reached its limits due to the growth of product ranges, quantities, complexity and warehouse sales that had lasted for many years. For the expansion, the trading company relied on close cooperation with the technology expert Körber. The aim was to cover the demand for storage capacity on site in the long term by means of new automation technology and simultaneous conversion and modernization of existing logistics. Körber was not only responsible for all construction stages as a system administrator but was also involved in the planning phase.

In addition to the existing building, a new automatic small parts warehouse of 36 m height was built on 10,000 m² of additional logistics space. As a result, the total managed storage area of the INTERSPORT warehouse amounted to 37,000 m². Körber was involved in all integral components of the central warehouse, from software to hardware. On the software side, this means, for example, the selection of new warehouse software and the development of a new warehouse management, including specially tailored functions for the requirements of the INTERSPORT processes. Particularly important was the development of a central system that makes conveyor technology control possible, as well as the networking in loop with the ERP and merchandise management system. To this end, Körber uses its storage and material flow solution K.Motion.PMS.

At the hardware level, it is above all the following main components that ensure the future demands of both partners and raise the degree of automation to a new level: The OCR system, which fully automates the goods receipt, and the Shuttle Pick Zone with sequence-controlled delivery of the source cartons in conjunction with a fully automatic shipping carton erection. On the other hand, the Warehouse Management and Warehouse Control System as well as the automatic carton warehouse. The latter consists of a dynamic storage area equipped with a container shuttle and a storage area equipped with 24 m high stacker cranes for fully automatic carton storage up to three times deep. The conveyor system has several cross-points in which the cardboard boxes with a capacity of up to 3000 containers per hour are crossed out and fed to their destination.

Andreas Ebert, CEO of the Supply Chain Automation business unit of Körber, is very pleased with the interaction of all components: "Our goal was to create a complete solution for INTERSPORT that would make the warehouse fit for the future in the long term. Körber has access to a global network of logistics system providers and partners. Together with our cutting-edge technologies and our specialists in system design, automation, and warehouse management systems, our aim is to ensure that everything works as automatically and efficiently as possible."

Jürgen Beier, Head of Logistics and Supply Chain at INTERSPORT Germany is also pleased with the successful cooperation: "We decided early on to restructure our logistics IT and are very pleased that we have found a partner in Körber who, with his holistic technological know-how, is very pleased to have found a partner who, with his holistic technological know-how, can ow mastered the key factors in this highly complex project". Thomas Storck, CFO and Board Member of INTERSPORT, adds: "In addition, we have created the basis for implementing omnichannel services and digitization for our dealers and end customers in the coming years as part of INTERSPORT's BEST IN SPORTS strategy."