How can your warehouse keep pace with business growth? BlueStar found the answer by integrating Exotec’s Skypod system with Manhattan’s Warehouse Management System (WMS). The result: a fourfold increase in productivity and greater operational control. As Bluestar put it during a company visit hosted by Exotec and Manhattan: “We are back in control of planning, instead of the other way around.”

In 2021, BlueStar experienced a rapid growth spurt. Within just six weeks, sales of scanners, printers, and other warehouse and retail equipment across Europe doubled. Nine months later, sales had tripled triggering an acute space shortage at the European distribution centre in Eindhoven. “We quickly expanded by annexing the adjacent hall. But it soon became clear that we needed a more fundamental change to boost productivity,” recalls Maurice van Rijn, Vice President of Business Development at BlueStar. The distribution centre, which had opened two years earlier, still relied on traditional shelving operations. Twenty to twenty-five operators worked daily, guided by Manhattan’s WMS along the most efficient pick routes, but walking distances remained long, particularly for order picking. Anticipating further growth, BlueStar decided in 2022 to automate its picking process and, in 2023, selected Exotec’s Skypod system.

Four times higher productivity

The Skypod system differentiates itself from other compact storage solutions through agile robots capable of climbing racks to retrieve storage bins. These bins are delivered to a pick station, where operators select the required products and place them in shipping boxes. With a single button press, the bin is returned to storage while the next one arrives, creating a seamless, continuous workflow. “We now process an average of 2,000 containers per day. Because operators remain at their stations, they can pick continuously without interruption. As a result, productivity is now four times higher,” says Stijn Kroon, Warehouse Manager at BlueStar.

The Skypod system occupies just 1,000 square metres, yet stores 23,000 bins containing 4,700 different SKUs. Twenty robots manage inbound and outbound flows, delivering around 2,000 presentations daily to three pick stations, each capable of processing 130 bins per hour. “Implementation planning was critical,” Kroon notes. “Everything had to be precise, from positioning the system to ensuring the right number of storage and pick locations. Once the floor was cleared, coated, and fenced off, rack installation took less than four weeks. Setting up the pick stations and system testing followed, but the most time-consuming step was loading the 23,000 bins. Three months later, the system was live.”

“It soon became clear that we needed a more fundamental change to boost productivity.”

Maurice van Rijn, Vice President of Business Development at BlueStar

Error-free by design

At BlueStar, errors are virtually eliminated thanks to the system’s design. When a bin arrives at a pick station, the operator scans the product barcode and manually enters the picked quantity, which is automatically verified against the entry in Manhattan’s WMS. To maximise throughput, packing is handled separately. Completed orders move via conveyor to a dedicated packing station, where contents are rechecked and packed for efficiency. Kroon explains: “A high-speed camera scans items and serial numbers, automatically recording them in the WMS. Once validated, boxes proceed to the sealing machine and onward to dispatch.” Next, BlueStar plans to further increase picking and packing capacity. “We aim to connect the three packing stations via a conveyor to balance workload and free up space for more value-added activities,” Kroon adds.

“Previously, a round trip past all pick locations could take 15 to 30 minutes. Just imagine how much time we’re saving now.”

Stijn Kroon, Warehouse Manager at BlueStar

Back in control of planning

BlueStar has now deployed the Skypod system in both Eindhoven and its North American distribution centre in Hebron, Kentucky. The installations are nearly identical, with API-based integration to Manhattan’s WMS. “The only difference is that we use grey bins in Europe and blue bins in North America,” Kroon jokes. “The main benefits have been improved safety and ergonomics. There’s significantly less internal transport traffic on the floor and operators no longer need to repeatedly get off their trucks to pick orders. And we haven’t even mentioned the elimination of travel distances. Previously, a round trip past all pick locations could take 15 to 30 minutes and we did about 150 trips per day. Just imagine how much time we’re saving now.” Perhaps most importantly, the system has given BlueStar new control over its operations. “Before, we were always playing catch-up, working hard just to get all orders out on time. Now we know exactly how many orders we can process per hour and how many labour hours we’ll need. We’re back in control of planning, instead of being controlled by it.”

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