Enhancing Supply Chain Efficiency with Order Picking System
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The Challenge: Navigating complex last-mile operations to meet ambitious productivity and waste reduction targets
Grupo Bimbo, a leading global food production and distribution company, specializes in a wide range of products including fresh and frozen breads, cookies, packaged baked goods, tortillas, snacks, and confectionery items. Operating in more than 33 countries across four continents, the company manages more than 13,000 products under 100+ brands and maintains one of the world's largest distribution networks.
The final stage of delivery—known internally as sales center dispatch—presents significant operational hurdles, despite covering only a short distance. Ensuring timely and accurate product delivery amid rising global demand requires precise coordination. At sales centers, the picking process consumed nearly 80% of delivery personnel's time, highlighting the need for targeted efficiency improvements.
Beyond optimizing picking, the company pursued broader supply chain objectives, including a 30% productivity boost and a 50% reduction in logistics waste. The chosen technology had to support quick rollout, avoid intricate integrations with existing systems, deliver an intuitive interface, and provide real-time visibility into processes along with individual and task-level productivity metrics.
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The Solution: Deploying a mobile picking application for streamlined, digital dispatch operations
With extensive experience in supply chain optimization across hundreds of distribution centers in 25 countries, the consultancy delivered an out-of-the-box mobile order picking system (OPS-MP) to address these needs. This solution manages and enhances picking for orders from ERP, WMS, or other systems, enabling fully digital operations while maximizing time and space efficiency—without requiring Wi-Fi infrastructure.
The implementation digitized every aspect of picking, auditing, and time-tracking through a native Android-compatible mobile app. Argano's experts applied a proven methodology to:
- Map current picking and shipping processes
- Pinpoint time-saving and productivity-enhancing opportunities
- Set up real-time dashboards for operational monitoring
Comprehensive hands-on training minimized the learning curve, ensuring quick adoption of new workflows. This included advanced task planning and load sequencing features, all supported by round-the-clock assistance to facilitate seamless integration across facilities in Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Colombia.
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The Results: 40% productivity uplift, real-time insights, and optimized warehouse performance
The deployment yielded substantial improvements, including a 40% increase in operational productivity across the targeted distribution centers. End-to-end visibility tracked picker activity from shift start to finish, while task-level monitoring offered immediate insights into execution status and operator performance.
Daily productivity metrics per operator were enabled through customized dashboards, supporting data-driven decisions. Key outcomes encompassed:
- Full digitalization of picking via mobile app and smartphones
- Reduced picking times with optimized task planning
- Enhanced load sequencing for better transportation utilization
- Elevated customer service through faster deliveries
These advancements positioned the company for sustained efficiency, demonstrating a scalable model for global enterprises facing similar picking and dispatch challenges.
40% increase in operational productivity across the targeted distribution centers
Client Success Story: Grupo Bimbo
Learn how Bimbo enhanced supply chain efficiency with order picking system
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