Quicker deliveries with Detego Suite in Textile Logistics

NextLevel Logistics speeds up delivery for fashion retail customers with Detego

Logistics service provider NextLevel Logistics (NLL) has today announced it is using Detego’s article tracking and intelligence solutions, developed specifically for the fashion industry, for faster delivery to customers. Approximately three million pieces of clothing are moved by NLL every year, and thanks to the complete transparency and real-time warehouse insights provided by Detego’s software, this is now quicker and error-free.

NLL was not only able to increase the satisfaction of its retailer customers, it was also better able to handle the high number of collection cycles that happen every year in the fashion sector. The company began with a prototype of the solution, and immediately began working with the new more productive system, which has now been in place for six months.

Quicker article capture
In the NLL Eltmann Warehouse, an SSI Schäfer ‘Weasel’ automated vehicle transports 40 to 50 folded articles per container – at a speed of 0.6 metres per second – through an RFID tunnel that registers each item’s individual tag and tracks it individually using the Detego InWarehouse software. This ensures complete location transparency for each piece of clothing throughout the distribution process. In the next phase of implementation, which is already in progress, registration of articles will be expanded beyond folded inventory to hanging merchandise, in order to make the warehouse even more efficient.

Completeness check prior to loading for delivery
In order to guarantee completely error-free shipping, Detego’s InWarehouse software checks boxes immediately following order picking and once again just before loading for delivery. Automated RFID-based scanning and logging means considerable time savings over the previous process of manually checking articles to be sent, while tracking the total inventory of folded and hanging items is also easier. Inventory oversight, article transparency, and order accuracy prevent costly complaints on the side of the customer, ensuring they receive exactly what was ordered, complete and on-time.

Previewing individual articles before receiving
Detego InWarehouse transfers the gathered data to ERP texdata, which in turn passes the data on to the customer before shipment, if required. This way, the recipient can review the expected merchandise at an individual piece level, ahead of delivery. Retailers thus have the chance to precisely plan the presentation of merchandise for a campaign, and will no longer be surprised by the timing of deliveries. Receiving and displaying merchandise on the sales floor will be optimally managed. Detego InWarehouse supports the supply chain process, from the time merchandise leaves the warehouse all the way to the POS (i.e. point of sale).

“Many say that RFID doesn’t pay off in the warehouse, but we’ve experienced major success: Today we help deliver merchandise to the customer between 25 and 45 per cent faster than before using our solution, and we’ve accomplished this without additional cost to the customer. Such a significant reduction in delivery time is particularly important for the dynamic fashion industry, and meeting the demands of the modern retail customer”, notes Henrik Bugiel, Managing Director of NextLevel Logistics. “Our streamlined processes, in combination with Detego’s software, are perfectly co-ordinated, allowing us to easily address additional need for speed and flexibility, in any area of the business.”