People Drive the Development of DSV – Global Transport and Logistics Warehouse Services

Continuous improvement is a fundamental part of the work at DSV warehouse facilities. Every day, employees, based on their personal observations of warehouse processes and current and forecasted changes in client volumes, submit suggestions for improvements, which are then assessed for potential implementation.

As part of this model, three improvements were introduced at the logistics center in Pęcice near Warsaw, which simultaneously allowed to:

• improve the quality and efficiency of operations,
• increase comfort and safety at work,
• support the fulfillment of current and future business needs of clients.

Weighing System

Special offers are an important part of retail, but before products intended for promotional sales reach store shelves, they must be properly picked and dispatched from the warehouse. The correctness of the contents loaded on pallets according to the specifications provided by the client is crucial. The electronic weighing system introduced in Pęcice supports warehouse workers in verifying the correctness of shipment contents when every minute counts—after all, promotions are often time-limited. How does this system work?

During the receiving process, several units of each product are taken and weighed by DSV employees. A proprietary algorithm processes the measurement results. It independently calculates a weight range for each item, considering possible deviations. This information is then sent to the warehouse management system (WMS).

At the order picking process, the warehouse worker retrieves the items indicated on the pick list from the shelf. The goods are scanned and placed on a modified electric cart with a built-in scale. After loading, the system automatically checks whether the number of packages loaded matches the values recorded in the WMS—the system checks whether the pallet has the correct weight. If a discrepancy is detected, the system immediately notifies the operator of a possible error. This solution enables quicker correction of potential mistakes and reduces the need for manual checks.

In addition to installing the scales and implementing appropriate modifications to the WMS, a key part of implementing the weighing system was the redesign of picking paths, which was also designed by the DSV team. Goods with similar weights were intentionally separated to minimize the risk of situations where the operator does not receive a notification about a possible error.

Label Printers

Another implemented solution was the installation of mobile label printers directly on electric carts. This eliminated the need for operators to retrieve address labels from a dedicated printing stations. This seemingly small change shortened the route that the employee must take with the load, resulting in faster handling and preparation of the pallet for dispatch.

Gravity Flow Racks

The most recent improvement being implemented is the installation of gravity flow racks for one of the clients in the FMCG sector, whose volumes increased by more than 25% over the year. In such a system, goods are loaded from one side and picked from the other.

This solution significantly shortens the order preparation time for individual sales points for shipping. Pallets from which employees pick goods move to the front of the rack on gravity-powered rollers. Stock replenishment takes place independently—from the opposite side—without disrupting the work of those picking orders.

Two picking lines using flow racks have been launched in Pęcice, allowing the preparation of two different promotional sets for shipment at the same time.

Continuous Improvement as the Key to Success

The changes implemented in Pęcice are an excellent example of how, thanks to the involvement and innovative approach of DSV employees and experts, warehouse operations are constantly evolving to not only meet current but also future needs of our clients.