Case Study Dosenbach-Ochsner AG: Automated E-Commerce Fulfillment Center with WMS Integration

The leading Swiss shoe and sports retailer Dosenbach-Ochsner AG expanded its central distribution site to integrate previously outsourced e-commerce logistics and consolidate online operations for four retail banners under one roof. Miebach supported the company from logistics concept and detailed planning through automation technology selection, WMS implementation, system testing, go-live and ramp-up. The new automated fulfillment center with Exotec technology and PSIwms enables higher e-commerce volumes, faster peak processing, standardized warehouse processes and a scalable omnichannel logistics platform for future growth.

Switzerland

Warehouse Design, Automation & Robotics, IT System Selection & Implementation, Optimization of Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), Transition Planning & Ramp-up Management, Exotec, PSIwms

Retail / Shoe & Sport

As part of their logistics transformation, Dosenbach-Ochsner AG, the leading Swiss Shoe and sports retailer planned to bring its previously outsourced e-commerce logistics back in-house and integrate them into its existing central distribution warehouse. Store replenishment and online operations for three retail banners were already handled there. To integrate the significantly larger e-commerce volume of a fourth retail banner under the same roof, the site had to be expanded.

The consolidation of the four business units was intended to reduce costs, create operational synergies and enable a consistent omnichannel platform. At the same time, e-commerce continued to grow and led to high order peaks, for example on Black Friday, during Club Days and after sales-intensive weekends, which concentrated the order workload on specific weekdays.

To achieve these objectives, a higher level of automation was required. After an intensive evaluation phase, the Exotec system proved to be the most suitable solution, as its bin dimensions, modular design, scalability and resilience without a central single point of failure matched the requirements of fashion logistics. In addition, PSIwms was introduced as the first modern warehouse management system within the group, with the defined processes serving as a blueprint for further warehouse sites.

The main objectives of the project were:

• The previously outsourced e-commerce business was to be brought back to the central distribution center and handled there together with store replenishment and the existing e-commerce activities.
• The logistics of the different business units were to be bundled at the existing site to create synergies, simplify processes and reduce costs.
• The new logistics concept was to process high e-commerce volumes on Black Friday, during Club Days and after sales-intensive weekends faster, while securing delivery promises even on peak days.
•  A higher level of automation was to increase capacity, productivity and flexibility and enable further growth in e-commerce.
• PSIwms was to replace the legacy system, standardize processes and serve as a blueprint for further warehouse sites within the group.
• The site was to be expanded in an energy-efficient way and support a more sustainable logistics operation through photovoltaics and CO₂-free district heating.

Master Data

The lack of complete and reliable article master data made the design of the automated warehouse more complex. For well over 100,000 articles, the optimal bin size, storage areas as well as picking, packing and consolidation capacities had to be determined. Nevertheless, a robust design could be developed based on extrapolations and experience from comparable projects.

Local Requirements, Global Blueprint

The introduction of the WMS from PSI replaced the existing warehouse functionalities of the ERP system and created the blueprint for further warehouse sites within the group. The processes therefore had to meet local requirements and also be transferable to future sites. This required close alignment between the local project team and the central WMS team responsible for later rollouts. 

Cross-Border Project Coordination

The project team worked across four countries, six main locations and several languages. At the same time, the project workload increased steadily over the course of the project. In addition to process definition, test case planning, initial system tests, bug fixing and regression testing, equipment had to be procured, workplaces prepared and employees trained. By gradually expanding the commissioning team, these tasks were successfully managed. 

End-to-End Testing

End-to-end tests could not be carried out remotely in an emulation system. Critical processes between WMS, WCS and the automated warehouse could therefore only be tested later on the real system. Through focused testing and consistent bug fixing, the processes were stabilized in time and go-live was achieved as planned. 

Fig. 1: Miebach approach for the automated e-commerce fulfillment center with WMS integration

1. Concept, detailed planning and system selection

• Development of the logistics concept for the new e-commerce fulfillment center
• Definition of requirements for processes, building, technology and IT, including sizing of storage areas
• Evaluation and selection of the suitable automation technology and supplier

2. Parallel implementation of intralogistics and WMS

• Quality assurance during the realization of the Exotec storage and conveyor system and its related system logic
• Agile approach for implementing the WMS from PSI with development sprints
• Coordination and management of user tests for completed sprints, while the next sprints were defined and developed in parallel

3. Overall system testing and commissioning

• Integration of technology, WMS, WCS and operational processes
• Testing and acceptance of end-to-end processes, interfaces, error handling as well as performance and availability criteria
•  Stabilization of the material flow before go-live

4. Go-live, ramp-up and stabilization

• Support of the go-live and the operational ramp-up
• Ongoing bug fixing to reduce workarounds and user effort
• Addition of useful features for special processes, KPI dashboards and more stable day-to-day system use

With the new automated e-commerce fulfillment center, the central logistics site was expanded and prepared for further omnichannel growth:

• The previously outsourced e-commerce business was successfully brought back to central distribution center and integrated next to the existing logistics building for store replenishment. 
• Bundling the different business units at the same site creates operational synergies, reduces interfaces and enables more efficient use of staff, space and systems. 
• The new automated warehouse is designed to handle high order peaks, enabling orders from Black Friday, Club Days and sales-intensive weekends to be processed faster while maintaining delivery promises on peak days.
• The Exotec solution increases storage density, productivity and flexibility. 101 climbing robots and eight AGVs support high operational availability, as the performance of the automated warehouse can largely be maintained even if individual robots fail.
• With the WMS from PSI, the previous ERP warehouse functionalities were replaced and standardized processes were created that serve as a blueprint for further warehouse sites within the group. 
• Within a few months after go-live, day-to-day system use was noticeably stabilized. Workarounds were eliminated, useful features for special processes were added, KPI dashboards were built and bugs were fixed. 
• The expansion also increased the sustainability of the site through three key measures. A photovoltaic system across the entire roof covers a significant share of the energy demand, CO₂-free district heating complements the energy supply and intelligent load management reduces energy peaks during operation. 

Together with Miebach, we successfully brought a highly complex e-commerce logistics operation back in-house and consolidated it efficiently into our central distribution site. Miebach’s structured approach, deep automation expertise and strong implementation support helped us move from concept to go-live with confidence. The result is a scalable, integrated fulfillment platform that enables us to handle peak volumes more efficiently, standardize our processes and strengthen our omnichannel capabilities.”

Gregor Oberfranz, Head of Logistics Switzerland, Dosenbach-Ochsner AG

Planning a logistics transformation?

Whether you are redesigning your fulfillment setup, evaluating automation technologies or preparing a WMS implementation, Miebach can support you from strategy and concept development through implementation, go-live and ramp-up.

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