Pick and save
The Link 51 Multi-Tiered Pick Tower is designed to provide online retailers with a quicker way of fulfilling orders while maximising space.
Link 51 first implemented a bespoke Pick Tower solution for a major online retailer around 8 years ago and has developed the concept for use in a range of sectors, primarily serving eCommerce, store replenishment and Click & Collect customers. Pick Towers comprise a tiered storage structure, designed to meet two key goals – increasing picking efficiency and maximising storage capacity. By taking the traditional single tiered shelving system and stacking as many as four floors on top of each other, e-tailers are now able to maximise on space, in some cases increasing capacity by 300%.
Link 51 sales & marketing director Paul Davis explains: “High street fashion and retail brands are now turning to the logistics and handling sector for guidance in adopting new strategies to support the seismic shift in the retail sector. With online retail sales predicted to be in excess of £50bn in the UK this year, it is essential that the retail sector is able to sustain this level of growth.”
Link 51 major projects managers Kevin Blanchard and Bob Salmon drove the concept as a joint project between the shelving and pallet racking divisions.
“By creating a specific solution to e-tail fulfilment we were able to stay ahead of the market and prepare for the onslaught of the e-tail evolution,” says Bob Salmon.
“It was important that we had a fully operational solution on hand, as market research indicated that online shopping would quickly take off. By developing the Multi-Tiered Pick Tower we guaranteed that a flexible, efficient and quick to install solution was available for our customers just as the market took shape at breakneck speed.”
Designed to fit into any size of warehouse, a Multi-Tiered Pick Tower can incorporate bespoke requirements from workbenches to pallet racking on lower levels.
“It’s important that the Multi-Tiered Pick Tower not only meets the client’s current operating requirements, but is flexible in terms of growth and be able to accommodate increased levels of automation in the future. As with all quickly developing markets, it’s imperative to keep ahead of the curve and provide solutions which not only meet our client’s expectations, but go that one step further,” concludes Blanchard.
