GXO Logistics e Guess: automazione logistica fashion con Skypod

By implementing Exotec’s Skypod® system at its Venlo site, GXO – which manages logistics operations for the international fashion brand Guess – has achieved a capacity of 2,200 order lines per hour, handling up to 70,000 items a day during peak periods.

In this project, Exotec acted as a full-service system integrator, delivering an end-to-end solution comprising 127 robots, 60,000 storage locations, 8 goods-to-person picking stations and 200 metres of conveyor network, with a single point of contact responsible for the entire system.

GXO Logistics e Guess

GXO Logistics is one of the world’s leading providers specialising in third-party logistics, with a global network of warehouses serving major brands in the retail, fashion, e-commerce and industrial sectors. Thanks to a highly technology-driven approach to the supply chain, GXO works with large companies to design and manage logistics centres that combine operational excellence with scalable automation.

Guess is an international fashion brand operating in over 100 countries, offering a wide range of clothing, accessories and lifestyle products. With a distribution network comprising retail outlets, wholesale partners and e-commerce channels across EMEA and Asia, Guess requires a logistics system capable of managing a wide variety of SKUs, significant seasonal fluctuations in volumes and particularly challenging delivery times, all on a large scale.

In Venlo, in the Netherlands, GXO operates a site dedicated to Guess, handling inbound flows, value-added services – including quality control and quality conditioning – and outbound distribution to retail outlets across EMEA and Asia. These activities will soon be supplemented by the management of e-commerce operations for the Benelux region.

The Challenge

Logistics management in the clothing sector is one of the most complex areas of logistics. A global brand such as Guess manages thousands of different SKUs across sizes, colours and seasonal collections: a level of variety that requires extremely precise handling, a high degree of accuracy in picking operations and the ability to rapidly scale up performance during peak periods.

At the Venlo site, GXO had to manage high volumes characterised by significant seasonality, distributing Guess products to retail outlets across EMEA and Asia whilst, at the same time, preparing to integrate the new e-commerce flows destined for the Benelux region.

The combination of fluctuating volumes, the large number of SKUs typical of the Guess range, and a growing range of value-added services meant that simple, incremental improvements to the existing infrastructure were no longer sufficient.

The site needed a significant upgrade: a solution capable of managing Guess’s distribution requirements on a large scale, reducing the effort required for automated picking operations without increasing operational complexity, and, at the same time, accommodating future growth without necessitating a complete redesign of the facility.

As Mark Donne, Operations Manager at GXO Venlo, explains:

We were looking for ways to automate our operations. The question was: how can we reduce the effort required for picking tasks? ?

The solution: a single integrator, a single system, designed to meet Guess’s needs

GXO and Exotec have collaborated on the design of a comprehensive automated system, developed to meet the specific operational requirements of Guess’s logistics operations: a large number of SKUs, seasonal peaks and a growing mix of B2B and e-commerce flows.

Rather than integrating technologies and components from different suppliers, GXO chose Exotec as its sole system integrator. This decision was taken to simplify the management of responsibilities, reduce integration risks and ensure that every element of the system was optimised to work in a coordinated manner, supporting Guess’s distribution needs.

At the heart of the solution is the Skypod® platform: 127 robots operate within a system comprising 60,000 storage locations, delivering goods directly to operators at eight ‘goods-to-person’ Order Mover picking stations.

A 200-metre-long conveyor network links the storage, picking and dispatch areas. In addition, there are specialised machines designed to eliminate bottlenecks at various stages of the process. A spiral conveyor manages vertical flows between the different levels without the need for manual transfers; systems for merging and separating trays and boxes allow for flexible handling of consolidated and mixed units; finally, an automatic tote destacker feeds the picking stations without any manual intervention.

A key element of the project was also the collaborative approach, which went far beyond the mere implementation of the technology.

Throughout the design phase, the Exotec teams worked closely with GXO’s operational experts to configure the system in line with the specific constraints of the site and the characteristics of the Guess product range. Whenever a particular configuration was not the most effective solution, Exotec would explain why and propose a more suitable alternative.

As Mark Donne, Operations Manager at GXO Venlo, points out:

It wasn’t a case of saying, ‘Do it exactly as we want’. The approach was rather: this is our problem; find a solution. It was a collaborative effort to arrive at the best possible system.

Robots	Picking stations	Storage locations	Lines per order / hour	Articles per day
127	8	60.000	2.200	40.000 – 70.000

The result: smoother, faster operations that are ready to meet Guess’s future needs

Since the system came into operation, the Venlo site has undergone a major transformation. Today, the facility handles between 40,000 and 70,000 items a day, depending on the season, reaching a capacity of 2,200 order lines per hour at peak times.

These services provide GXO with the capacity and flexibility required to support Guess’s retail network in EMEA and Asia, whilst also enabling it to integrate the new volumes generated by the e-commerce channel.

Order processing times have been reduced to just one day, and what was previously a high-pressure environment involving a great deal of manual work is now, in the words of Mark Donne, Operations Manager at GXO Venlo, “more organised and calmer”.

The go-live phase also stood out for its smooth execution, proving to be one of the most effective implementations GXO has ever undertaken. This result was made possible by the joint preparation of the two teams and the quality of the support provided directly on-site throughout the go-live phase.

Looking ahead, the success of the Venlo project has further strengthened the partnership between GXO and Guess, whilst also setting an important benchmark for demonstrating what an end-to-end automation system can offer the fashion sector’s logistics operations.

“I would recommend this system to anyone. The collaboration was truly excellent and, whenever an approach wasn’t quite right, there was always a clear explanation and a better alternative was suggested.”
— Mark Donne, Operations Manager, GXO Venlo

Would you like to optimise the logistics flows in your warehouse?

Every automation project begins with specific operational requirements. From warehousing to order fulfilment and systems integration, Errevi Automation develops solutions to make logistics processes more efficient, flexible and scalable.

Contact the Errevi Automation team to discuss the solutions best suited to your warehouse’s needs.