German retailer cuts errors by 83%

Challenge

• Rising service expectations and cost pressure: Customers expect ever-shorter delivery times with near-zero error tolerance, while logistics and parcel shipping costs continue to rise across markets and regions.
• High operational and inventory complexity: On behalf of premiumXL, H.T. Trade manages more than 5,000 SKUs across seven owned brands, including large, bulky and non-standard goods, while fulfilling orders across multiple marketplaces with differing SLA requirements.
• Labor and process efficiency constraints: Demographic change, high operational fluctuation and fragmented processes, including siloed shipping and label handling, made it increasingly difficult to scale operations efficiently.

Solution

• Standardized, scalable warehouse foundation: handles complex inventories and volume swings, with modernized inbound, storage, and picking for consistent, transparent operations.
• Scan-directed workflows: clear, barcode-driven steps reduced errors and delivered the process reliability needed for near-zero-tolerance delivery commitments.
• Simplified UX & training: streamlined user dialogues cut training effort and enabled faster onboarding—crucial amid labor fluctuation and demographic change.
• Productivity without added complexity: optimized picking strategies and structured material flows boosted throughput while keeping operations simple.