Deploying Reflex WMS across Europe without outside support
Since 2016, FM Logistic has migrated or launched 246 client operations under Reflex WMS, including 133 in Western Europe (France, Italy, and Spain), 79 in Central Europe (Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, and Romania), and 34 in Eastern Europe (Russia and Ukraine). The logistics firm now uses Hardis Group’s application in eight languages: French, English, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Russian, Czech, and Romanian. “We’re now able to integrate Reflex WMS without outside support,” said Rodolphe Bey, Warehousing IT and Control Tower Director at FM Logistic. “We migrate one operation in each country as a way to train in-country support teams and key users at each site. Subsequent migrations can then be managed locally, with assistance from our central teams.”
Focus on Central Europe
Under a co-deployment arrangement in Central Europe, four consultants from Hardis Group Polska support FM Logistic’s teams with migrating client operations and launching new ones under Reflex WMS, primarily in the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and e-commerce sectors. As part of the arrangement, these teams then work for other Hardis Group clients. “Since Hardis Group opened a subsidiary in Poland, we’ve doubled our migration volumes in Central Europe in the space of 12 months,” said Guilhem Vicaire, Business Solutions Director Central Europe at FM Logistic. “Going forward, our aim is to migrate between 15 and 20 operations each year in the region.”
Co-development for more features and faster deployment
Over the past three years, FM Logistic and Hardis Group have forged a fully fledged partnership that has seen new features and APIs added to the standard version of Reflex WMS. “We’re working closely with Hardis Group’s R&D team to design new standard features for the application,” said Bey. “With this approach, updates are rolled out systematically and more quickly, meaning we benefit from the very latest Reflex features, while keeping maintenance costs to a minimum.”
New Reflex WMS features and APIs are integrated into FM Logistic’s core model on the fly, allowing the logistics service provider to deploy the application at speed and seamlessly integrate it into its logistics systems (transport management and reservation system, co-packing system, control towers, mechanized systems, and more).
Shifting to mechanized and automated warehouses
As well as pressing ahead with its migration work, FM Logistic is planning to speed up the deployment of mechanized and automated systems at its warehouses amid strong growth in its e-commerce and omnichannel logistics activities. The move is part of the firm’s drive to achieve productivity and service-quality gains in its order preparation operations. “In recent years, we’ve started using technologies such as Savoye and Knapp conveyor systems, Toyota and Linde AGVs, Pickeos pick- and put-to-light systems, and Balea weight control systems” added Bey. “In the coming months, we’ll be rolling out Autostore, Geek+, and Locus systems at our warehouses.”