Successful implementation of ” Locus Robots to person ” 🤘 in record time for very satisfied customers…

Visit us 😉

#automation #highcapacity #peakseason #innovation #staci

In February 2023, Staci US acquired Amware Fulfillment to strengthen its position in multi-channel logistics in the USA. 1 year of work by all our teams has enabled us to unite our warehouse structures, teams, digital solutions and know-how to position ourselves via a single brand: Staci Americas.

👉 With 18 warehouses covering the entire U.S. territory and a team of over 500 experts in e-commerce and retail logistics, digital solutions, robotics and AI, Staci Americas offers logistics solutions that meet the distribution needs of brands.

👉 Staci Americas thus affirms its positioning as a solid and flexible logistics partner to support its customers

 

#ecommerce #multicanal #digitalhub #logistics #staci

Staci, one of the leaders in picking logistics since 1989, offers tailor-made solutions to meet the needs of its customers, whether in BtoB, BtoC, DtoC, or e-commerce distribution. We spoke to Thomas Mortier, Chairman of Staci, about multi-channel, Staci’s differentiation, and one of its major assets: its teams!

How is Staci positioned today in the management of multi-supplier, multi-customer and multi-product logistics flows?

Thomas Mortier: Staci has developed unrivaled expertise in logistics flow management thanks to our 78 hubs in Europe and the United States. Our approach is based on the pooling of resources and assets, combined with a continuous innovation plan. This enables us to create real value for our customers by optimizing their supply and distribution chains. With 78 warehouses and operations in 8 countries, we can deploy proven solutions at scale across our network. All our sites can benefit from the best practices of some of our pioneers and labs. For example, we have just partnered with a start-up in New York that has developed an Al solution for order picking that guarantees a 100% service rate. A camera placed behind the operator checks that the right product, the right quantity, and the right label have been placed in the parcel… This is a huge reassurance for the operator, who knows that he will be alerted if a mistake is made. It’s seen as a reassuring and helpful check. To comply with their request, only the hands are filmed and the recordings are not kept after 3 months. This also makes it possible to prove that the order was fulfilled and to guarantee a 100% service rate! This also works for customer solutions. For our client, one of France’s leading telephone companies, we have introduced cardboard cut-outs based on a scan of the product to be shipped in order to optimize the size of the parcels… and better manage space. It’s also a step forward that we’ll be passing on to our other clients. We specialize in helping companies with their domestic and international logistics projects. We deploy dedicated project teams and mobilize the necessary resources to continuously manage and optimize customized logistics solutions. Our aim is to provide our customers with comprehensive expertise and support throughout their logistics projects. 

We offer our outsourcing clients peace of mind and guaranteed results!

IN FIGURES

  • 78 logistics sites in Germany, Belgium, Spain, the United States, France, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom
  • 553 ME CA. 2022
  • + 3 500 employees

“What solutions does Staci offer to ensure an agile supply chain and optimal flow management? 

Thomas Mortier: We don’t transport, we organise! We are known for our ability to switch flows to another service provider in the event of a rail strike, for example. Our business is the end-to-end system… what varies from one country to another remains the transport and the best contact for a given mission. Our commitment is to deliver results, whatever the type of customer (BtoB, BtoC, DtoC, etc.), whatever the lead time, whatever the weight or volume, we organise the transport. Our strength lies in our very powerful TMS, configured for each customer. We negotiate locally with each carrier. We have more than 400 carriers to offer a truly multi-channel service, and we are able to impose real flexibility on logistics providers: from small parcels or multipacks, to ship from store, to pallets. We can deliver to end users, marketplaces or retail outlets, with all the current constraints of traceability, ever shorter lead times and ever later cut-off times. We also know how to adapt and organise flows that don’t pass through our warehouses as direct customer-to-customer flows.

Despite our close relationships with reliable and reputable partners, we regularly audit the quality of service and the level of CSR commitment of our service providers.

You offer complete supply chain outsourcing…  with a focus on e-commerce.

Thomas Mortier: Yes, we offer customizable integrated solutions for every stage of the supply chain, from warehousing to order fulfilment, including transport and reverse logistics. Whatever the products to be distributed or the customers to be served, our solutions ensure optimal management of physical, financial and information flows. What’s more, our innovative digital solutions enable all flows to be managed in real time, giving our customers complete visibility. Whatever the size of their business, our trusted customers enjoy peace of mind and guaranteed results: by outsourcing their logistics, they no longer have to worry about transport! Customers, no matter how small, benefit from our optimized purchasing capacity… we also offer them the comfort of having a single point of contact. If they have a problem, they contact us and we take care of the dispute with the carrier. 

E-commerce is a fast-growing sector, and Staci is the ideal partner to provide appropriate logistics solutions. We offer broad geographical coverage, powerful digital solutions and tailored logistics tools to provide the agility and efficiency required by manufacturers, e-tailers, marketplaces and retailers. Our goal is to ensure an innovative e-commerce supply chain that meets the specific needs of each customer.

Last mile logistics is often seen as a challenge. How does Staci meet this challenge?

Thomas Mortier: Last mile logistics is a critical link in the supply chain. We have developed several services dedicated to this complex discipline. From urgent deliveries to overnight transport, from delivery before 8 a.m. to sustainable transport solutions, we are doing everything we can to guarantee logistical excellence and environmentally responsible in the last mile. Our aim is to adapt our services to the specific constraints of each network, reducing the number of kilometres travelled and ensuring accurate, controlled delivery.

How does Staci contribute to the success of its customers’ marketing and communication campaigns? 

Thomas Mortier: We understand the importance of brand image in the field and the need to meet delivery deadlines for marketing and promotional materials. We offer tailor-made logistics for the management of these media, such as POS, theatrical displays, samples, flyers and many others. Thanks to our expertise, our customers benefit from on-time delivery, ensuring that their marketing and communications campaigns run smoothly.

Can you tell us about the partnership between Staci and GLS France in the field of sustainable transport? 

Thomas Mortier: We are very pleased with our partnership with GLS France in the field of electric transport. We recently carried out a full-scale electric transport test with an e-tractor from Volvo Trucks France. The test was a great success and we are well on our way to offering our customers more sustainable transport solutions. We are grateful to our partner GLS France for their commitment to this initiative.

How do you differentiate yourself in a highly competitive environment?

Thomas Mortier: The real difference in our model is our skills and human resources: we have an internal promotion system. It’s not unusual for a site manager to have started at Staci as an intern or temporary worker! We now have more than 60 associate managers, and for a logistics company we’re unusual in that nobody works for us! As a result, we have very low staff turnover and our teams are really engaged in the field. We’ve never had to close a warehouse, neither during the Covid-19 health crisis nor this year during the social crisis linked to the pension reform.

You are known for your commitment to gender equality. Could you tell us more about that? 

Thomas Mortier: Staci is very committed to gender equality, as almost 50% of our employees are women. We take a number of steps to promote equality, such as eliminating pay and promotion gaps, training programmes to develop skills and our participation in the <<Elles bougent» association. We also encourage young women to choose technical careers.

What information system do you use at Staci? 

Thomas Mortier: We fully own our IT system, which runs on an Oracle database, the most popular and stable on the market. As soon as a customer identifies a need for new functionality, we develop it and make it available to everyone! Every month there is a new release that benefits all our partners. It’s one of the reasons we’ve been growing for over 30 years! 

FOCUS ON THE LAST MILE

STACI STRENGTHENS ITS LAST-MILE LOGISTICS BY INTEGRATING LM2S

The merger between Staci and LM2S consolidates last-mile logistics. LM2S, a specialist in last-mile spare parts, is now part of Staci. Specialising in B2B and B2C retail logistics, D2C and e-commerce for private groups and the public sector, Staci offers logistics solutions for products with or without barcodes. With the acquisition of LM2S, Staci expands its offer in the management and activity of spare parts, increasing its network to 250 depots and warehouses throughout France. The company now offers a complete range of local, urgent, overnight and last mile delivery services.

The expansion of LM2S's services, in particular through the development of a transport plan that guarantees the delivery of spare parts on D+1 before 8am throughout France, with extremely high service rates for its PUDO (Pick-Up, Drop-Off) network, was a decisive factor in this integration. This merger was considered a natural and strategic choice when LM2S was sold by its partners.

This merger between Staci and LM2S strengthens Staci's capabilities in last mile logistics by combining the expertise and resources of both companies. It will enable Staci to offer its customers a complete solution for their spare parts delivery needs, with extended geographical coverage and services tailored to the speed and reliability constraints specific to this sector. With this integration, Staci confirms its position as a trusted logistics partner able to meet the specific challenges of the last mile in a wide range of business sectors.

Launched more than two years ago, our digital transformation is best illustrated by the new version of our E-Cats tool.

E-cats is a customizable digital platform that everyone can use to create their own marketplace.

How does it work? Everyone can develop their own platform to turn it into a shop, a marketplace, a tracking solution or all of the above. It can be customized to your specific needs: by brand, by subsidiary, by product type, by colour… the choices are yours!

And because E-Cats is based on a shared user platform, you also automatically benefit from all its monthly updates.

Our new E-Cats is ultra-intuitive, responsive design, UX-optimized, highly secure – it’s ISO 27001 certified – and scalable to grow with your business.

With it, you can manage your business completely autonomously:
✅ Product management
✅ Quantity and price management
✅ Management of your sales promotions
✅ User management
And, of course your logistics, with full order tracking, delivery monitoring and the full power of Staci 🚛

Need it quickly? E-Cats can be deployed in just a few weeks, adapted precisely to the level of support you require.

So, are you ready to begin? 😀

#digitaltransformation #optimisation #marketplace #tailormade #logistics

(INSIDE) SUSTAINABILITY MAY 2023

Staci US is a leading provider of supply chain end-to-end solutions. The company supports eCommerce, B2C and B2B clients across a diverse range of industries. Core services include multi-channel integrated fulfillment solutions, kitting, complex packaging, logistics and warehousing. Director of Sales & Business Development Jessica Warwick and Managing Director Johanna Pudda explained more to Hannah Barnett.

Efficiency is the name of the game at Staci US. The company constantly strives towards the most productive operations possible. Alongside achieving optimum efficiency are the core foundational values of the company: partnership, commitment, innovation and sustainability.
“These core values ensure that we remain responsive, passionate and proactive in all that we do. They ensure that we’re seeking continuous improvement in the logistical solutions that we implement, and that we are forward thinking in designing tomorrow’s technologies and processes,” as Jessica Warwick, Director of Sales & Business Development, summarised.

Stateside expansion

Though still relatively new to the US, Staci is an established logistical operator in Europe. It is crucial that the group’s 79 logistics hubs, across Europe and the US, are seamlessly interlinked to ensure maximum efficiency.

“We collaborate with the teams in Europe every day and share a lot of clients,” said Ms Warwick. “So, it’s really important that we stay in communication, and that the level of service, operations, KPIs and so on, remain consistent.”

Being straddled between the two regions has filled a gap in the market for Staci’s clients, too.

STACI US | PROFILE

“A lot of companies want a dual solution,” Ms Warwick explained. “They want one fulfillment centre in the UK, another in the US, and one partner to manage the logistics so there’s consistency across their operation. We have a few dozen clients who operate in more than one country – a lot of them across multiple regions, which I think is testament to the efficient way Staci functions.”

As a result of its excellent reputation in Europe, when Staci US opened its first warehouse in New Jersey, in 2019, it had three major clients already secured. Expansion continued consistently, despite the challenges of Covid. In 2022 it welcomed an outpost in Reno, Nevada. In March of this year, Staci US announced the acquisition of Amware Fulfillment, further enhancing the logistics network and warehousing footprint in the US. As a result of the acquisition Staci adds 15 new warehouses to their US network, with sites in California, Arizona, Texas, Georgia and Illinois, giving the company a total of 17 locations.

This expansion is in line with the wider Staci group turnover, which increased by over 400% in the last 15 years. “The group has seen tremendous growth,” said Ms Warwick. “And in the US, we’ve essentially gone from zero to over $200 million In revenue in our three short years here. We expect further growth of 20 percent over the next couple of years.”

Environmental efficiency

Staci US builds its policies around three pillars. The first focuses on the wellbeing of its employees and investing in their development. Pillar two is a commitment to protect the environment, and pillar three is about positioning Integrity at the forefront of business.

Ms. Warwick expanded further on pillar two: “In our innovative solutions to protect the environment, we take a two-pronged approach. The first prong is about reducing our carbon footprint for transport and logistics solutions. So, we’re looking at things like delivery by electric vehicles, e-scooters, bikes, anything that’s a clean or green vehicle.”

The second element of the two-pronged approach focuses on reducing the impact of the business on the environment. This is done by the optimisation of packaging, waste recycling and the reduction of energy consumption. “That is led by the technology at our warehouses,” Ms. Warwick explained.

“The software we use categorizes every item we’re shipping into the proper sized box. It’s telling us exactly how much packing materials to put in. Our Al cameras sense if we’re over-stuffing something with packing material. It allows us to be extremely efficient and consider the materials we’re using.”

Staci US offers carbon footprint calculators for clients, with the result that some choose to use dual-fulfilment options when moving goods coast-to-coast. All the company’s packaging is made from 100% cardboard recyclable fibres, sourced from domestic packaging suppliers. “We’ve had clients that are really impressed with our sustainable credentials,” said Johanna Pudda, Managing Director.

Rabot and other tech

While Staci US’ impressive 99.5% order fulfillment accuracy is above Industry standard, the company wants to drive toward 100% accuracy, in line with its ethos of constant improvement and maximum efficiency.

Rabot is a beta program the company is trialing that uses Al to Improve traceability, quality and, of course, efficiency. “We partnered with Rabot to improve productivity and the quality of every order packed at our facility,” Ms. Warwick said. “We have Rabot Al cameras Installed above our packing stations, and through machine learning the cameras identify errors and verify the contents of every order.”

Prior to employing the Rabot solution, Staci US measured its fulfilment accuracy manually. The process involved randomly selecting and opening packed orders and checking them against the bill of materials, evaluating the dunnage, and then repackaging them and sending them out. This cost the company 10% of its operational costs in the warehouse. And while this method of quality control gave decent insight into overall quality of packaging accuracy, it failed to explain why any errors may have occurred.

“A packer system Al gives real-time feedback to the packer to ensure that products are packed correctly and ensure that every item arrives in perfect condition,” Ms. Warwick said. “So, there are fewer damaged items. And that ultimately helps us reduce CO2 emissions, because we don’t have to travel to collect returns.”

The Rabot software has already helped ensure a 60% reduction in costs for quality assurance and customer support, a 20% improvement in packaging efficiency and a 33% increase in productivity by identifying process inefficiencies.

“Rabot has been instrumental,” agreed Ms. Pudda. “And now we’re able to use it on multiple fronts”.

“The goal is not only to have the quality assurance functionality, but to be proactive about removing operational errors. As we make the Al more Intelligent, we want to expand it to Europe and through the Staci group.”

There are other technologies the company is investing in, too: one is goods-to-person picking. This Al calculates the optimal picking route within the warehouse, minimising the walking the pickers do by bringing the goods directly to them. The software aims to make operations much more efficient.

Another investment is into a drone to increase inventory accuracy, which will have the knock-on effect of decreasing costs and improving safety all round. Both technologies are now being tested for production deployment and the company hopes to have them in operation by the end of the year.

“Productivity is key here,” summarised Ms. Pudda, “especially if we’re dealing with a B2C business, where we must maintain a very short turnaround time of about 24 hours and up to two days maximum. The fact is, in logistics, technology is the best way to innovate. It doesn’t replace humans; it assists them and is an excellent way to optimise workflows, make them faster and more efficient.”

Combined company now has 81 fulfillment centers across the U.S., France, Belgium, UK, Germany, Netherlands, Italy and Spain

Lawrenceville, Georgia, USA, March 1, 2023, – Staci, Europe’s leading multichannel fulfillment provider, has completed the acquisition of Amware Fulfillment LLC, a top provider of direct-to-consumer, order fulfillment services with 15 facilities across the U.S.  Both companies are privately held. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The combined company gives growing brands a powerful multichannel fulfillment solution across North America and Europe, with 81 fulfillment centers (9.8 million square feet), including 18 facilities in the U.S. and 63 across France, Belgium, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Spain.

Staci’s primary investment partner is Ardian, which acquired a majority stake in the company in 2019. Amware’s primary investment partner was Rotunda Capital Partners, which acquired a majority stake in the company in 2014.

In the U.S., the company will continue to operate as Amware Fulfillment and Staci’s three U.S. facilities (Jersey City, NJ , Memphis TN, and Reno, NV) will become part of a combined USA fulfillment network. Amware’s current leadership team will remain in place led by CEO, Harry Drajpuch. He will report to Nicolas Morisse, CEO of Eurodislog and Chairman of Staci US Corp.

According to Staci Group CEO, Thomas Mortier, “The acquisition of Amware gives us a powerful eCommerce fulfillment capability in the important U.S. market and expands our global fulfillment platform. Amware’s network of multi-client fulfillment centers aligns perfectly with Staci’s model of offering growing brands a flexible, pay-as-you-go logistics solution that scales quickly and economically to match revenue growth.”

According to Amware’s Harry Drajpuch, “In the current market for fulfillment services, it’s rare to find a provider that combines significant size and scale with a more personalized, collaborative approach to solution design. That’s the unique value the Staci-Amware union brings – robust, high-volume fulfillment and parcel shipping solutions that are also highly customized.”

About Staci Group

Founded in 1989, Staci has consistently delivered excellent services in a wide range of tailor-made B2B and B2C logistics and distribution solutions. The Staci Group began its work in France and has expanded to 66 sites in France, the United States, Germany, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. Our fully integrated solutions guarantee an agile supply chain that efficiently monitors goods, data, and spend.

 About Amware Fulfillment

Founded in 1989, Amware Fulfillment helps fast-growing companies scale fulfillment operations through every stage of business growth. With distribution centers located across the U.S., Amware enables delivery in 1–2 days to 98% of the country.

About Rotunda Capital Partners

Rotunda Capital Partners is a private equity firm that invests equity capital in established and profitable lower-middle-market companies. The firm uses a rigorous approach to identify market-leading companies in targeted sectors, including distribution, industrial and business services, and logistics. The company looks for management teams seeking a partner to help grow their business.

Certification of the hosting of our E-commerce front office and our SAAS WMS platform 🙌

Following a successful and detailed audit across our Security, IT, Operations, Legal and Human Resources departments, QAS International has awarded the Staci group with 💠 ISO 27001 certification 💠, formalizing the implementation of an Information Security Management System #SMSI.

🔒 This certification aims to prove our ability to protect information against all types of threats and therefore guarantees, in compliance with regulatory requirements, the security of information systems and data used in our activities.🔓

This powerful certification represents a new step taken in our approach to applying the most rigorous security procedures, both for our company and for our customers and partners.

#ISO27001 #cybersecurity #logistics #staci

STACI’S TEAMS WISH YOU ALL THE BEST FOR 2023!✨

Aiming for Perfect Order Fulfillment Using Automated Packaging Systems

 

Staci USA’s reputation in the supply chain industry speaks for itself. It’s no secret that Staci is a leader in its space; the company consistently processes order fulfillment with accuracy in the 99th percentile—99.5% at the time they began talking with Rabot, in fact, which exceeds the industry average. The company processes more than 25,000 daily orders at its headquarter fulfillment center that serves 10+ major lifestyle and beauty brands. Even more impressive is the fact that Staci maintains such a high level of accuracy with tremendous packaging complexity: each brand in its headquarters center has a unique protocol for packing orders as well as multiple supervisors and team leads who oversee a single client’s fulfillment operations.

Setting the Stage: Technology Solutions for Intelligent Packaging

While Staci’s impressive 99.5% order fulfillment accuracy is above the industry standard, it is Staci’s mission to drive toward 100% accuracy. Prior to employing the Rabot Pack solution, Staci measured its fulfillment accuracy manually. This quality assurance process involved randomly selecting and opening packed orders and checking it against the bill of materials, evaluating the dunnage, and then repackaging them and sending them out. This process cost Staci 10% of its operational costs in the warehouse. While this method of quality control gave decent insight into overall quality of packaging accuracy, the lack of visibility video coverage on the packing lines failed to explain why any errors may have occurred.

The problem: Manual quality assurance methods also only catch errors after they have occurred, and do not have the ability to catch and correct any error in real time. Stakeholders at Staci wanted to ensure that they were optimizing their packing operations continuously and proactively for all their clients in order to tackle the growing order volumes. Staci needed a scalable solution to identify and eliminate issues as they occur, and wanted to remove non-value-add steps to its packaging processes—and they needed it done quickly.

The solution: Rabot Pack, Pioneering Smart Packaging Quality Control Rabot teamed up with management and operations teams on Staci’s fulfillment floor. The Rabot team set to work installing Rabot Pack at select packing stations on the Staci fulfillment floor, which captures video of each order packed and runs analysis on products packed, dunnage, and other key metrics. This video and data analysis is sent in to Rabot’s proprietary packaging software interface where key stakeholders can view and evaluate packing data in real time.

Rabot’s automated, real-time packaging solution delivered:

  • Instant visibility into packing operations, and the ability to correct errors before they become costly to fix and/or reach the end user
  • A system for accurately and quickly measuring baseline performance on the fulfillment floor to drive better performance and design more streamlined protocols
  • Seamless collaborative tools for teams that improve employee engagement and communication between operations, management, and client engagement teams
  • A way to scale fulfillment processes with a much higher rate of accurate orders packed

Scaling to Meet the Explosion of Ecommerce Packaging

The minutes and hours in a workday to fulfill orders is finite—there is only so much time in a day to identify and correct packing errors. With manual quality assurance processes, much of that time is spent identifying that an error in the packaging process happened at all. In Staci’s case, data and reporting was tracked using manual spreadsheet entries, but the time this took wasn’t quick enough to make real-time improvements on the warehouse floor. Instead, time was spent responding reactively to problems rather than proactively improving processes to prevent these errors from ever occurring.

“It’s groundbreaking to be using this technology. It provides the valuable information necessary to give proper guidance and support for our operations to improve and do their best.”

— Johanna Pudda, Staci USA

The Results: Say Hello to Efficient Operations

Staci USA now has comprehensive visibility into their packaging processes, which comes with near-instant troubleshooting with Rabot Pack. The Rabot system has improved employee engagement, and fostered better communications across the business, leading to greater collaboration between operational management and client engagement teams. With comprehensive coverage for all orders leaving the warehouse, Staci has been able to set a systematic baseline to continually measure and monitor packing performance to ensure efficiency and accuracy.

To recap, here are Staci’s key results from implementing Rabot Pack:

  • 60% reduction in quality assurance and customer support costs, improving client trust
  • 100% visibility into packaging operations with video available for every order packed at Rabot-powered packing stations
  • 33% increase in productivity by identifying process inefficiencies quickly, and introducing enhancement to protocols

The days of tedious, manually built spreadsheets for quality assurance in packaging are over. Not only that, but 3PLs and warehouse and fulfillment logistics brands like Staci USA have a great need to scale in the midst of continued explosion of demand for ecommerce services and products. Rabot’s AI vision is paving the way for the future of fulfillment.