(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.”
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.
Staci HAS concluded the acquisition of full service
👉 2 new warehouses located in Rome and totalling 16,000 sqm will complete the Group’s transalpine perimeter, already made up of the 2 sites in Milan of 45,000 sqm.
“Having a presence in the Rome area allows Staci to operate in one of the most important industrial districts in Italy and will give us the opportunity to offer effective and strategic logistics solutions to the market”.
Franco Birolo – CEO of Staci Italia
Full Service, based in Pomezia, has been on the market for 50 years and boasts many large customers, mostly located in the south of Rome.
With this new Hub in Central Italy Staci strengthens its leadership in the Italian market for the provision of logistics and e-commerce services supported by digital solutions.
In total, the Staci Group now has almost 700,000 sqm of warehousing space and 62 sites in Europe and the United States, including 4 in Italy.
Staci’s team wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year 2022
which will be marked by the development plan:
“Staci AMBITION CSR 2030”
#CSR #sustainability #greenlogistics #ecommerce #samplinglogistics
We are proud to receive this award from Air Liquide Healthcare to thank the STACI teams in France who were able to respond with great efficiency to the needs of this Group in a context of health emergency.
The STACI teams wish you a Happy New Year 2021!
#Keepsmiling #keepsafe