Implementing an automated warehouse as a solution to increase storage capacity: the Gessi S.p.A. case

In a constant increasing competitive market, all goods and services business must have efficient and adaptable logistics that provide a high level of customer service while generating as little waste as possible. Material storage system and distribution systems are the critical components of any logistics system, serving as link between producers and consumers. The role and importance of the warehouse system within the supply chain has shifted significantly over time, from being one of many links in the logistics chain to becoming a critical link to ensure that the logistics system is able to provide logistics service, defined in its broadest sense as the ability to make the right product available in the right place, at the right time, and at the right cost. Within the logistics network, warehouses serve two functions: as a container for items kept in stock and as a transformer of incoming flows into outgoing flows. There are different kinds of warehouses that differ based on how goods are stored and the characteristics of the materials, therefore selecting the suitable type of warehouse for the type of business has substantial consequences for the entire industry system. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the primary warehouse of one of the developing realities of the Made in Italy sector: Gessi S.p.A.. Over the last decade, the company's global reputation has grown, resulting in increased turnover and productivity. This research will delve into the company's manufacturing procedures and how they relate to the warehouse's role. These features will be examined in their most practical form and treated in an academic manner; the reader will then be able to investigate the characteristics of the problem in the field and assess its criticality and implications from a more real-life perspective. Following the thesis introduction, the first chapter introduces the reader to the main topic covered in the thesis, warehouses, detailing their many types and roles within the company. In the second chapter, Gessi S.p.A., the company that enabled the completion of the thesis work, is explained in detail, from its history to its products and consumers to the progression of its corporate strategy. The third chapter explores into the world of tap production, with a particular emphasis on the finished component warehouse. The goal is to investigate what are the causes that led the criticality, known as a high saturation index, to emerge. The warehouse is then thoroughly examined using an in-depth ABC cross-analysis to determine its functioning and characteristics. Finally, Chapter 4 outlines how the solution was applied within the organisation. In fact, the company examined the implementation of an automatic vertical warehouse to reinforce the central warehouse as a solution. Due to its ability to adjust the interior space, automated vertical warehouses are the ideal way to increase storage volume and are great for keeping a variety of goods of various sizes. In this chapter, a warehouse suitable for the company's requirements is designed by estimating its attributes in terms of receptivity and handling potential. Lastly, the final chapter provides the work's results and discusses: the benefits of the study, the work's limits, and proposals for future research.