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DETAILS

People
Nicklas Axell, Group Logistics Director
Dawid Ciesielski, Site Manager (Poland)

Locations
Stockholm, Sverige
Szczecin, Polen

About Hultafors Group

Hultafors Group is a leading name in the tools and workwear industry, offering products of the highest quality. Within Hultafors Group, you will find popular brands such as Snickers Workwear, Hultafors Tools, Solid Gear, W.steps, Hellberg Safety, and CLC Work Gear. To efficiently manage their logistics needs, Hultafors Group operates four warehouses - two in Sweden, one in Poland, and one in the USA. The warehouses use Bitlog WMS to ensure smooth warehouse operations and quick order processing.

www.hultaforsgrop.com

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The challenge: Diverse warehouse needs

As an international company managing premium brands like Snickers Workwear, Solid Gear Footwear, and Hultafors Tools, Hultafors Group required a scalable and adaptable warehouse management system (WMS) to support its diverse operational needs in the markets where it operates.

With warehouses in Sweden, Poland, and the USA, Hultafors faced the complexity of managing different time zones and varying customer structures and order sizes—from small, frequent deliveries in Europe to large orders for big box retailers in the USA.

"When we started with Bitlog [10+ years ago], we managed 1,000 order lines per day. Today, we handle 3,000 order lines per day [at the warehouse in Poland]"

Dawid Ciesielski, Hultafors Poland

The newly established distribution center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA was constructed to replace three other warehouses. This transition needed to be executed smoothly to ensure that operations continued without disruptions.

Additionally, Hultafors Group required a WMS that could integrate with automated systems like AutoStore, conveyor belts, and simultaneously support their value-added services (VAS), such as custom sizes or personalized logo prints on workwear.

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Various Solutions for Different Warehouses

Hultafors Group chose Bitlog WMS for its ability to adapt to various warehouse requirements and seamlessly integrate with automated solutions.

Poland (Szczecin)

In their largest warehouse in Poland, Bitlog WMS serves as the warehouse hub, coordinating all information with AutoStore, transport systems, and dispatch areas. A fun fact is that the Hultafors warehouse in Szczecin (Stettin) was the very first in Poland to implement an AutoStore.

Another highly valued feature is the consolidation of orders and picking proposals. If the same customer places a second or third order within a predetermined timeframe, the orders will be consolidated and shipped as one single order.

Bitlog's flexibility also enabled Hultafors to establish customized processes like VAS (value-added services), ensuring that orders are processed according to each customer's specific needs, including custom logos and embroidery instructions.

"When we started using Bitlog, we managed 1,000 order lines per day. Today, we handle 3,000 order lines daily," says Dawid Ciesielski, Site Manager at the warehouse in Poland.

USA (Milwaukee, WI)

When Hultafors expanded into North America, Bitlog WMS facilitated a seamless transition by replacing three previous warehouses and systems, providing a unified solution across four global warehouses.

This was a major project, but the transition was smooth:

"Three days after we went live with Bitlog WMS, our warehouse processes were much faster than before. We also noticed significant improvements in the quality of our work," said TJ Quinn, Warehouse Manager, Hultafors USA.

Bitlog WMS managed and simplified various operational tasks such as inbound and outbound logistics, picking, and automated replenishment, ensuring that Hultafors could efficiently scale their operations.

"Three days after we went live with Bitlog WMS, our warehouse processes were much faster than before. We also noticed significant improvements in the quality of our work."

TJ Quinn, Hultafors USA

 

Sweden (Nässjö & Olsfors)

Hultafors operates two warehouses in Sweden: one in Nässjö and another in Olsfors. Both are relatively small and, like the warehouses in Poland and the USA, have very different needs for digitalization and warehouse management support. In Sweden, Hultafors Group utilizes the user-friendly mobile app Bitlog WMS to prioritize picking tasks and deliveries.

 

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Outcome: Fast, flawless order fulfilment and delivery

The implementation of Bitlog WMS has led to significant improvements across Hultafors Group's four global warehouses:

  • Increased efficiency: The capacity to process orders tripled from 1,000 to 3,000 order lines per day at the warehouse in Poland with Bitlog WMS and AutoStore.
  • Enhanced accuracy: The number of picking errors has been virtually eliminated, which in turn has positively impacted and improved both customer satisfaction and order delivery.
  • Shorter lead times: The average lead time from order to delivery has decreased, enabling smoother service to customers.
  • Scalable and global: Bitlog WMS supports operations across multiple time zones and varying customer profiles and demands, enhancing Hultafors' ability to smoothly manage international differences in their operations.

With Bitlog WMS's user-friendly interface and the strong support team at Bitlog, Hultafors Group continues to benefit from a scalable WMS that evolves in line with their growth strategy and operational needs:

"We have built strong relationships with the staff at Bitlog, who truly understand our business and can provide the support we need," says Nicklas.

At Bitlog, we take pride in the fact that Bitlog WMS is developed in close collaboration with our customers. 50% of all product development is based on customer requests or feedback. We create new features in partnership with clients, like Hultafors Group, and regularly release new versions of Bitlog WMS to implement them in production. With each launch, new functionality is available to all customers.*

"I recommend Bitlog because there is a lot of development happening simultaneously - both we and Bitlog are continuously working on the system's development, and we maintain a constant dialogue on how we can improve the system," adds Dawid.

Despite Hultafors Group having four warehouses across two continents and three different time zones, operational warehouse work has not posed any challenges since the implementation of Bitlog WMS.

"Bitlog is a system that is incredibly easy to use. I haven't encountered any other systems that are as simple to manage and as user-friendly as Bitlog," says Nicklas.


* Some features are licensed.

"Bitlog is a system that is incredibly easy to use. I haven't encountered any other systems that are as simple to manage and as user-friendly as Bitlog."

Nicklas Axell, Hultafors Group

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