Case Study: SMC achieves faster fulfillment and same-day shipping with AutoStore

AutoStore Revolutionizes SMC's Automatic Control Distribution Center

SMC, a global industrial manufacturer of automatic control equipment, faced a significant challenge at its North American headquarters. The company had an ambitious revenue goal of $2 billion, but its existing warehouse infrastructure in Indianapolis lacked the size and technology to support that level of growth. To overcome these limitations, SMC partnered with vendor AutoStore and its system integrator, Bastian Solutions, to implement an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS).

The solution involved constructing a new facility and installing the AutoStore robotic cube storage system, which was integrated with Bastian's Exacta warehouse execution software. This implementation revolutionized SMC's operations by enabling a highly efficient pick-and-pass fulfillment process. The results were substantial: daily order throughput more than doubled to 12,000 lines, 93% of orders were shipped the same day, and the company was able to hit its sales targets. The AutoStore system also optimized space utilization for their 65,000 SKUs and improved employee satisfaction with its ergonomic design.

SMC

Jennifer Fleming

Director of Logistics