Johma & Automation
“An automated warehouse has major advantages but is also very sensitive to disruptions. And few things are more disruptive than a broken pallet. We really want to avoid those. The best way to avoid this would be to buy new pallets for each delivery, but this is simply not practical or cost-effective, which is why pooled pallets provide the best alternative.''
Remco Rijsenbrij, Operations Director Johma
But don't just take Remco's word for it, read the whole story here.
Pool pallet as the best alternative for automated warehouses
Many producers and retailers are choosing to automate their warehouses. Even if you are a producer that hasn’t gone down this route (yet), it is important to realise that retailers will often already have taken this step. With this in mind, it is vital to use high-quality pallets that are able to complete their journey through a warehouse without any problems.
Johma is an established Dutch premium brand that produces salads and related products and brought in robotics specialist Rolan Robotics to automate its warehouse. Johma does some 150,000 pallet movements a year with IPP. Operations Director Remco Rijsenbrij: “An automated warehouse has major advantages but is also very sensitive to disruptions. And few things are more disruptive than a broken pallet. We really want to avoid those. The best way to avoid this would be to buy new pallets for each delivery, but this is simply not practical or cost-effective, which is why pooled pallets provide the best alternative.
The future
In the future, Remco would like to work even more closely with chain partners like IPP. “At the moment, it’s impossible to avoid the odd broken pallet entering the process. Given this fact, it would be great if all of us could join forces to create an independent measuring centre. A place where pallets are tested for their compliance with strict requirements automatically and on a random basis, in an objective environment. We would also like to be involved in processes in distribution centres, making sure that broken and good quality pallets are separated from each other and sent to the right location. We currently receive a mix of both, which is no good to us at all.”
Remco has other plans too. He would like to set up an entrance control system, for example. This automated platform would automatically unload and check pallets before allowing them to be sent into the warehouse: “Downtime is sometimes unavoidable when we encounter a broken pallet. It’s impossible to check every pallet manually, but If we could automate the control process, we might be able to avoid this situation altogether in the future.”
Collaboration
When Remco joined Johma, he established long-term partnerships with companies that still had a lot to gain and a lot to prove. Companies with entrepreneurial spirit that are determined to succeed - just like Johma. IPP is one of these partners: “The depth of the relationship between us is unattainable with a new contractor. Once you get to know each other well, you’re willing to go the extra mile for each other. This loyalty and these shared values make my work that much more interesting and pleasant.”
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