Sunrise Medical, a provider of medical mobility products, established a new warehouse in Nieuwegein (NL) with SSI Schäfer. Careful planning ensured that daily operations continued uninterrupted while the new warehouse was integrated with shelving from the old site in less than two months.
G. Eggink, M. van Thuijl, S. Meijer (from left to right)
It doesn't get any better than this: The new warehouse, which will serve as the European Distribution Center (EDC), boasts an impressive energy efficiency rating of "A+++++". From here, mobility scooters, wheelchairs, walkers, seating and positioning devices, as well as components requiring significant logistical effort, will be distributed to mobility retailers across Europe. The EDC also plays a crucial role in supplying assembly parts to Sunrise Medical's five European plants. Furthermore, it supports Sunrise Medical's operations in the Dutch market. "By consolidating these deliveries into a single warehouse, we are achieving substantial savings in transport and storage costs across Europe," says Stanley Meijer, Operations Manager EDC at Sunrise Medical.
Carefully thought out
A new warehouse was essential for Sunrise Medical: The existing building in Nieuwegein, already equipped with SSI Schäfer shelving, had proven too small and no longer met current requirements. Due to the lack of space, Sunrise Medical was forced to rent a second warehouse some distance away. "That was anything but efficient," says Stanley Meijer. The new building is now less than a kilometer away. "Here we have a modern warehouse with an area of 6,789 m²,5,521m² of standard floor space and 1,268 m²of mezzanine space – 30% more space than before. And thanks to the building's height of 8.5 m, we can use the space much more efficiently than in the previous warehouse, which was only 5.5 m high."
8.5 m instead of 5.5 m height – optimally utilized. Photos: SSI Schäfer
Stanley Meijer deliberately took his time to design and set up the new warehouse. He received support from his colleague Marc van Thuijl, who is responsible for Facility, Safety & Warehouse Improvement at Sunrise Medical.
For almost two years, they worked intensively with SSI Schäfer. All options were considered, from conventional wide-aisle warehouses to fully automated storage systems. "We only have one chance to build a new warehouse – and we want to take advantage of it. SSI Schäfer, and especially their sales representative Jessica Pronk, provided us with invaluable support and guidance. The result is a solid foundation for further growth and operational optimization," said Meijer.
Interchangeable frames
The new warehouse consists of three halls. The first hall is largely made up of extra-deep PR 600 pallet racks that extend to the ceiling. This is where the seat cushions and other positioning products are stored, which are picked using a high-lift forklift. "The racks are 1.20 m deep and arranged in a row, allowing us to pick orders from two sides. This makes optimal use of the available space," explains the Sunrise Medical Operations Manager.
The second hall, with six docks, is partially used for loading and unloading trucks and containers. For bulky items like walkers and wheelchairs, there are drive-in racks along the wall opposite the docks. "We brought those from the old warehouse," says Meijer. "Since the old drive-in racks were a bit too low, we used the frames from the old pallet racks in the new warehouse. They're fifty centimeters higher, so we were able to create an additional storage level and accommodate 18 percent more pallets. That's one of the advantages of SSI Schäfer: the frames of the drive-in and pallet racking systems are interchangeable."
Together with the shelving units, this provides 30% more space.
The third hall offers the largest storage area and is largely equipped as a warehouse with stacker cranes – a solution that was not originally planned. "We actually wanted to implement a narrow-aisle warehouse here. That would have given us the approximately 7,000 pallet spaces we need for a balanced business case," says Stanley Meijer. However, the use of narrow-aisle forklifts would have required induction loops in the floor. "During the course of the project, it became clear that this wasn't feasible due to the building's structural conditions. In close consultation with SSI Schäfer, we quickly adapted our solution and found a suitable alternative. Ultimately, we opted for a combination of pallet racking and reach trucks."
Agile project management
Sunrise Medical and SSI Schäfer implemented additional measures to create sufficient pallet storage space. "We took over the mezzanine level from the old warehouse and rebuilt it above the packaging lines in Hall 2, allowing us to store additional pallets there. Furthermore, we installed additional racking along the wall opposite the reach truck storage area in Hall 3 to create even more pallet storage space. Together with SSI Schäfer, we carefully worked out every detail until the logistics solution was fully optimized and completed," said Meijer.
Once the plan was finalized, the next step was to implement the layout and ensure a smooth transition to the new warehouse. SSI Schäfer had only two months to accomplish this and mastered the task brilliantly. The fact that Sunrise Medical wanted to relocate the shelving from the old warehouse increased the project's complexity. "Of course, there were still pallets on those shelves, as operations had to continue uninterrupted. So, we first had to move those pallets to the new warehouse before dismantling the shelves," explains Stanley Meijer, outlining the challenge.
The success of such a project hinges on thorough preparation. Following the signing of the contract, a kick-off meeting was held with all parties involved. "That was incredibly important. A kick-off meeting clarifies who will be responsible for which tasks. It's crucial that everyone involved – from Sunrise Medical to the contractor and SSI Schäfer – works together as a team and pulls in the same direction," says Stanley Meijer.
Another key to success is meticulous planning. When will the shelves be empty? When can they be dismantled? And when can they be reassembled in the new warehouse? "All of this has to be precisely coordinated," explains Gijs Eggink, project manager at SSI Schäfer, who holds the IPMA D certificate. "As warehouse planners, it's crucial that the implementation runs smoothly. For example, when dismantling some shelves, the original screws couldn't be removed as expected. Instead, they had to be carefully cut out and replaced with new ones."
Completely satisfied
Now that the warehouse is fully operational, Sunrise Medical is completely satisfied with the decisions made. Operations have improved significantly. The warehouse layout is more logical, distances are shorter, and workflows are clearer. "We have room to grow again," says Meijer
