Scentsy Welcomes Robots into the Warehouse

Scentsy Uses AutoStore to Increase Storage Capacity and Order Fulfilment Productivity

Scentsy has implemented an AutoStore system at its distribution centre in Meridian, Idaho, to increase storage capacity and improve order fulfilment productivity.

The system measures approximately 125 feet long, 88 feet wide and 17 feet high. A fleet of 100 robots operates across the top of the AutoStore grid, retrieving product bins and delivering them to employees working at picking stations below the system.

Before the AutoStore was introduced, employees walked through warehouse aisles to retrieve products from conventional shelving. With the new goods-to-person process, employees remain at their workstations while the AutoStore robots bring the required inventory directly to them.

Scentsy reports that the combination of automated product retrieval and computer-generated order batching allows its employees to fill six times as many orders in the same amount of time.

Increasing Storage Capacity

Storage capacity was an important consideration for Scentsy as its product assortment continued to expand.

In addition to introducing new products, Scentsy maintains inventory of certain fragrances through its Scentsy Club program. This creates a requirement to retain a growing number of products while continuing to make room for new inventory.

AutoStore addresses this challenge by storing products in bins stacked vertically within a high-density aluminum grid. Eliminating conventional storage aisles allows significantly more inventory to be stored within the same building footprint.

The modular design of the system also provides Scentsy with the ability to expand its storage capacity as inventory requirements and order volumes increase.

Improving the Picking Process

The AutoStore changes how employees interact with inventory, but it does not eliminate the need for warehouse personnel.

Robots retrieve the required bins and deliver them to picking stations, where employees remove the requested products and place them onto picking carts. Employees continue to perform replenishment, pack orders and manually pick products that cannot be stored within the AutoStore bins.

Scentsy has also provided some warehouse employees with the opportunity to become technicians responsible for supporting and maintaining the robotic system.

Preparing Inventory Overnight

Another important feature of the AutoStore is its ability to continue operating outside normal picking hours.

During the night, robots can reposition frequently requested bins closer to the top of the grid. This helps prepare the system for the following day’s orders and can reduce the amount of digging required to retrieve high-demand products.

This capability is particularly valuable for an operation such as Scentsy, where order volumes and product demand can fluctuate considerably between slower periods and the busy holiday season.

More Than a Storage System

The Scentsy installation demonstrates that the performance of an AutoStore depends on more than storage density and robot speed.

Computer-generated order batching is a key part of the reported productivity improvement. The software must determine how orders should be grouped, sequence the required bins and coordinate product delivery to the picking stations.

The complete solution therefore combines high-density storage, robotic bin retrieval, order orchestration and properly designed workstations to create a more efficient fulfilment process.

Scentsy’s AutoStore provides an interesting example of how goods-to-person automation can increase storage capacity, reduce employee travel and support higher order volumes while allowing employees to remain an essential part of the fulfilment operation.