HT CONNECT GmbH & Co. KG, Norisstraße 4, 91257 Pegnitz, Germany

The modern logistics solution delivers high levels of customer satisfaction with online shopping

HT Connect is a family business in Pegnitz, Germany, offering a wide range of products and fittings through its online shop PVC-Welt.de. The distribution center has 24 Hänel Lean-Lift® systems in operation – they ensure a smooth and efficient flow of goods sold successfully online.

Space-saving storage based on height optimization for effective picking

The vertical Hänel systems provide systematic and compact storage for 95 % of all items offered by the shop. By fully utilizing the height inside the company’s building, the Hänel Lean-Lifts® store more than 10,000 items within a small footprint. The many diverse products are well-organized and kept in boxes for height-optimized storage on Hänel multifunction containers.

Optimal integration of the Hänel controller in the JTL ERP system

The Hänel MP 14 N HostData microprocessor controller is directly linked to the company’s JTL ERP system. This direct integration of the lift controller supports optimal logistics processes. 

The host ERP system manages items, inventories, orders and customers. Once an online customer order is received, a sales order is generated in the ERP system and sent to the warehouse.

System-driven parallel prepositioning in each lift cluster boosts picking speed. The precise coordination of the ERP system and the intelligent lift controller is the basis for fast, flexible and efficient order processing at HT Connect.

A barcode scanner directly underneath the MP 14 N controller is used to record key order information and start the picking process. The extractor in the Hänel Lean-Lift® automatically brings the requisite multifunction containers sequentially to the access point. Thus in each lift cluster, up to four Hänel Lean-Lift® systems simultaneously deliver the requested items for picking at an ergonomic height.

Thanks to parallel prepositioning at all six lift units, even large numbers of orders can be processed very quickly.

Accurate item identification thanks to Hänel Pick-o-Light®-Vario

Hänel Pick-o-Light®-Vario supports employees with its pick-by-light technology. The result: more accuracy and efficiency. When the container arrives at the access point, the item position on the container is clearly identified for the user with a dot of light. In addition, inventory quantities and the exact locations of items on the container are shown on the Hänel MP 14 N controller display. The items can then be removed from the system at an ergonomic height and placed on a nearby roller conveyor. Each item picked is confirmed on the controller, booked in the ERP system and placed in the red order box. In the meantime, the next requisite item is automatically brought to the access point. When all of the items for the order have been picked and put in the box at the first lift cluster, the box is transported by the roller conveyor system to the other lift clusters for completion.

Scalable picking performance thanks to parallel prepositioning

High picking performance that can be flexibly adjusted to order volume is a decisive advantage during seasonal peaks at HT Connect. This parallel prepositioning with several clustered Hänel Lean-Lift® systems results in fast order processing. To boost picking performance even more, two employees can work at one lift cluster during peak seasons when incoming orders are high.

When order picking with the Hänel systems is completed, the items are sent to the packing line and then delivered to customers.

Systematic real-time organization of more than 10,000 items is a basic prerequisite for smooth order processes in the online shop. This is possible thanks to the direct data communication between the Hänel controllers and the JTL ERP system. This keeps inventory information updated and guarantees that process operations are precisely logged. HT Connect express deliveries are thus ready for next-day delivery to online customers as promised.

This results in high levels of customer satisfaction and contributes to constant business growth at HT Connect. In the near future the company plans to expand current warehouse operations by installing six more Hänel Lean-Lifts®. An additional advantage of Hänel lifts will come into play during this expansion because more storage capacity can be added at any time and adjusted to building conditions to ensure maximum space utilization. When the project is completed, HT Connect expects to have 48 Hänel Lean-Lifts® in operation.

The Hänel Lean-Lifts® at HT Connect are the perfect e-commerce intralogistics solution and enable the company to profit from fast and reliable order processing and warehouse organization.