Yonex automates its European logistics center with technology from Advasolutions

In the warehouse of Yonex, according to the company, two requirements meet that are difficult to reconcile with rigid automation. Firstly, there is the variety of items. Shuttlecocks, rackets, racket strings, shoes, bags, and clothing are all stored in the same warehouse and differ greatly in size, weight, and turnover frequency. In addition, there is the demand for faster delivery. Customers order later and expect the goods earlier. At the same time, the business is growing, along with the number of orders leaving the warehouse daily. Both together can no longer be managed with additional personnel alone.

Concrete Benefit: Flexibility without Oversizing

This is precisely where the solution from Advasolutions comes in. Shuttles, shelving systems, and shelves form a system together with the software modules that adapt to the structural situation in the existing building and integrate into the existing IT. As demand grows, additional modules are added. The facility does not need to be newly planned for this. The same applies to the product range: if what is stored changes, the technology does not need to be replaced. In day-to-day operations, long distances in the warehouse are eliminated, inventories are automatically kept up to date, and loading and unloading follow the same system logic.

Even at the goods receipt stage, the system records all item data and maps them in real-time via a digital twin. This increases picking accuracy and makes every inventory traceable up to the goods issue.

"In our warehouse, the shuttlecock is next to the racket and the sports bag, and our order numbers are growing. We needed a system that represents this diversity and can be expanded without having to design the warehouse for an order volume from the outset that we will only reach in the future," says Boris Reichel, Managing Director of Yonex GmbH.

"A warehouse must adapt to the business, not the other way around. Our modules can be installed during ongoing operations and expanded later. Our customers automate first where it pays off the quickest, allowing the facility to grow with the business instead of designing it from the start for the largest conceivable day," says Dr. Marcus Englert, CEO of Advasolutions SE.

Third Customer Project Within a Year

For Advasolutions, Yonex is the third customer project within a year. At Maier Früchtegroßhandel, the company is automating storage and order picking in its existing cooled logistics center. The Bavarian fresh produce specialist expects 30 to 40 percent more efficiency in daily operations. Another project has been signed and will start in the coming months.

All three projects follow the same pattern: existing buildings instead of new construction, retrofitting without interrupting operations, and a product range that cannot be categorized into a fixed grid. Advasolutions has designed its system precisely for these cases.