Innovative storage and racking solution supports company’s growth

In 2012, Live To Play Sports, moved from its warehouse in Woodbridge, Ont., to a bigger distribution centre (DC) in Toronto’s Rexdale neighbourhood. Due to a rapidly expanding business, the bicycle and bike parts distributor needed to increase its storage space and maximize the efficiency of its distribution activities.

Oakville, Ont.-based Redirack Storage Systems delivered a storage and racking solution that enabled the company to double its previous storage and picking capacity and reduce logistics costs.

The pick tower

As a distributor of bicycle parts and accessories, Live To Play Sports faced a significant challenge storing and organizing the multitude of small parts making up the majority of its SKUs. Adding to the complexity of its storage expansion, the company runs a dealer shipping rebate program, which puts pressure on order pickers to deliver 80 per cent of the day’s orders in a tight three-hour window. Orders placed before 3:00 p.m. of more than $450 in product value receive free next-day delivery, with trucks leaving the warehouse promptly at 6 p.m. each day. Processing a large volume of SKUs in such a short time posed significant logistical challenges for management.

Redirack recommended installing a pick tower to increase storage capacity and make SKUs more accessible to warehouse staff. Switching over to a shelving pick tower would prove to be more efficient, better organized and more economical than the previous carousel system. The three-storey shelf-supported pick tower is capable of holding more than 12,000 SKUs and enables warehouse staff to pick between 1,000 and 1,500 lines in one day. The tower also features a conveyor tote system, which automatically delivers totes to the floor for processing.

Pallet racking

Redirack’s bolted pallet racking system for Live To Play Sports is designed to increase storage density and utilize the floor area without compromising efficiency. Standing 32-feet tall, the racks are capable of holding more than 12,000 SKUs worth of medium-sized bicycle parts and accessories, as well as up to 25,000 bikes.

Raised storage platform

In its new 90,000-square-foot facility — of which 60,000 square feet was reserved exclusively for storage — Live To Play Sports was running out of space. The company required a new storage solution that would utilize the DC’s space more efficiently so that all of its products could be held in one building.

Redirack maximized the existing storage space in the DC by designing a three-storey raised storage platform to adapt empty overhead space into usable storage areas. The structure comes equipped with scanner stations, scale tables, and a gravity tote/pallet conveyor system built into the ground level. The platform also features ergonomic workstations, providing maximum workspace in minimum floor space to increase the efficiency and productivity of staff.

Thanks to Redirack, Live To Play Sports has an innovative storage and racking solution that is capable of supporting the company’s growth.

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