StrongPoint’s Order Picking Solution Delivers Unprecedented Levels of Efficiency to Accelerate Grocers’ E-Commerce Capabilities

Many in-store associates average ~240 items per labor hour across all product categories using StrongPoint’s full suite solution, compared with industry standard 60-65 items per hour.

StrongPoint ASA announces its grocery e-commerce picking solution, designed specifically for grocery retailers looking for fast, hyper-efficient and scalable e-commerce logistics solutions. The Strongpoint solution suite delivers industry-leading efficiency rates with many in-store associates averaging ~240 items picked per labor hour across all product categories, compared with common industry standards of 60-65 items per hour 1).

Hosted on StrongPoint’s cloud-based SaaS e-commerce platform, the Order Picking solution helps retailers capitalize on the growing opportunity of online grocery, driving greater efficiency and higher productivity rates. It also reduces labor costs associated with the fulfillment of online orders, while enhancing customer convenience and protecting margins.

StrongPoint launched its first Order Picking solution more than 20 years ago. Since then, it has undergone countless iterations, changes and updates based on customer feedback over two decades of usage by thousands of pickers in multiple countries. A key benefit of StrongPoint’s cloud-based solution is that grocery retailers receive continuous updates as the team finds new opportunities to drive efficiency gains.

Since the start of the pandemic, Bain estimates adoption of online grocery in the US and Western Europe has accelerated between two and five years and this sustained demand is set to continue 2). Despite the explosion in demand, both for grocery e-commerce and q-commerce, retailers have struggled to make online grocery profitable, with the high cost of labor hours allocated to picking and the fulfillment of e-commerce orders ebbing away at already squeezed margins.

StrongPoint’s solution was born out of 35+ years’ experience in responding to the rapidly evolving needs of leading grocery retailers across multiple European countries. Its grocery e-commerce Order Picking solution delivers unprecedented efficiencies compared to orders that are picked manually, by empowering staff with its proprietary software technology.

Many of StrongPoint’s grocery retail customers who are utilizing the full functionalities of the solution are able to reach average in-store picking rates of ~240 items per labor hour across all product categories, compared with a common industry standard of 60-65 items per labor hour when using traditional solutions. In addition, StrongPoint’s Order Picking solution averages 99.99% accuracy, making it on par with leading fully automated grocery fulfillment solutions.

Its hyper-efficient orchestration technology customizes the picking route for the store associate, creating the most effective order sequencing for picking, based on the unique layout and footprint of each store. Other standard features include picking by temperature zones, multiple solutions for age-restricted items and substitution options.

The solution, which can be deployed in large and small format settings with the option of using Zebra hardware devices for maximum efficiency, includes multi-zone and multi-order picking capabilities to drive even greater efficiencies. It can integrate with in-built store hardware, such as electronic shelf labels (ESLs), allowing store associates to “pick to light” to increase speed and order accuracy. In addition, there is the option of integrating a smart trolley that has been purpose-built for maximum ergonomic efficiency. Data inputs at each stage of the picking process – from preparing the trolley to the picking, weighing, and bagging of products – create a continuous feedback loop, so ergonomic improvements can be made to drive further efficiencies, speed and accuracy.

“We are proud to unveil our latest technology solution, specifically designed to help grocery retailers leverage their stores and cater to the exponential growth of e-commerce,” said Jacob Tveraabak, CEO at StrongPoint. “Having worked with grocery retailers for over three decades, we understand the importance of driving speed, efficiency and scalability across their operations in the stores – and that was intrinsic in how we developed the latest iteration of our grocery e-commerce Order Picking solution.”

1) Micro Fulfillment: Passing Fad or Permanent Market Shift?
2) The Next Five Years in Online Grocery: Going Mainstream, Fast