Metro Madrid saves 65% floor space with AutoStore solution from Toyota
Metro Madrid's logistics centre is located on the edge of the city in order to deliver parts to the more than 300 locations in the city centre as quickly as possible. Time and efficiency are crucial here. Metro Madrid was looking for a high-density storage solution with a view to expansion in the future. For the integration, they found a partner in Toyota Material Handling.
About Metro Madrid
Metro Madrid is the largest public transport company in Madrid. Every day, more than 2.5 million travellers use their services. To manage all this, there are more than 7,000 employees. Their logistics micro-fulfilment centre on the outskirts of the city ensures that parts arrive quickly at locations in the city centre. To ensure continued service in, Metro Madrid sought an Automated Storage and Retrieval Solution (AS/RS) for their parts department. From May 2023, they will be working with an AutoStore storage and fulfillment solution.
Facts & Figures
- Company: Metro Madrid
- Location: Madrid, Spain
- Industry: Public transport
- Applications: AutoStore (AS/RS)
- Storage of +/- 40,000 parts
Automation in Metro Madrid’s Micro-fulfilment centre
As the largest public transport company in the Spanish capital, with more than 2.5 million passengers a day, it is essential for Metro Madrid to offer a constant service. Their logistics centre can therefore be found on the outskirts of the city. This way, they can quickly deliver parts to the more than 300 different locations within Madrid.
Such logistics centres on the edge of the city are called micro-fulfilment centres. "A micro-fulfilment hub is a small logistics warehouse located mainly in an urban environment," says Guillermo Albaladejo (Managing director, Logistic Solutions Integration at Toyota Material Handling Europe). "In these hubs, high efficiency can be achieved by using logistics automation."
AutoStore as the best solution
To optimise their logistics centre, Metro Madrid was looking for a specific automated solution. During their search for an integrator, it was especially important to find a partner that was reliable and with whom a long-term relationship could be built, says Rafael Villa (Head of Logistics, Metro Madrid).
The cooperation between Toyota Material Handling and Metro Madrid started with a thorough analysis of the current processes. The consultancy part is very important to make the right choice in the technology that offers the most efficient solution. After data crunching, it was decided to use a compact AS/RS (automated storage & retrieval system). Based on the type of orders and parts classification, and considering future expansion, AutoStore was the best solution. To install AutoStore, TMHE partnered with Bastian Solutions, a Toyota Advanced Logistics Group company.
What are the advantages for Metro Madrid?
Metro evaluated the return on investment from three perspectives.
- First of all, there is a more adequate level of service that can be provided through the automated system. Not only is it faster to bring parts from storage to the person handling the order, it’s also faster to put pieces in the storage. So more efficient goods to man and more efficient goods to storage.
- Second, thanks to the innovative cube AS/RS from AutoStore there is a lot of space saving in the warehouse. “We have been able to reduce the space we had before by more than 65%” says Rafael Villa.
- Lastly, they also improved other KPIs and levels of service for their internal clients. The estimated order errors will be reduced by more than 80%. Continuity and reliability will also be improved, with an estimated reduction of downtime of more than 70%.
What’s next?
The first step into automating the order picking process for Metro Madrid was focusing on integrating small and medium sized parts into AutoStore. The next step is to be able to incorporate a pallet shuttle that automates the movement of heavier and bulkier parts.
“Metro will continue its journey, automating larger parts and automating picking with robotics. We will be there with them to help them move towards the future” concludes Guillermo.