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KISS Case Study

Kiss Beauty Leverages SI Engineering & Study Program to Expand Order Fulfillment Capacity

KISS USA is a major supplier of cosmetic beauty products in the United States supporting over 50,000 mass retailers and thousands more beauty and direct to consumer via their website.

KISS logo with slogan 'Bring the Salon Home'

The Challenges

After merging its four regional distribution facilities into a single 485,000 square feet warehouse, our client was challenged with the task of managing a complex and diverse distribution network of about 50,000 retail locations and a rapidly growing consumer base, consisting of three distinct sets of end customers:

SI Systems was commissioned to perform a demand and fulfillment planning study to significantly reduce labor challenges, streamline sorting processes and increase the efficiency of carrier operations while meeting buyers’ need for accurate and prompt order delivery.

  • Big Box Retailers – large orders that needed to be treated as individual orders
  • Independent Beauty Stores – smaller orders that included broken cases
  • Direct to Consumer individual e-commerce orders delivered by post or courier
Conveyor system in warehouse with shelves.

The Solution

Processes and Solutions

To begin with, SI instituted a comprehensive study of the client’s overall operations through a service called the ‘Engineering and Design Study.’ This project study is instrumental in assessing the best pick technologies and the flow of communication and operations networks. The study encompasses three overarching analyses:

  • A SKU Volume Analysis
  • Throughput Requirement Analysis
  • SKU Dimensional Analysis

Based on collected data, SI developed a concept layout of an entire pick system, comprising the following:

  • SI exclusive Pick-to-Carton/Tote A-Frame
  • Pick-to-Light (PTL)
  • Pack-Out Station
  • SI Systems WCS Software Suite
  • Manual Pick Shelf
  • Exception Processing Area
  • Conveyor belt

The Results

  • As the principal part of a complex order fulfillment facility, SI’s exclusive Pick-to-Tote (PTT) A-Frame supported the business growth of the client by creating order fulfillment capacity for an added 1,700 unique items. This resulted in a 69% expansion in the client’s piece-pickable SKU set.
  • The PTT A-Frame resulted in a throughput growth factor of 20%, allowing KISS to improve the rate of its fulfillment from around 1,700 to 2,040 orders per day.

The client continues to enjoy the benefits of SI’s exclusive Pick-to-Tote A-Frame technology through these advantages:

  • Flexible throughput speeds of up to 4,200 orders per hour.
  • Guaranteed accuracy levels of up to 99.9%.
  • Significant savings on human labor costs – with a long-term savings rate of between 75 to 90 percent. The Pick-to-Tote near-touchless system can be easily replenished by two experienced replenishers per shift at a rate of up to 2,000 units per hour.
  • The installation of the Pick-To-Tote A-Frame reduced the client’s pack-out rate by 40%, significantly shortening the pack & ship process.

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