INFORM delivers optimized time slot and yard management to Swiss retail giant Migros

INFORM has successfully deployed their industry proven Syncrosupply Time Slot and Yard Management system to logistics operator Migros Verteilzentrum Suhr AG (MVS) in Suhr, Switzerland as part of Migros’s broader state-of-the-art, fully automated logistics system transition.

INFORM delivered its Syncrosupply Time Slot and Yard Management system, which is comprised of a management user interface, time slot booking portal, self check-in software for gate automation real-time optimization for yard and ramp management, and the optimization of time slot bookings for various stakeholders accessing Migros’s facility.

Dr. Eva Savelsberg, SVP of INFORM’s Logistic Division said, “The gate to any logistics facility is a natural choke point between the broader transport network and the yard or distribution facility. As such, efficient and optimized operations is crucial to streamlining the movement of goods.”

The project set out to achieve various goals including efficient and reliable planning of incoming goods, improving sustainability, reducing bottlenecks and traffic jams on the MVS site, alleviating high waiting times for carriers, and avoidance of late arrivals of goods.

«The mYard has already made a name for itself during the intense Christmas phase and during the current corona crisis. Thanks to this system, we were able to utilize significantly more capacity without any major difficulties. The system also creates a good basis for future optimizations, in which we can also rely on the good cooperation with INFORM.” - Thomas Gasser, Head of Logistics at MVS

Migros’s Suhr site is the heart of the Migros retail chains national logistical operation to supply 600 supermarkets with food products and over 300 convenience stores with food and general products. As the center of the logistics network, MVS is responsible for the entire distribution from goods receipt at the Suhr site, storage of goods, picking and order fulfilment, through to the timely dispatch to the 900 various locations across Switzerland.

To meet their logistics needs, Migros has been operating a fully automatic, high-performance picking system since 2012 and recently began building a state-of-the-art, fully automated logistics system of which INFORM’s Time Slot Management system is now a crucial part of.

Migros is Switzerland’s largest retail company, largest supermarket chain, and largest employer and one of the 40 largest retailers globally with operations in Switzerland, Germany and France. INFORM specializes in AI and optimization software to improve operational decision making. Based in Aachen, Germany, the company has been in the optimization business for 50 years and serves a wide span of logistics industries including the post and parcel and broader logistics industries. Starting in their yards and delivering value peripherally outwards, INFORM’s unique blend of algorithmic based software expertise, rich industry experience, and big world thinking delivers huge value for their customers.