Digitalization of Warehouse Processes through the Implementation of a WMS and Automatic Vertical Warehouses: The Frigoveneta S.p.A. Case Study

This paper, written during the internship experience, describes and analyses the project to digitize and reorganize the warehouse of Frigoveneta S.p.A., a company operating in the B2B sector of industrial refrigeration and based in the province of Verona. The project arose from the company’s need to relocate one of its warehouses to free up space for production and, at the same time, reduce the space occupied by the warehouse and improve its efficiency. Furthermore, it became necessary to improve the management of internal logistics flows by eliminating the system based on paper documentation and an inadequate management system. To address these needs, a Warehouse Management System (WMS) integrated with four Vertical Lift Modules (VLMs) was introduced. This thesis aims to assess the benefits arising from the introduction of these two systems, their contribution to improving efficiency of warehouse management and the economic benefits generated by the project. This work analyses the entire implementation process, starting with the configuration of the WMS, which is aimed at defining the new warehouse coding system and the flow of information relating to items. It then describes the design of the VLMs, with particular attention paid to the layout of the internal trays and the item allocation logic, which were developed based on the items’ dimensions and stock levels. Subsequently, the effects of introducing the new technologies are assessed by comparing the AS-IS situation with the TO-BE situation. The analysis highlighted an improvement in the traceability of goods movements and in the management of storage locations thanks to the WMS. Furthermore, the introduction of VLMs has made it possible to reduce the space occupied and the time required for picking operations in the warehouse. The new configuration has improved the ergonomic conditions for operators’ tasks and made the system better suited to supporting the company’s future growth. The results obtained demonstrate that the proper design and integration of the WMS and VLMs can be an effective tool for increasing warehouse efficiency, improving warehouse control and generating significant economic benefits.