For a company that offers the largest range of car brands in Norway, streamlining logistics is crucial. With expert help from Element Logic, Bertel. O Steen’s logistics department is moving into a new automated warehouse.

Bertel O. Steen imports brands including Mercedes-Benz, Opel, smart®, Peugeot, Citroen, Kia, Fuso, Setra and DS, and carries spare parts for cars, buses, and trucks in their range. Their logistics department handles all warehousing and distribution activities for the entire Bertel O. Steen Group.

Their new warehouse right outside of Oslo boasts tailor-made solutions and software developed by Element Logic that will greatly improve and expedite their logistics processes.

“We basically grew out of our warehouse, and for a while we were contemplating whether or not to upgrade our existing warehouse over time. Instead we decided to invest in a new property. By relocating, we had the opportunity to design a whole new warehouse from scratch, together with Element Logic,” –Rune Kristiansen, Head of Logistics at Bertel O. Steen.

A long-standing partnership

Bertel O. Steen and Element Logic have collaborated on developing smart storage solutions for more than 16 years. When Bertel O. Steen first moved from their manual warehouse in 2002, they simultaneously implemented the Warehouse Control Software from Element Logic.

When Bertel O. Steen decided to build a new warehouse, however, they sensibly launched an open bidding round that included other suppliers as well. This way, they would be sure that they got the best solution suited for their business. Despite being presented with other available alternatives, an AutoStore solution by Element Logic combined with Element WCS turned out to be their # 1 choice.

“It is a very reliable system that ensures continuous operation at all times. For instance, if one operator port stops working, we still have seven others running – and if a robot shuts down, there are still 46 in action. AutoStore is also far less vulnerable to technical issues,” Kristiansen explains.

An adaptable logistics system

The automotive industry is developing fast. Consequently, Bertel O. Steen has chosen technology that enables them to adapt quickly if needed:

“For example, if the market for spare parts for cars is declining, our new warehouse can easily be adapted so that we can distribute other things instead. The benefits we get from cooperating with Element Logic, and the technology they have included in their unique WCS system, are huge,” Kristiansen says.

Tight collaboration sparks developments

Kristiansen says the relocation process has been great, thanks to input from their own employees combined with the expertise provided by Element Logic:  “Element Logic has assisted us with the implementation of new software and innovative logistics technology, as well as employee training for operating everything in our new warehouse.”

Håvard Hallås, Chief Sales Officer at Element Logic, adds that their continued collaboration with Bertel O. Steen challenged them to make further developments to their already unique AutoStore Warehouse Control Software solution.

“Bertel O. Steen has helped us to drive our software development. Their requests have enabled us to re-think and develop customised solutions. We are grateful that we have proactive customers who contribute to innovation in this way,” Hallås says.

Facts and figures

• 15,000 m² (18,000 m² including office space, etc.)
• 50 employees
• 47 AutoStore robots
• 48,000 storage bins
• 5,000 items picked daily from AutoStore
• Bin types: Full bins, half bins, quarter bins and twelfth bins
• 8 outbound carousel ports
• 16 inbound operator ports divided by four clusters (one person can serve four bin types)