Inside Gap Inc.‘s renovated distribution center: A new level of e-fulfillment

Gap Inc.
Groveport, Ohio
Size: 1.2 million square feet
Brands serviced: Primarily Old Navy and Gap
Products handled: Apparel and accessories
SKUs: 200,000+
Throughput: The system is currently processing 600,000 units per day, with capacity to expand to 1 million unitsper day
Shifts per day/days per week: two 10-hour shifts, 7 days a week

Read the feature article about the renovated Gap. Inc. distribution center.

Gap Inc.’s renovated distribution center near Columbus, Ohio, uses automation technologies present in other Gap Inc. facilities, but at a completely new scale. The design is expected to become the footprint for future e-fulfillment DCs.

Receiving

Incoming product is received at the dock and unloaded onto the conveyor system in the automatic receiving area (1). An overhead scan is compared against advance ship notifications (ASNs). Once the merchandise is confirmed, the warehouse management system (WMS) determines what happens next.

A carton can be sorted to one of four areas:

1. quality assurance for inspection
2. a manual pallet build or rework area
3. manual putaway in a carton storage level area (CSL)
4. automated putaway in the mini-load automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS).

While the AS/RS is the preferred location, some items may not be compatible because of their size or condition, or the AS/RS may be at capacity.

Storage

Once the WMS determines how merchandise can be putaway, it’s diverted to the appropriate area for that merchandise. In the CSL (2), cartons are manually scanned into a location. Palletized merchandise is scanned into a location in a very narrow aisle storage area (2). Finally, cartons are putaway into storage by cranes in the mini-load AS/RS area (3).

Returns handling

Gap also has specific areas for handling newly received returns. A second floor mezzanine (9) has workstations that receive packages and process returns to be put-away into a separate brand mix storage area (5). In the brand mix area, multiple SKUs can be stored in a single location to maximize storage space. Returns available to promise are picked from this area.

Replenishment

The Ohio facility includes a three-level pick module and a four-level expansion module (4). Replenishment of the pick modules is initiated by the WMS based on minimum/maximum levels. Cartons are retrieved from storage and inducted onto a replenishment line conveyor. Cartons are then scanned into a pick location.

Picking

Nearly all picking is done in the pick modules, save for returns referenced above. Picking is directed by Vargo’s warehouse execution system (WES), which delivers a constant flow of orders to the floor as orders are complete. Associates are directed by wearable devices to pick to totes. Once a tote is full, it is inducted onto a takeaway lane that delivers it to a processing engine that manages several workflows. They include:

Singles-line packing

This is the simplest workflow. Totes containing items to fill single-line orders are sorted on the primary routing sorter (6), a sliding shoe sorter, and conveyed to a manual pack station for packing or to one of several auto-bagging lines. Each of those lines represents 14 pack stations. Once packed, single-line orders are inducted onto the shipping sorter.

Multi-line orders

There are several processes for multi-line orders. Regardless, items for multi-line orders are inducted onto the two unit sorters (7), and each unit sorter has two induction points culminating in four processing areas. During peak periods, each unit sorter is divided into two sections, which doubles the sort rate. The unit sorters send items to one of two locations underneath the unit sorters.

Robotic putwall

Items that can be handled robotically are conveyed to the robotic putwall area, which currently has capacity to handle 500,000 units a day. The robot arm is directed by the warehouse execution system to sort items by order to a location in the putwall.

Manual sortation

This area handles items that aren’t compatible with the robotic arms. Examples could include garments that are difficult to pick up or accessories that are too small to grasp.

In either case, packing has been decoupled from the order sortation process. Orders that have been sorted are placed onto carts that are queued up in front of packers who prepare the orders for shipment and then induct them onto the shipping sorter.

Shipping

The cross-belt shipping sorter (8) has four induction points that deliver orders to autoloaders that reach into the appropriate trailer for the order.

Retired areas that can be re-commissioned: When the new system was brought online, Gap Inc. retired the original receiving area (10), two tilt tray unit sorters (11) and a tilt tray shipping sorter (12). These areas remain intact and can be recommissioned should the need arise.

System suppliers:

• Systems integration and warehouse execution system: Vargo
• Piece-picking robotic putwall: Kindred
• Conventional putwall: Speedrack/Vargo
• Conveyor & sortation: TGW Logistics Group
• Crossbelt sortation: Interroll
• Bomb bay sortation: EuroSort
• Mini-load automated storage: TGW Logistics Group
• Automated packaging: Accutech
• WMS: Manhattan and Vargo
• WCS: Matthews/Pyramid
• Bar code scanning: SICK (fixed, overhead); Cognex (receiving and sortation); and Zebra Technologies (handheld)
• Lift trucks: Raymond
• Automatic truck loading: FMH Conveyors (BestReach)
• Racking: Pre-existing