Automating outbound fulfilment to deliver 10,000 orders a day

The challenge

Roman is one of the UK’s leading fashion retailers, with over 70 stores and a growing e-commerce operation serving customers across the country. As online order volumes increased, their manual packing operation was becoming a constraint, unable to keep pace with customer demand for next-day delivery without significant headcount and operational complexity at peak.

The specific technical challenge was bridging the gap between their existing AutoStore goods-to-person system and outbound despatch. Items retrieved from AutoStore were being manually transported to packing stations, a process that was labour-intensive, inconsistent, and difficult to scale. Roman needed a seamless automated connection between the two, capable of handling high throughput without compromising accuracy or delivery speed.

The solution

Breathe Technologies designed and delivered an integrated fulfilment system that automates the complete outbound journey, from AutoStore to despatch without manual intervention.
At the heart of the solution is a conveyor system that transports items directly from Roman’s AutoStore to two ADPAK automated bagging lines. Items are conveyed, bagged and sealed automatically, before moving to a Logopak automated labelling system that applies accurate, carrier-compliant shipping labels at high speed.

The entire process is orchestrated by BreatheIQ, Breathe’s high level warehouse software.  In this case the warehouse control system (WCS) manages the flow of orders, routing, and throughput across the system in real time. BreatheIQ ensures the right item reaches the right packing station at the right time, handles order prioritisation, and provides live visibility of operational performance.
The system was designed with scalability built in from the outset, capable of absorbing peak order volumes without the need for additional manual resource or temporary staffing.