Nippon Shuppan Hanbai Renovates Logistics Infrastructure to Expand 3PL Business

Seino Information Service (SIS) announced that Nippon Shuppan Hanbai has constructed a shared logistics foundation at its new 'N-PORT Niiza' site by introducing the warehouse management system (WMS) 'SLIMS' and robot management system 'RMS,' integrated with the automated storage and retrieval system 'Raputa ASRS.'

Through this initiative, Nippon Shuppan Hanbai has automated its logistics for diverse, small-lot goods—primarily stationery and general merchandise—tripling shipping detail processing capacity while achieving a zero inventory error rate in the ASRS management area.

Furthermore, with an eye toward future 3PL business expansion, the company has built a flexible logistics infrastructure capable of adapting to additional sites and operational changes.

Four Logistics Challenges Driven by Human Dependence

With the expansion of non-publishing goods, Nippon Shuppan Hanbai faced several evident logistics challenges: - Increased on-site burden due to high-mix, small-lot shipments - Inefficiencies arising from site-specific systems and operations - Confirmation and correction work due to paper-based operations - Concerns regarding future talent acquisition due to personnel-dependent operations

Integrating SLIMS and ASRS for a 'No-Walking, No-Mistake' Workplace

SIS's 'SLIMS' was highly valued for its flexibility in handling logistics involving both published and non-published materials, centralized cross-site data management, and scalability. By linking it with the Raputa ASRS via 'RMS,' the company realized logistics operations where systems and automated equipment function as one.

- Optimized System Foundation: Real-time, centralized management of inbound and outbound data. A cloud infrastructure was established to support future expansion and additional sites through flexible code design and loosely coupled logistics functions. - Automation that Eliminates Walking and Guesswork: 91 robots from the ASRS automatically transport the bins containing goods to the workers according to shipping instructions, allowing for stationary picking. - Preventing Errors: By providing visual and quantity instructions via monitor, bin illumination, and warning lights for mis-picking, even inexperienced staff can work accurately from day one.

Building on Results for 3PL Expansion and Sustainable Logistics

The integration of systems and robots has brought dramatic changes to the workplace:

- Overwhelming Productivity Gains: Workers no longer need to walk around aisles, enabling stationary picking. As a result, processing capacity for shipping details increased approximately threefold, from 90 to 300 lines per person per hour. Massive data volumes totaling 700,000 lines per month are handled stably without performance degradation. - Quality Stabilization: Human errors are suppressed, achieving a remarkable 'zero' inventory error rate in the ASRS area.

Moving forward, the company intends to expand its 3PL services for external products and further improve the efficiency of its core publishing business using SLIMS. SIS remains committed to contributing to sustainable logistics through logistics DX support that combines WMS, robotics, and automation equipment based on deep on-site expertise.