INTERSPORT Masters the Largest Logistics Project | FORTNA

Case Study

INTERSPORT Masters the Largest Logistics Project in Company History


Expanded capacity, modernization of central logistics, improved efficiency and speed of delivery to the B2B branches throughout Germany: The largest project in the history of the INTERSPORT Group to date has been successfully completed — during ongoing operations, on budget and on schedule. The FORTNA consulting team developed a complex intralogistics concept, implemented over five project stages during ongoing operations, and provided expert support to the INTERSPORT Group throughout the entire project, acting as their sounding board and sparring partner.

About INTERSPORT

Since 1968, IIC INTERSPORT International Corporation GmbH has been the parent company of the INTERSPORT Group, which has built up one of the world’s largest and best-known brands in sports retailing. With more than 5,380 specialist stores in 42 countries, it is one of the world’s leading sporting goods retailers. In Germany, INTERSPORT was founded in 1956 and is headquartered in Heilbronn. The company is the largest medium-sized sports retail group in Germany. With over 700 members, more than 1,400 specialist stores and 700 industry partners, the company has been able to consolidate its position as one of the market leaders in European sports retailing – despite economic challenges.

Distribution and operations

Central logistics with local strength: The INTERSPORT Group has been pursuing a stringent omnichannel strategy for years and therefore decided early on to gradually expand capacity at the Heilbronn site, modernize central warehouse and fulfillment operations, expand processes and IT for future growth and increase the speed of delivery to the affiliated retailers in the B2B sector throughout Germany.

The project

INTERSPORT has commissioned FORTNA with numerous tasks in order to keep pace with its steady growth:

  • Measures to expand warehouse capacity and to optimize order fulfillment in the German central warehouse and distribution center in Heilbronn as a step-by-step approach—from individual immediate measures to long-term proposals for an extension.
  • Concept study for the long-term securing of the central warehouse location
  • Evaluation and review of the supply chain
  • Capacity expansion and new picking processes for pre-order processing
  • Capacity expansion for post-order picking
  • Implementation of new distribution and fulfillment processes for direct deliveries to the affiliated B2B retailers across Germany
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Implementation of our logistics concepts was designed with a view to the coming years right from the start. Each planning and implementation step needed to consider further development with a future-oriented approach, while still guaranteeing the day-to-day essential logistics performance. It was, therefore, a logical step for us to continue the proven partnership with FORTNA.

Jürgen Beier

Head of Logistics at INTERSPORT

The solution

As part of the step-by-step plan for the INTERSPORT Group, the services provided by FORTNA include supporting the merger of the warehouse, distribution, and fulfillment operations of INTERSPORT Germany and INTERSPORT Austria in the form of an inventory and evaluation of the logistics systems and the supply chain. On this basis, the medium- and long-term logistics strategies were developed together with INTERSPORT.

The following measures were implemented: The optimization of the order picking systems and the selection of a fulfillment service provider to outsource the handling of bulky goods. FORTNA also developed a complex solution design for the expansion of the central warehouse at INTERSPORT’s headquarters in Heilbronn and provided support in the reorganization of the warehouse management system IT (WMS IT).

The expansion measures, which were implemented over five project stages during ongoing operations, in detail:

The construction of a new high-bay warehouse, 6,000 m² floor space, 36 m high. To optimize processes, the new building was connected to the existing building, and additional storage areas were set up for order picking. Replenishment and order picking were automated through the introduction of conveyor technology and shuttle vehicles, and an automated carton warehouse and a shuttle warehouse were also implemented. With a capacity of 120,000 cartons in the automated small parts warehouse and 40,000 storage locations in the shuttle warehouse, INTERSPORT now has a total of 160,000 additional storage locations. The processes in the new incoming goods area have also been automated and optimized: the incoming cartons are recorded fully automatically by an OCR camera system and are transported to the upper floor via conveyor technology.

Six miniload stacker cranes and 37 shuttle vehicles per shuttle aisle ensure that up to 1,800 cartons per hour are stored and retrieved correctly. The final expansion stage includes automatic carton erectors and new shuttle picking stations. Pick-by-light technology is used to pick the individual items directly into the shipping cartons, which are then transported to the packing area on the ground floor. Further upgrade here: New high-speed packing stations and automatic strapping machines.

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With regard to ongoing operations, particular attention had to be paid to the order in which the expansion measures would be integrated in our planning and in a project of this size, this was no mean feat.

Hubertus Dieckmann

Project Owner, FORTNA

Simultaneously, INTERSPORT faced the challenge of quickly establishing its own structures and identifying additional storage and dispatch capacities, following Nike’s decision to discontinue direct delivery of sporting goods to INTERSPORT shops across Germany. The service provider already used for bulky goods handling was able to provide the required logistics space in a new hall. Together with FORTNA, the layout, processes, and IT structures for handling were developed, and various storage areas were set up for order picking, with pre-order and post-order being considered separately.

Construction work at the INTERSPORT headquarters in Heilbronn, Germany: The stacker crane masts were pre-assembled outside and inserted through a roof opening…

…on the AS/RS rails and fitted precisely.

FORTNA Can Help

FORTNA helps organizations to remain sustainable and competitive in the long term and to meet changing distribution challenges, increasingly complex supply chains and growing demands for speed of delivery and customer service.

Images: INTERSPORT Deutschland eG

Published/Updated 11/20/24