Company and project information
Rawlplug is one of the biggest manufacturers of fixing systems in the world. The company has been delivering innovative solutions for construction industry for over 100 years. In 2025, the company launched R5PL β a modern, zero-emission distribution centre in KoΕΌuchΓ³w that provides full logistic support within the 5PL model to Rawlplug and other companies. The facility with the area of 20,000 square meters offers 36,000 pallet spaces in hay-bay racks and an automatic shuttle warehouse with the capacity of 105,000 totes. Β Optimization of processes is supported by an efficient arrangement of conveyors, GTP-type stations, a Put-to-Light system, VNA system trucks and radio terminals. The automation devices were supplied and implemented by the Logisystem company.Β The Quantum Qguar company provided the Qguar WMS system that integrates business logic with the automation part of the facility.
Wojciech Krysiak β Managing Director & CEO β R5PL:
I am unable now to imagine a situation, in which we could use a traditional warehouse with so fragmented business and so high numbers of orders. Nowadays, if one operates on a large scale, it is very hard to survive on the market without automation solutions. As far as the very quality of handling, packing and all other aspects, automation ensures certain repeatability.Β On the labour market today, it is difficult to find people who identify with the company for many, many years and enable the company to maintain the required quality. Therefore, automation is a must have.
Storage capacity
The automated warehouse and the WMS system allow us to reach impressive speed in clients processing. Intelligent order management, multi picking and other mechanisms offered by Qguar WMS combined with highly efficient automated warehouse allow R5PL to reach the output of up to 1.800 totes per hour.Β Nowadays, an efficient WMS system is the core of each warehouse that connects automated processes with manual ones.
Wojciech Krysiak β Managing Director & CEO β R5PL:
The combination of automation solutions and IT systems tripled our capacity in terms of the number of shipment consolidation lines, while additionally providing speed and agility. Simultaneously, we also managed to improve the quality index and standardize packing processes. As we already had experience in working with the WMS system, we managed to implement the system pretty efficiently and the processes designed within the implementation have been adopted by new employees very quickly.
Warehouse supply and GTP stations
Articles from pallet racks are fed into shipment pallets and the automated warehouse. Totes with goods are transported by a system of conveyors to the lift, and then to storage spaces by means of shuttles. The diversity and structure of orders impose the need to divide them into smaller units. Once they are picked from the warehouse, they get consolidated. Small amounts of large numbers of SKUs constitute the real challenge. Most often, automatic warehouses of the miniload-type are constructed to handle such challenges.Β The WMS system uses an article supplied to a picking station to consolidate several shipments simultaneously. The multi-picking strategy in Qguar WMS allows automation solutions to be used more efficiently and the number of shipments per time unit to be increased. Each GTP station processes simultaneously up to 10 shipments, while each shipment can comprise many items.Β WMS informs the operator, how many pieces of a particular article should be transferred from a tote to the shipping box. To avoid errors, WMS has been integrated with the Put-to-Light installation.
Wojciech Krysiak β Managing Director & CEO β R5PL:
As far as the picking process is concerned, we have the Shuttle system that enhances our processes very much. As to the packing system, we have an automatic packing system that ensures repeatability and standardization.
Consolidation of picking
Articles prepared at GTP stations, from B2C shipments, are sent to the final sorter, while those from B2B shipments are sent to pallet consolidation stations, where they are consolidated with other articles. Here, as in other non-automatized areas, the WMS system enhances operators’ work by means of radio scanners. Qguar WMS also supports other warehousing processes in R5PL. High efficiency and scalability of the system allow R5PL to keep enhancing the market offer.
Wojciech Krysiak β Managing Director & CEO β R5PL:
Our WMS system β provided by our partner, with whom we have been cooperating for over 20 years β is primarily a system that connects all our processes together. One can say that this is the heart of hour warehouse. This solution opens many possibilities. First of all, we are able to measure the efficiency of our processes and the efficiency of our employees, while it also opens possibilities for development.
Value-added services
R5PL also offers a wide range of added-value services that cover specialized calibration and quality control of products, automatic packing, creation of sets or wrapping.Β These services β thanks to the implemented technologies, high level of personnel competence and full support provided by the WMS system β may be realized with exceptional efficiency and the highest quality.
Wojciech Krysiak β Managing Director & CEO β R5PL:
We operate within the 5PL model. The model assumes we transfer all supply chain functions to a logistics operator. One can imagine we are addressed by a client who would like to sell his products, while conducting his business from a remote location somewhere in the world.Β It is possible. We will do everything. His task will be reduced to focusing on sales.
Construction of a distribution center
It took 24 months in total to construct the centre, launch the automatic warehouse and implement the Qguar WMS system. It was possible thanks to agile methodology of works and close cooperation and exceptional commitment of all the partners participating in the project.
Wojciech Krysiak β Managing Director & CEO β R5PL:
First of all, we like very much cooperating with Polish companies, which facilitated implementation and launching of this project very much. As far as the approach, a methodology of addressing tasks is concerned, we very much like the agile approach, that is we have such a moment, when we settle on what to begin with. This is a totally basic matter. Then, from week to week, from month to month, we go on delivering the rest. If we construct another centre in the future, and I think we will, the experience gathered in this project will be very useful. I constructed this facility, these processes with a few key suppliers. I would bet on the same horses again.
Development potential
R5PL has the potential to get extended with new picking stations and two additional shuttle corridors, which will allow us to increase efficiency and further enhance processes. Thanks to automation and advanced IT systems the company plans flexible development aimed at providing its clients with logistics support at the highest possible level.