The Challenge
S&S Activewear’s Vaughn, Ontario distribution center was under growing pressure to keep pace with demand. Following its acquisition of alphabroder, which had successfully deployed Locus Robotics in its own facilities, S&S saw an opportunity to bring the same solution to their Canadian operation. Previously reliant on manual batch picking using pack mules and stock chasers, the team struggled with travel time, inefficiency, and rising training demands. With customer expectations for same-day shipping, the old model wasn’t sustainable.
The Solution
S&S deployed Locus Robotics autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) at their Vaughan facility in just 49 days, setting an international record for speed to deployment. Without changing the warehouse layout, the team moved seamlessly to zone-based picking, implemented Fast Pick strategies for high-velocity SKUs, and dramatically reduced physical strain on employees.
The Results
Productivity
- Increased from 48 to 70–75 lines per hour (LPH), the highest in the S&S network
- Shipped 23,000 lines in a single day
- Surpassed throughput targets within two weeks of go-live
Labor & Training
- Training time cut in half
- Peak week throughput of 100,000+ lines completed in 8–9 hour shifts vs. 12–14 previously
Employee Impact
- Less warehouse travel and reduced strain
- Fewer ergonomic incident reports year over year
Our throughput improved by 25% and shift times came down, giving employees a better home-life balance.