CERP is a pharmaceutical wholesaler in France. One of the company's key competitive advantages is its integration into a cooperative structure: many of the pharmacies it supplies are also members or shareholders. This close relationship strengthens customer loyalty and makes the pharmaceutical wholesaler a long-term partner for many pharmacies. CERP also has a trusting working relationship with SSI Schäfer. The two companies have been successfully implementing joint projects for many years. CERP has proven itself to be a particularly innovative partner, breaking new ground together with the intralogistics expert - from pilot projects to the development of individual solutions at the highest technological level. Another future-oriented warehouse is now being built in Wissous with a high-performance solution from SSI Schaefer.

The new logistics center with a high degree of automation

The new logistics center is planned as a greenfield project with a high degree of automation and will seamlessly take over the processes of the previous location in Le Plessis-Robinson, France. Around 30,000 SKUs are to be processed in Wissous on an area of 15,000 m². The aim is to increase throughput and handle larger volumes efficiently. By optimizing all processes, CERP will be able to react even faster and more flexibly to growing customer and market requirements in the future.

The innovative solution includes modern storage and picking systems, storage containers, conveyor technology, a pusher sorter for smooth dispatch processing and intelligent software. At the heart of the new warehouse is a shuttle system with over 90,000 storage locations, which enables maximum capacity and short access times. Two SSI Piece Picking robots, three Advanced Pick Stations one-level and a fully automated A-Frame system with over 2,900 product channels ensure fast and ergonomic picking according to the goods-to-person principle.

System controlled via WAMAS Warehouse Control System (WCS)

The entire system is controlled via the WAMAS Warehouse Control System (WCS), which coordinates all processes in real time, thereby noticeably increasing efficiency, throughput and process reliability. The integrated WAMAS Control Center, which acts as a central monitoring and information hub for all processes, ensures maximum transparency.

The holistic concept is complemented by comprehensive services from SSI Schaefer. These include technical support, targeted training, structured spare parts management and the WAMAS Maintenance Center, a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) for the efficient management of maintenance measures. This creates a future-proof overall package for the demanding requirements of pharmaceutical logistics.

"With the new facility, we are consistently pursuing our strategic goal of expanding our position as an essential partner for supplying pharmacists with medicines," reports Jérôme Ibar, Technical Director at CERP. "The logistics center is perfectly tailored to our requirements and enables us to take further steps towards automation and future growth."

This forward-looking approach unites CERP and SSI Schaefer. Based on the trust they have gained, the new facility in Wissous is scheduled to open in October 2026. The challenges are demanding: a tight schedule, the parallel coordination of various trades and the commissioning planned for the end of 2027/beginning of 2028. However, both partners are convinced that this project will also be a complete success - thanks to the close cooperation of the well-coordinated team.