Growth at leading Internet retailer exceeds expectations
Woburn, MA – July 15, 2009 – Kiva Systems, a developer of breakthrough mobile solutions for automating order fulfillment at distribution centers and warehouses, today announced that leading online retailer Diapers.com will expand their Kiva Mobile Fulfillment System. Diapers.com uses Kiva’s CaseFetch automated pick and pack order fulfillment solution for mobile pallets and case shelving at all three of the company’s distribution centers. Diapers.com offers direct home delivery for a wide variety of baby products, including diapers, wipes, formula, bottles and clothes.
Kiva’s approach to order fulfillment uses hundreds of mobile robotic drive units that bring inventory on movable shelves directly to workers, allowing easy and efficient access to all inventory items at all times. Elimination of operator walking and waiting enables worker productivity that is two- to four-times higher than with other automated systems. What’s more, because all the system components are mobile and modular, a Kiva-equipped distribution center has unprecedented flexibility when adding new products or expanding throughput—without disrupting ongoing operations.
Kiva believes that for Internet retailers, the fulfillment center is the store, and the Kiva Mobile Fulfillment System is a strategic advantage that transforms the fulfillment center into a truly optimized, competitive asset. Internet retail fulfillment has unique demands for perfect order accuracy and speed. The Kiva approach is ideal for eCommerce fulfillment, allowing orders to flow directly from the Internet to the warehouse floor for immediate pick-pack and ship. Since Kiva’s workflow eliminates the need for batch or wave processes, order cycle times are reduced from days or hours to minutes. In addition, Internet retail fulfillment has to be able to handle the “long tail” business models that are built on making available a wider variety of merchandise than conventional retailers. Kiva’s unique architecture makes it particularly well-suited to wide merchandise assortments, and is flexible enough that new merchandise types can be picked and packed using virtually the same equipment.
“Especially in a tough economy, exceeding high expectations for growth as Diapers.com has done is an impressive testament to their business vision and execution,” said Mick Mountz, founder and CEO of Kiva Systems. “With Kiva’s unique mobile solution and ‘pay as you grow’ approach, Diapers.com doesn’t have to guess in advance precisely when and how much growth will occur—they will always be able to expand capacity quickly and take advantage of demand increases.”
About Kiva Systems
Kiva Systems, Inc. uses game-changing automation technology for distribution centers that helps companies simplify operations and reduce costs while increasing strategic flexibility. Using autonomous mobile robots and sophisticated control software, the Kiva Mobile Fulfillment System enables extremely fast cycle times with reduced labor requirements, from receiving to picking to shipping. The result is a building that is quick and low-cost to set up, inexpensive to operate and easy to change For more information on Kiva Systems and its solutions, please visit www.kivasystems.com
About Diapers.com
As dads themselves, company founders Marc Lore and Vinit Bharara understand diapers all too well. Tired of the “diaper runaround”—midnight store runs for diapers, frustrated searches for the right diaper size, wasted time waiting in store lines and traffic and lugging big diaper boxes with their little ones tugging at them—they created Diapers.com. Their goal: To offer the widest selection of baby necessities anywhere, the lowest online prices, the convenience of fast, free shipping and the best customer service around. Their bigger mission: To play a small part in making things a little easier and less expensive for new parents and caregivers often faced with an overwhelming barrage of new duties and responsibilities. Visit www.diapers.com for diapers and more—with fast, free shipping.