Japanese sporting brand ASICS has overhauled its Australian distribution operations at its Marsden Park facility in Sydney.
According to the brand, the two-and-a-half year project has boosted productivity through the embedding of automation technology.
The project was termed Kakushin – a Japanese term meaning innovative transformation – and was delivered in partnership with Vanderlande and ThreeSixty Supply Chain Group.
“At our NSW Marsden Park facility, the new automation system has significantly increased processing capacity and efficiency, with room for future growth,” ASICS Oceania director and GM of finance and administration, Michael Masulans, said.
Over two years ago, the sporting brand was looking to embrace its business evolution from large wholesale shipments to smaller consumer and e-commerce orders. This required changes to its warehousing to efficiently process the growing volume of multi-item orders that characterise modern retail fulfillment.
The global brand noted the new format uses an integrated omnichannel approach, serving e-commerce, store replenishment and wholesale operations.
ASICS also faced significant technical challenges during implementation, including fire service problems and discovering that the warehouse slab was not built to automation specifications. This required engineering solutions, which culminated in the adoption of High Dynamic Storage shuttle technology – the first HDS implementation of its kind in Australia – instead of the originally planned mini-load crane system.
According to ASICS, this change not only resolved the structural weight concerns but delivered better performance and more movements per hour than was required. The HDS buffer system addresses the site's operational constraints from limited dock capacity, providing essential space and sequencing for palletising stations and dispatch operations.
After two and a half years, the project was completed, reportedly without disrupting customer service. ASICS maintained full operational capacity throughout the build, compressing roughly one-third of their warehouse operations while construction proceeded. This required coordination between multiple contractors, electricians and fire safety specialists in the live warehouse environment.
ASICS added the Kakushin project has also positioned the DC for future expansion. This includes additional pick stations, pack stations and potential automated guided vehicle (AGV) capability.