Noble Deploys AutoStore System to Modernize Plumbing Industry Customer Experience

Noble Corp., a leading trade supplier of plumbing, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), fire protection, and industrial technologies in Ontario, wanted to improve the customer service experience. The Concord, Canada-based company claimed that it is the first in its industry to implement an AutoStore warehouse automation system.

"This integration with AutoStore represents our commitment to innovation and our dedication to providing the best possible service to customers with real-time inventory management," said Philip Wenger, director of technology at Noble, in a release. "It means we can get more products to our customers faster, and they're going to be happier with the counter experience because of it."

For more than 30 years, Noble has served the construction, maintenance, and renovation trades with an assortment of leading brands. The company also offers a range of services, including product training and technical support, working closely with contractors and professionals across commercial and residential operations to help them succeed.

Noble collaborates with Dematic

Noble said its AutoStore automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) "will redefine inventory management, order-processing operations, and service excellence." It worked with Dematic to implement the system, which includes autonomous robots.

"Driven by our 30-year commitment to helping our customers succeed, AutoStore is faster, more accurate, and will help us offer a wider range of products to the trades," said Jim Anderson, general manager at Noble.

"The volume of products you can stock in a small footprint with AutoStore far exceeds anything else on the market," he added. "In our case, we can fit 21,000 SKUs in less than 5,000 square feet, dramatically impacting the amount of inventory our teammates can quickly supply to our clients."

A subsidiary of KION Group, Dematic supplies integrated automation hardware, software, and services for manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution. The company worked with Noble to improve efficiency and better serve a growing customer base.

AutoStore system delivers efficiencies

Now fully operational at Noble's branch at 7171 Jane Street in Concord, the new picking and fulfillment system is designed to maximize warehouse space and minimize inefficiencies through automated robots programmed to collect orders from thousands of storage bins.

Noble said the new ASRS "reinvented" its operations with high-density storage, scalable design, and fast and accurate order fulfillment.

With the introduction of Noble's new e-commerce platform later this year, AutoStore will make the picking and fulfillment process even more straightforward and energy-efficient, the companies claimed.

Furthermore, they said, the AutoStore grid can be easily increased and gradually filled with more bins and extra robots as SKU and storage needs grow, all with minimal impact on business operations and the environment. Noble offers tours of its ASRS-enabled facility on request.

Founded in 1996, AutoStore said its ASRS hardware and software can help business improve order-fulfillment efficiency. The Norway-based company, whose U.S. office is in Derry, N.H., said it has installed more than 1,150 systems in 49 countries.