How Fraschetti Automated Warehouse Operations for Efficiency

Behind every well-stocked hardware store shelf sits an invisible engine: the distribution centre that moves thousands of items from suppliers to sales points without a single missing screw or misdirected carton. When that engine runs on paper, errors creep in, deliveries slow down, and profitability suffers. Fraschetti, one of Italy’s leading wholesale distributors of hardware tools, gardening and DIY products, faced exactly this pressure as its network grew. The company’s decision to automate its warehouse with handheld and vehicle-mounted computers offers a clear, practical lesson in how technology turns a chaotic stockroom into a precise, profitable operation.

The challenge of a complex distribution network 🔗

Fraschetti is not a single shop. It is a wholesale distribution business that supplies a vast retail network. The company restocked roughly 2,500 sales points and sourced products from more than 500 suppliers, all while promising fast, reliable delivery across the country. That combination creates enormous operational complexity.

Think about the scale involved. With hundreds of suppliers sending goods inward and thousands of stores pulling goods outward, the warehouse becomes a constant churn of receiving, sorting, storing, picking and shipping. A hardware distributor like Fraschetti handles a huge catalogue, and the company today describes carrying around 22,000 products and handling more than 7,000 packages a day with deliveries promised within 24 to 48 hours. Service, in other words, is the actual product. The hardware items are almost incidental compared to the promise of getting the right goods to the right store on time.

The difficulty here is one that every growing distributor recognises. As the number of items, suppliers and delivery points multiplies, the chances of human error multiply with them. A miscounted carton, a mislabelled shelf, or a wrongly recorded shipment does not stay a small mistake. It cascades into stockouts at the retailer, delayed deliveries, and customer complaints.

Why paper-based systems break down at scale 🔗

For years, warehouses everywhere relied on paper: printed pick lists, handwritten receiving notes, and manual stock counts. This works when volumes are low. It collapses when volumes are high.

Manual processes are slow because every item has to be read, written and re-entered into a computer later. They are error-prone because handwriting is misread, numbers are transposed, and tired workers lose their place on a long list. They also offer poor visibility, meaning managers cannot see in real time what is actually in stock or where it sits. Industry observers note that manual warehouse processes commonly lead to data entry mistakes, inventory discrepancies and delays in order fulfilment as operations expand. For Fraschetti, with its enormous inward and outward flow, a paper system was a ceiling on growth.

Implementing the technology solution 🔗

To solve this, Fraschetti partnered with the systems integrator Incas and adopted data-collection technology from Intermec. The goal was straightforward: move shipping and receiving off paper and into a digital, real-time system. Rather than writing things down and entering them later, workers would scan items at the moment they handled them, and the records would update instantly.

This is the core idea behind any modern warehouse management system. Instead of treating data entry as a separate task done after the physical work, scanning makes data capture part of the physical work itself. Every time an item is received, moved or shipped, a scan records it automatically, which keeps inventory records accurate and reliable.

The hardware behind the change 🔗

Two devices sat at the centre of Fraschetti’s automation. The first was the Intermec 2455, a vehicle-mounted computer. These rugged terminals are designed to fit on forklifts and industrial vehicles, surviving shock, vibration and temperature changes while connecting wirelessly to the warehouse network. A vehicle-mount terminal like the 2455 lets a forklift operator receive instructions and confirm movements without leaving the cab, which removes a huge amount of walking, writing and double-handling.

The second was the Intermec 2415, a wireless handheld computer. Light and durable, the 2415 was built for exactly the kind of data-collection work found in warehousing, logistics and retail environments. Workers on foot used these to scan items during picking, packing and stock checks. Together, the vehicle-mounted and handheld units covered every point where goods moved through the building.

It is worth understanding why the wireless element matters so much. Because both devices communicated over a wireless network, every scan reached the central system in real time. There was no batch upload at the end of a shift and no waiting to learn that a count was wrong. The warehouse always knew its own state.

Mapping the warehouse 🔗

A crucial part of the project was mapping the warehouse so that every storage location had a defined, scannable identity. This step is easy to overlook but it is the foundation of the whole system. When each shelf, bay and bin has a unique code, the system can direct a worker to the exact spot for an item and confirm, by scan, that the right product was taken from the right place.

This is how barcode-driven systems eliminate the guesswork that plagues manual operations. The worker no longer relies on memory or a vague aisle description. The device tells them where to go, and the scan verifies they got it right. Scanning records each item’s current location and any movement between locations, so the digital map always matches the physical reality on the floor.

Dramatic improvements in inventory management 🔗

The results of the automation were significant. Fraschetti was able to handle close to 12,000 operations a day with the new system, and the mapped, scan-driven warehouse produced a steep fall in errors alongside a considerable rise in efficiency and profitability.

These outcomes are not unique to Fraschetti. They reflect a well-documented pattern across the industry. Barcode-based data capture removes the single biggest source of warehouse error, which is manual data entry. When a scan replaces a handwritten note, accuracy climbs sharply. According to industry studies cited by logistics technology providers, barcode systems can lift inventory accuracy from around 63 percent to roughly 99 percent. That jump is the difference between a warehouse that constantly recounts and reconciles, and one that simply trusts its own records.

From error reduction to higher profit 🔗

The link between accuracy and profitability is direct, even if it is not always obvious. Errors are expensive. A wrong shipment has to be returned, re-picked and re-sent, which doubles the labour and delays the customer. Inaccurate stock records force companies to hold extra “just in case” inventory, which ties up cash. Frequent manual counts consume hours that could be spent fulfilling orders.

When automation removes these costs, the savings flow straight to the bottom line. There is also a powerful relationship between getting orders right and earning more. Research summarised in warehouse automation studies suggests that companies with high perfect-order rates can be substantially more profitable than those with lower rates, because complete, accurate, on-time deliveries build customer trust and reduce costly rework. For a service-led distributor like Fraschetti, reliability is the entire value proposition, so improving order accuracy directly strengthens the business.

Speed and visibility as added benefits 🔗

Beyond accuracy, automation delivered speed and visibility. Scanning is far faster than reading and writing, so receiving and dispatch move quicker, and more operations fit into a working day. The 12,000 daily operations figure shows just how much throughput a digital system can sustain.

Real-time visibility is the quieter but equally valuable gain. Managers can see stock levels, locations and movement as they happen rather than discovering problems after the fact. A warehouse management system that automates data entry through barcodes and similar tools reduces human error and keeps stock records reliable during picking and receiving, which lets managers make confident decisions about reordering and allocation.

Lessons for warehouse operations everywhere 🔗

The Fraschetti case carries practical lessons that apply far beyond one Italian distributor, including for the fast-growing warehousing and organised retail sector that supports e-commerce and modern trade.

The first lesson is that automation works best when it captures data at the point of action. The value did not come from buying devices. It came from making the scan an inseparable part of receiving, moving and shipping, so that data was always current.

The second lesson is that the unglamorous groundwork matters most. Mapping the warehouse so that every location had a code was what made directed picking and verified putaway possible. Technology layered on top of a disorganised space would have achieved far less.

The third lesson is that the right tools must match the work. A forklift driver needs a rugged vehicle-mounted terminal, while a picker on foot needs a light handheld. Choosing devices suited to each role is what allowed the system to cover the entire operation rather than just part of it.

Finally, the case shows that operational improvements and financial improvements are two sides of the same coin. Fewer errors, faster handling and better visibility are not soft benefits. They reduce cost, free up cash and increase profit, which is why a warehouse upgrade should be treated as a strategic investment rather than a mere expense.

What do you think? If you were advising a growing distributor still running on paper, which single change would you prioritise first: mapping the warehouse, or rolling out scanning devices? And how might the same scan-at-the-point-of-action principle apply to a small retail store, not just a large distribution centre?

References

1. https://www.fraschetti.com/en/azienda.html
2. https://www.fraschetti.com/en/
3. https://www.csquare.in/blogs/what-is-barcode-based-warehouse-management-benefits-process-best-practices/
4. https://sterlingmobile.com/intermec-t2455/
5. https://www.barcodesinc.com/intermec/2415.htm
6. https://www.shopify.com/in/blog/barcode-inventory-management
7. https://unicommerce.com/blog/best-barcode-inventory-managment-software/
8. https://ocadointelligentautomation.com/insights/warehouse-automation-statistics
9. https://www.barcodeindia.com/solution/warehouse-management-system