Alce Nero case study: Multi-client WMS as business lever

In 2019, Alce Nero, a renowned Italian organic food brand, launched a major e-commerce logistics digitalization project with Stesi. The goal was to increase operational efficiency, optimize space management, and ensure faster, more reliable service for its customers.

Volume growth, which was already significant before the pandemic, highlighted several critical issues in managing logistics flows: unoptimized handling operations, separated B2B and B2C activities, complex lot management, and the need to make better use of available warehouse space. The response was the implementation of silwa, Stesi’s WMS, serving as a unified control system for corporate logistics capable of coordinating warehouse activities, operators, mobile devices, and omnichannel processes.

The supervisor module, coordinated with logistics resources and Android-based field terminals, delivered increased facility efficiency, accelerated lead times, and improved space utilization, as sales channels are now managed in a synergistic and integrated manner. All of this enabled Alce Nero to manage larger order volumes and achieve optimal service levels, while also enabling a true omnichannel approach. Today, silwa governs Alce Nero’s primary logistics processes, integrating with ERP systems, e-commerce platforms, and automation technologies.

A WMS to integrate B2B, B2C, and consignment stock logistics

One of the defining elements of the project was the evolution of the Alce Nero warehouse toward a multi-client model for consignment stock. Thanks to silwa’s native multi-company and multi-client capabilities, Alce Nero was able to monetize available logistics space by offering it to multiple clients, covering both B2B operations and B2C order fulfillment for retail stores. The WMS allows the simultaneous management of:

• goods belonging to different owners;
• customer and supplier master data;
• dedicated storage locations;
• lots and logistics units (LUs);
• FIFO and FEFO rotation logic;
• costs and rates associated with logistics services.

This Logistics as a Service (LaaS) model transformed the warehouse from a mere storage facility into a source of business diversification capable of generating new corporate value.

End-to-end traceability and seasonality management

In the food sector, full traceability is a fundamental requirement. silwa allows Alce Nero to monitor every stage of the logistics process, from inbound goods reception to final outbound shipping. Through barcoding, location management, and lot tracking, the system guarantees:

• real-time inventory visibility;
• clear identification of merchandise ownership;
• control over pallets, parcels, and handling units;
• expiration date management;
• application of FEFO (First Expired, First Out) logic.

FEFO management automatically assigns picking priorities based on product expiration dates, minimizing stock degradation risks and improving overall service quality.

Furthermore, the food and e-commerce sectors are subject to significant demand fluctuations. For this reason, the ability to forecast future order volumes becomes essential. Through historical data analysis, silwa supports Alce Nero in planning warehouse operations, predicting seasonal demand spikes, organizing workforce resources in advance, optimizing picking areas, and scheduling replenishment and stock repositioning, achieving:

• capacity to handle demand surges of up to +357% in orders;
• 25% reduction in logistics times and resource consumption.

Process automation and task dispatching

To further boost operational efficiency, Stesi implemented advanced automated task allocation systems through the Dispatcher module. The system assigns task missions to operators by considering:

• order priority;
• stock availability;
• task typology;
• operator skills and seniority.

The dispatching algorithm thus assigns each task to the most suitable or currently available resource.