The Company: OptimaT, a Reliable Industrial Partner with a Strong Social Mission
OptimaT is a Belgian company operating as an industrial partner and professional service provider, supporting businesses in production, assembly, packaging, logistics, and order management activities. Thanks to well-established industrial expertise and a flexible organizational structure, the company collaborates with organizations across a wide range of sectors, offering reliable and customized solutions throughout the entire value chain.
Founded in 1979, OptimaT was established with a clear social mission: to create stable and inclusive employment opportunities for individuals who face barriers to accessing the traditional labor market, particularly people with disabilities. The company goes beyond simply providing jobs; it actively promotes professional development and social integration, enabling each individual to fully realize their potential. Over time, this vision—combined with long-term partnerships with local industries, international companies, and public organizations—has supported significant growth, expanding the workforce from 48 to more than 540 employees operating in the Flanders region.
As assembly activities expanded, storage and logistics management requirements also increased. To meet this growing demand, OptimaT broadened its service offering by integrating warehousing and direct shipping services to its clients’ end customers, reducing intermediate steps and improving supply chain efficiency and sustainability. In this context, in October 2023 the company inaugurated a new central warehouse designed to increase logistics capacity, support production activities, and provide a concrete solution for companies unable to independently invest in storage facilities.
The Challenge: High Logistics Performance in a Truly Inclusive Environment
The construction of a new 18-meter-high warehouse was driven not only by goals of efficiency and growth, but also by a far more complex challenge: combining high logistics performance with a genuinely inclusive working environment.
OptimaT needed to manage a wide variety of items, mainly generic spare parts such as fasteners, bearings, and technical components, while ensuring high storage density, full traceability, and seamless integration with existing IT systems. In addition, it was necessary to reduce operational complexity and the risk of errors in picking and storage activities by creating accessible, safe, and ergonomic processes capable of empowering operators with disabilities.
The real challenge, therefore, was to design a warehouse where automation and the organization of goods and people flows would actively support inclusivity without compromising operational performance.
The Solution: Modula Vertical Lift Modules at the Core of the Project
The solution came in the form of Modula VLMs, installed within the new logistics hub: two 16-meter-high Modula ML50D units configured with dual external bays, LED bar, laser pointer, and integration with an external WMS via Modula Link.
The VLMs played a central role in the project. Thanks to high-density storage and the “goods-to-person” principle, they enabled large volumes to be concentrated within a reduced footprint, while simultaneously improving ergonomics and safety.
Modula Link, connected to the WMS of C&W Logistics and customized with an intuitive control panel, guides operators step by step: each task is clear, simplified, and visually supported.
A distinctive feature of the project is weight-based verification: the picked quantity is automatically checked by comparing the actual weight with the theoretical weight of the item, ensuring accuracy and minimizing the margin of error.
The Results: Operational Efficiency and Human Value in the Same Space
The introduction of Modula VLMs enabled OptimaT to create a working environment that combines logistics performance with social value.
The new VLM:
- Removes operational barriers for individuals who struggle to enter the industrial sector
- Offers concrete opportunities within a technologically advanced environment
- Promotes personal and professional growth
- Improves efficiency, safety, and quality of work
Visibility and Social Impact: Automation as a Lever for Inclusion
The project has given OptimaT strong national and international visibility. Thanks to its clear socio-economic value, the initiative received European funding and has become a tangible example of how automation can serve as a powerful tool for workplace integration and inclusion.
In this context, Modula VLMs are not merely an advanced logistics solution, but a true enabler of social impact: technology designed for people, capable of transforming operational efficiency into real and lasting opportunities.
