The Company
Ferretera Centenario is a family-owned Mexican company founded in Monterrey in 1975. What began as a small operation with no employees has grown into a benchmark in the hardware and building materials sector. Today, Ferretera Centenario employs around 250 people and operates from a 13,000-square-meter warehouse, managing a catalog of more than 40,000 items.
The Challenge
Before the introduction of Modula, Ferretera Centenario had developed an in-house storage system based on conveyor belts. Operators worked in specific areas of the warehouse and had clearly defined tasks. However, as volumes and orders increased, this system began to show its limitations. Order fulfillment times grew longer and picking errors became frequent, making it difficult to meet customer expectations. A solution was needed that could increase speed, accuracy, and efficiency without interrupting the company’s day-to-day operations.
The Solution
After a careful analysis of the various technologies available on the market, Ferretera Centenario identified Modula Vertical Lift Modules as the ideal solution. This choice was driven both by the system’s high efficiency and by the possibility of receiving technical support directly in Monterrey. The initial project called for the installation of a single Modula unit, but the system’s potential quickly led to an expansion of the investment to nine machines, which today manage around 12,000 items.
To maximize the available space, the company chose to install five 8-meter-tall Modula units and four 16-meter-tall Modula units, facing a significant structural challenge since the warehouse was only 8 meters high. The solution was as ambitious as it was effective: digging an additional 8-meter-deep pit to install the four 16-meter Modula units and achieve maximum storage capacity.
All of this was accomplished without ever stopping daily operations: while excavation and installation work was underway, the warehouse continued to process orders and the software was developed in parallel. Integration with existing storage systems was simple and fast: Modula seamlessly integrated into the operational flow, making processes even faster and smoother.
The Results
The benefits were immediate and tangible. With Modula, Ferretera Centenario drastically reduced order preparation times, almost completely eliminating picking errors. Today, the company has precise, real-time information on what is being picked, what is in the queue, stock levels, and high- and low-rotation items.
Picking has become extremely efficient: each Modula unit allows up to two items to be picked per minute. With nine machines in operation, this amounts to approximately 18 items per minute overall. Where previously a single shift was not enough to fulfill all orders, preparation is now virtually immediate.
Work for the staff has also changed radically: operations are simpler, more intuitive, and require almost no training. Within minutes, operators are already autonomous, without the need to move around constantly, because the goods come directly to them.
Thanks to Modula, Ferretera Centenario has achieved a level of efficiency that was unthinkable with the previous system: order preparation is now five to ten times faster, with significantly higher productivity and an error rate close to zero.
The Future
With Modula, Ferretera Centenario has built a solid foundation to face future growth. Warehouse automation has not only resolved past issues but has also paved the way for new expansion opportunities, greater competitiveness, and further optimization of logistics processes.
A strategic investment that continues to generate value, today and tomorrow.