One warehouse, one team

After several years of construction and intensive work, operations are now being scaled up in our new logistics centre in Kumla. The 48,000 square meters have been filled with tens of thousands of articles, and both incoming and outgoing transports is increasing every day. The person who is ultimately responsible for ensuring that everything works as it should is site manager Emma Rosvall, who started at Solar in August last year. She is a trained mechanical engineer and has previously worked as a flow leader and production manager in the manufacturing industry. Now she looks back on a time of very intensive work to get everything to work in Kumla: - It is really a huge adjustment we have made. My most important task has been to get all employees involved in the transition, to make them feel that it is fun that we are doing this and that it is going to be good.

Automated warehouse

When Solar's central warehouse moves from Örebro to Kumla, it not only means that they are working in a new location – it is also a much larger warehouse that is also heavily automated. - Getting started with automation has been new for all of us in the staff. The previous warehouse in Örebro has not been automated, but now we have a very high degree of automation. And it has been a lot of work to get all the equipment to work together and work as it should. The key has been to test, test and test. We have done an incredible number of tests. Emma Rosvall has several operations managers on her team. One of them is Amanda Lodesjö, who is responsible for the small goods department. In Kumla, it is operated with a so-called AutoStore solution, which means that an automated robot system fetches the items that are to be picked together for an order. A warehouse worker then assembles the order, before a machine seals the box and sends it on for shipping. - For everyone working in the warehouse, this is a big difference. None of us have probably worked this automated before. But we have learned the technique and it works very well, says Amanda.

Amanda Lodesjö herself comes from Kumla, and she sent a spontaneous application to Solar when the plant began to be built. - If you live in Kumla, you know that Solar is building here. It is noticed - and super fun!

Equal leadership

In addition to being a hyper-modern, digitalised and automated warehouse, the logistics centre in Kumla stands out in several ways. Warehousing and logistics is traditionally a male-dominated industry, but at Solar in Kumla, it looks different. Here, a large part of the workforce is women – both among the warehouse workers and in managerial positions. This, in turn, is a result of Solar's strategic work to promote diversity. - I'm relatively new to Solar, but it really shines through that they have focused on this topic. There are so many advantages to being a diverse workplace, but the biggest one is that you get more perspectives on important issues. Everyone has their point of view to offer, and it gives so much more, says Emma Rosvall. Amanda Lodesjö is on the same track: - I have worked a lot in warehouses in my life, and I have heard a lot over the years. You have always had to fight against a background of being a woman. You have to prove that you are up to the task. That is why it is great to now be at Solar, where it is very equal – in all positions.

A great deal of planning

A third female manager in Kumla is Caroline Jonsson, who is the supervisor of the goods reception. She has worked at the old Solar warehouse in Örebro since 2012, and sees big differences compared to the new facility. - We have outgrown the old premises, so we are going from older, cramped premises to new, super fresh premises. It is a completely different work environment and a completely different workflow, and it feels very fun, says Caroline. Caroline Jonsson and her team take care of all incoming goods and make sure that they end up in the right place. This work is usually intensive – and add to this that the existing warehouse in Örebro is also being moved to Kumla, you realise that it has been a logistical challenge. - It has required an incredible amount of planning. We started the work in Kumla just before the holiday season, and when the staff returns, they will make it something that is fully operational. It has been challenging, but we are a strong team that has solved it together. This will be really good, both for us who work here and for the whole of Solar.