OPM - 20 years of success

The idea for the OPM system and the COM struck Walter Winkler while drinking coffee. He took the cake server, slid it under the slice of cake, lifted the slice, and placed it on his plate. The COM machine was born and the OPM system became reality.

Today, it runs 24/7 in distribution centers across the globe - Walter Winkler’s revolutionary idea was a paradigm shift - transforming food retail logistics from mostly conventional warehouses into a production world for store pallets. Together with the employees of WITRON, he has kept his promise.



Almost every WITRON customer would like to have the Order Picking Machinery system (OPM). The solution has revolutionized food retail logistics all over the world - often imitated, but never equaled. It makes food retail successful in the long term - regardless of the distribution channel.



We would like to thank all customers who are joining us on the OPM journey.

































How many OPM systems are currently picking worldwide?

WITRON owes the success of the OPM system primarily to the high availability of the system, which runs 24/7. This success is not only based on the technology, but also on the WITRON OnSite teams at the customers’ logistics centers.



If a pallet or roll container is well stacked, it can be unpacked more efficiently and ergonomically in the grocery retailer’s store, shelves can be refilled more quickly, more goods can be provided, and the customer can be offered a better shopping experience.

In addition, there is less food waste due to the reduction of damaged goods during transportation or unpacking. Thanks to new packaging technologies in the OPM system, the store manager and the staff members also have to dispose off less wrapping.

Multiple channels

Helmut Prieschenk, WITRON: “Our systems grow with the customer. The challenge in a project is that we receive figures at the beginning of the project design phase that can change again during the implementation phase. And when markets change, the situation is often completely different.” For example, we had to quickly integrate efficient e-commerce processes for customers in the logistics centers that were originally designed purely for store delivery. The number of items changes, the volume varies, the order lines adapt, and more distribution channels are added. “We always have the goal in mind, see logistics from the end customer’s perspective in the store or at home, and analyze developments”, explains Prieschenk, who has the advantage that WITRON supplies markets worldwide with its solutions and recognizes developments on other continents faster than others.



WITRON is a logistics service provider, not in the classic sense, but the company designs distribution centers and complete value-added supply chains and strives for end-to-end optimization. The logistics center with the OPM system orchestrates the material flow, so with new technology comes new tasks for the company and the designers. Many operators in the market want to keep optimizing the machines, but the much greater efficiency gains are achieved between transportation, the logistics center, and the end customer. “We can make goods available in the warehouse very quickly, but that is of no use to the customer if the trailer is not yet at the dock door. That makes no sense economically and ecologically. Intelligent processes will save money, increase flexibility, and help us drive our processes in a more sustainable way.”

Domain knowledge in design

In the past, we were very close to the hardware, developing control systems ourselves in the early days. We are slightly drifting away from hardware, but we must not lose contact to and understanding of the matter. IT is not an end-in-itself. We always have to ask ourselves why and for what purpose we are developing the applications, and what the interaction with physics looks like. Many IT and AI hypes dominate the public discussions. We say: It takes knowledge of the mechanics, the controls, and the processes. IT development or even machine learning will not work without domain knowledge.

How many overseas containers does an OPM project need?

He and his team were looking for a combination of store picking and online picking - all in one warehouse. Pettersson traveled around the world, looked at many warehouse solutions, and is now building his new warehouse near Stockholm together with WITRON. “The scale achieved there has never been seen before.” The highly automated logistics center supplies both Axfood stores and online customers with more than 22,000 different items. The temperature zones range from +25 degrees Celsius to -26 degrees Celsius. The system is designed for a daily pick capacity of approx. 1.6 million pick units. The highlight of Axfood’s new omni-channel warehouse: The online business accesses the same inventory as the store business. Processes that would have to be handled in two separate sections with conventional warehouse logistics and then consolidated extensively, are covered by the system in just one integrated warehouse logistics system. The result: significant efficiency, performance, and quality increases of the picking and packing processes as well as considerable investment savings.