How Galaxus is making sure you’ll get your hands on GTA VI on time
In preparation for the GTA VI launch, Galaxus is reorganising its processes at the Wohlen logistics centre and setting up mobile packing stations. Several thousands of pre-orders are scheduled to arrive on 12 November, both in your mailbox and at our stores.
A game case weighs almost nothing. It fits in any mailbox, hardly takes up space and looks just like any other package at the Wohlen logistics centre. A few thousand more should, in theory, be no big deal. But the real world looks different. Because they’re all arriving at the warehouse at the same time, they all have to be sent out on the same day and they can’t be in your mailbox even an hour too early.
Just a few days ago, it became clear how challenging this timing is. When The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was released, some of the pre-orders arrived late because a delayed shipment from the supplier coincided with the peak logistics season. That’s why Galaxus is making last-minute adjustments to its processes for the next blockbuster game.
A date that can’t be moved
Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA VI) is subject to a blackout. Under these terms, Galaxus must ship packages so they arrive exactly on 12 November – not a day earlier. A sleeve containing a download code will be mailed to you. Gamers will download the actual game later. GTA VI won’t even be playable at this point. 19 November is the big day.
For you, the gamer, it’s exactly this day that counts. Thousands of pre-orders are in the system, and they’re all scheduled for 12 November. The Wohlen team is structuring its entire process around this. About one in ten pre-orders will be picked up at a store. The boxes will be ready and waiting there on 12 November as well.
A day during which the warehouse is already operating at full capacity
The warehouse in Wohlen has a fixed processing capacity. Several thousand shipments on top of the regular single-day volume will push the team to its limit. On top of that, there’s the timing. The release falls right in the middle of the peak season leading up to Black Friday and Christmas, when everything’s already running at full speed.
«If we just run through the standard process, we won’t be able to keep our promise to our customers,» says Steffen Schaffhausen, in charge of planning at the Wohlen logistics site. «And not just for GTA VI, but for all other orders as well.»
Rewire, build, pack by hand
And so, an entirely new process is taking shape. The conveyor system will be rewired so that GTA copies pass by the regular flow of goods. In the manual picking and packing area, mobile workstations will be set up quickly and easily. There, a small task force will pack the shipments by hand. «The old-school way,» as Steffen calls it.
At the same time, two product development teams will reprogramme the check-in and check-out features in the warehouse system so that the games move smoothly through the new process.
The biggest challenge isn’t with technology
Sure, mobile workstations are always available; Galaxus is constantly changing its systems. Something else is decisive. For a release of this magnitude, Purchasing, Product Development and Logistics must all have exactly the same information – from delivery to shipping date.
«Our people are pretty good at handling this in an agile way; we just have to be well-coordinated,» says Steffen. However, it isn’t typical for a logistics facility to improvise a system on short notice. «Discipline and well-thought-out processes are actually more important here. But in a case such as this, we can and must implement new processes in the most piratesque way.»
As a Multimedia Producer, preparing multimedia content and knowing about cutting-edge technology is my business. My main focus at digitec is producing videos. I can’t wait to try out new products such as cameras, drones or smartphones as soon as they’re launched. This is where being at the source comes in rather handy. When I’m not working, I’m probably skiing, biking or hiking – the mountains are my place to be.
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