DHL Express Entrusts Actemium with the Automation of Its New Branches

An Automated Solution to Support Business Growth

DHL Express France’s investment strategy for its new branches in Beaune and Caen aligns with the strong increase in international and domestic trade. The goal is to deliver excellent service quality to its customers, including businesses of all sizes, across all industries, and private individuals. To achieve this, Actemium Lyon Logistics teams have provided and implemented an automated solution in both locations, combining technical expertise and innovation.

Each site’s comprehensive solution is designed to manage sorting, distribution, and parcel collection within its respective region, with a processing capacity of over 3,000 parcels per hour. The installed equipment enables unloading parcels (up to 1.2 meters in length) from trucks arriving from nearby airports and placing them onto conveyor belts. There, parcels are identified, measured, weighed, and dispatched using electric diverters, directing them into designated “fingers.” These are then collected directly by delivery drivers, who load their trucks with the assigned parcels based on their local delivery routes.

This system is reversible: at the end of the day, delivery drivers return to the branch and place the collected parcels onto the system. These are then sorted and shipped to the airport for further distribution.

Enhancing Operator Comfort with an Innovative Solution

At the DHL Express branch in Caen, Actemium Lyon Logistics responded to the client’s request for a smart visual solution to help delivery drivers quickly identify their assigned parcels.

This system, called APS (Active Picking Solution), first identifies the route and final destination of each parcel as it is placed on the system using the existing scanning infrastructure. The information is then displayed on large-format screens positioned in the loading dock area, where drivers pick up parcels and load their trucks. These screens show:

• Parcel position on the conveyor
• Parcel number
• Estimated time before reaching the designated dock
• A color code matching a specific dock

This solution enables drivers to easily recognize which parcels they should pick up and track the arrival time of their next assigned parcel.

Today, this concept has been validated and is highly appreciated by DHL Express. It has also gained recognition from other DHL Express branches across France and Europe, underscoring Actemium Lyon Logistics’ high-quality response. A key challenge in modern logistics is improving operator comfort and efficiency, and this innovation directly contributes to that goal.

Luc Martinie, Infrastructures & Engineering Manager at DHL Express France, shares:

As with all our new sites in France, our Beaune and Caen branches benefit from the latest technologies to support our goal: delivering excellent service quality to our customers. To achieve this, we rely on the expertise of trusted partners like Actemium Lyon Logistics, who equipped our two sites with cutting-edge solutions. In particular, we are pleased that Actemium, a French company with recognized expertise, has shown great dedication in developing the ‘APS’ (Active Picking Solution) in close collaboration with DHL’s engineering team. This innovation has helped us reduce parcel processing time for our customers while also improving working conditions for our teams.