As an industrial internet platform specializing in e-commerce services for Chinese herbal slices, Yun Dou Health has experienced rapid growth in recent years with significant expansion in platform scale. To further enhance internal warehouse logistics turnover efficiency and operational effectiveness, ensure consistent quality and safety of herbal slices, and better serve grassroots medical institutions, the platform has accelerated the transformation and construction of its smart supply chain. Currently, the Southwest Central Warehouse in Wanzhou, Chongqing, has completed verification and is poised for imminent operation.Spanning over 50,000 square meters, the facility stores, sorts, and transfers over 10,000 items. Its daily herbal shipment capacity exceeds 15 tons, with overall warehouse efficiency improving by 50% year-on-year. This makes it Yundou Health's most intelligent herbal distribution center in Southwest China.
Recently, our reporter visited this large-scale Southwest Central Warehouse, witnessing the entire inbound and outbound process firsthand. This experience highlighted the evolution of herbal slice storage models, shedding light on the development trends of intelligent warehousing in the digital age, as well as the innovations and future of smart supply chains.
End-to-End Precision Management Ensures Herbal Quality
Quality is the lifeblood of herbal medicine. Significant deviations in storage humidity and temperature can compromise its integrity. Only through comprehensive temperature and humidity control throughout the entire process can herbal quality be effectively safeguarded during warehousing. While June brought sweltering heat to Wanzhou, the scene inside Yundou Health's Southwest Center presented a stark contrast.Cold air from refrigeration units swiftly isolates external heat sources from warehouse goods. Unlike the outdoor heat, the center warehouse maintains a stable temperature below 20°C. At the receiving platform in front of the center warehouse, staff inspect supplier deliveries according to platform quality standards. Beyond sensory checks, they use thermometers to measure temperatures inside delivery truck compartments. Any non-compliant temperatures result in refusal of entry.
After inspection, boxes of herbal slices are transported by forklift to the high-rack section of the bulk storage area, where they are sorted and placed in designated zones corresponding to their assigned codes. Spanning over 2,000 square meters, the bulk storage holds more than 1,680 storage positions, each equipped with temperature and humidity monitoring systems and indicator lights. This ensures the entire turnover process remains under precise temperature control, enabling meticulous quality management of the herbal slices.
From order placement to warehouse release in as little as 15 minutes
To gain a deeper understanding of the entire process, a reporter placed an order on-site using an administrator account, experiencing firsthand the intelligent efficiency of warehouse response following procurement.
Upon payment completion, the backend system generated an electronic order form displaying the herbal category name, shelf location, and corresponding order number.Upon selecting the order, indicator lights illuminate on the corresponding shelves in the bulk storage area, guiding staff for picking. After sorting, the herbal slices and containers travel via conveyor belt to the product consolidation zone. Verification personnel in the inspection area use handheld RF scanners to cross-check items. Once the order is confirmed accurate, it is packed into boxes and labeled with a unique "ID tag" containing the destination information.The package is then conveyed onto a high-speed conveyor belt, sorted by size into designated collection points, and finally transferred seamlessly via conveyor to transport vehicles for nationwide distribution.
Based on order placement and outbound processing times, this shipment took approximately 15 minutes from system receipt through warehouse sorting, verification, and packing. The outbound zone processing added 2 minutes, resulting in a total warehouse-to-outbound cycle of 15-20 minutes. This multi-threaded synchronization significantly boosted order fulfillment efficiency.
No Efficiency, No E-commerce: The Appeal of Yundou Health's Smart Warehousing
From a bird's-eye view of the entire workspace, intelligent equipment—including stackers, conveyors, and electric forklifts—operates seamlessly with varying functions and characteristics, collaborating with staff to handle processes like goods receiving, shelving, placement, and outbound shipping.The supply zone employs a serialized circulation line with multiple high-speed manual supply stations for efficient operation, ensuring the entire warehouse runs orderly and guarantees "zero handling, zero errors, zero damage" for all incoming and outgoing products.
According to relevant personnel, this seemingly chaotic yet methodical flow relies entirely on the intelligent brain behind it—the WMS (Warehouse Management System). Under this system, the task status of intelligent equipment within the warehouse and the execution status of platform orders are clearly visible at a glance. Additionally, metrics such as the number of outbound user orders and the progress of outbound orders in the outbound area can be monitored and optimized in real time.Compared to traditional warehouses, the central warehouse now achieves a 50% year-on-year increase in operational efficiency. This not only ensures the quality of herbal slices but also reduces labor costs, fully embodying the profound principle that "e-commerce thrives on efficiency."
The advent of smart warehousing has transformed not only the traditional warehousing and distribution model but also reshaped the development landscape of the e-commerce industry. It is foreseeable that only e-commerce platforms supported by efficient warehousing, distribution, and logistics systems can achieve more stable and sustainable growth.Leveraging information-driven logistics warehousing and innovative technologies, Yun Dou Health will deepen its smart supply chain development. Centered on the Southwest Hub Warehouse, it will establish a nationwide network of touchpoints. By continuously iterating and innovating around user needs, it aims to deliver faster, better, and more personalized one-stop herbal slice procurement services.