In order for orders placed on our site to arrive safely, Hast can count on the services of a logistics preparation center. This is a pivotal location that takes care of receiving a large part of the products manufactured in our workshops and then packs and packages them so that they arrive in style at your home, in your mailbox or on your doorstep.
This center is located in the middle of the Burgundy countryside, near the small town of Semur-en-Auxois. It is a center occupied by about fifteen preparers, as we call them, responsible for managing some 100,000 products, ours, as well as those of a whole bunch of other brands, mostly clothing. These people are the men and women in the shadows who are rarely thought of when it comes to imagining the journey of an item. They are essential because they ensure the movement of things, in a continuous flow. Jordan, 29, is one of them.
How did you become a logistics preparer?
In high school, I got a bachelor's degree in science and technology in life agronomy, which is particularly aimed at careers in agriculture. But instead, I very quickly became a worker in a factory that made steam generator tubes. I worked there for seven years, the last three of which were as a manager. Then I decided to leave the company. My former workshop manager then called me to tell me that he was working in an order preparation warehouse. I sent my CV and I was hired. That's how I ended up here, in Semur-en-Auxois.
What setting do you work in?
It is a huge 3,500 square meter warehouse located in an industrial area. When you enter here, the first thing you see are the preparation tables and, on the side, the office station dedicated to relations with our different customers. We are surrounded by products to prepare and send. Each sector of the warehouse corresponds to a customer, a brand. Today, within the company, let's say that I am a link in the chain and that it is a big well-oiled chain. Everyone knows exactly what their job is and knows what the other has to do. It runs smoothly!
So what are the different stages of preparing an order?
Early in the morning, we do a computer summary of all the orders, by brand, that were placed the day before for the same day. This allows us to know how many products need to be entered into our stocks during the day. We can thus define a preparation time slot for each brand. At the same time, we collect the products in various storage areas using a trolley. This is what we call "picking". We then have to check the order by scanning the product, using a sort of electronic gun.
For every order, I can't help but imagine the customer who is waiting for it, the life he has. It's natural. If I see an address by the sea, I like to think of an elegant person, who dresses tastefully, walking on the beach.
The next step is preparing the packaging. This varies from brand to brand. Some require their product to be wrapped in tissue paper; others like to add a small thank-you card or sticker to the package. The packaging process takes place at a table where a pair of preparers work. One takes care of the documents related to the product, and the other is in charge of the packaging. Once ready, the order is placed on postal carts, at least for Colissimo packages. Separate locations exist for Chronopost and DHL and other services other than La Poste.
Is there a special technique for packaging products?
We don't use machines. Everything is done by hand. In fact, there are natural reflexes in the way we handle products, like a kind of mimicry. We always take the box with our left hand and put it on our right so that when the product is finished being packed, it will be as close as possible to the box. This is the kind of detail that allows us to make as few gestures as possible while saving time. In our company, one person has already processed 240 packages in one day. This is a record that has stood for a very long time.
Do you ever let your imagination run wild when you take on a particular order?
For each order, I can't help but imagine the customer waiting for it, the life they have. It's natural. If I see an address by the sea, I like to think of an elegant person, who dresses tastefully, walking on the beach. Over all these years, we have really sent packages all over France and abroad. What surprises me the most is when it is an address located not far from our warehouse, as if we were preparing our neighbor's package. In this case, I always wonder if I didn't meet the recipient at the market on Sunday morning.
Are some orders impressive?
Sometimes you have to deal with ten shirts, or ten pairs of pants, at once. And every time, I tell myself that a good portion of the pieces will end up coming back to us. This happens often: people order a lot to be sure they bought the right cut, the right size. The rest, they send back. It never fails.
What is your relationship with clothing?
Fashion doesn't really appeal to me! I like nice shirts, polo shirts, but generally I wear everyday clothes. At the warehouse, I have a fleece with the company logo. And gloves , and safety shoes, when necessary.
What would you like to say to all those people who receive letters that you make in the shadows every day?
What is annoying about our work is that we never get any feedback. I don't know if what I do pleases the customer, if he likes the packaging, if he is ever surprised... I would like that to be the case.
The stories of Hast and Bourgogne Direct Logistics are intrinsically linked since our respective adventures started almost at the same time, we were their first customer. We are proud to work with a company whose human and environmental values have continued to evolve over the years. Today, our partner has succeeded in being a carbon neutral company by offsetting its emissions and using 100% recyclable cardboard, 70% of which comes from recycled materials (the remaining 30% comes from responsible forests) and you benefit from it.
NB: We would like to thank Jordan, Martin, Guillaume and the entire team for the professionalism and responsiveness they have shown in recent months.