Fully Automated Picking at MS Direct: What Robots Can Really Do – Live with Sereact

What's it about?

Picking robots are seen as a great hope for order fulfillment: they are expected to offset the shortage of skilled workers, increase throughput, and make processes more efficient. But how well does this actually work – in practice, with real products and real requirements?

In the Webinar, Marc Messerli from MS Direct shares an honest account of his own experiences: the fulfillment service provider uses picking robots from Sereact in live operations – and openly discusses what works well, where challenges arise, and what you absolutely need to keep in mind. Together with Tom Walther from Sereact, he talks about the hurdles encountered during implementation, surprising real-world learnings, and realistic expectations for fully automated order picking.

This Webinar is part of the series "How to Optimize Your Order Picking". 

More events from this series:

• Faster and Error-Free Picking: How Ergonomic Wearables Make Manual Order Picking Smarter – Live with NIMMSTA (Monday, 26 January 2026): Manual picking processes are a reality in many warehouses – and offer enormous optimization potential. NIMMSTA shows how back-of-hand scanners streamline workflows, reduce travel distances, and relieve staff – without any major system overhaul.
• Order Picking with Real-Time Data: How Transparency Makes Your Picking Processes More Efficient – Live with proLogistik (Thursday, 29 January 2026): How can you respond faster to bottlenecks, set the right priorities, and improve your picking performance? proLogistik shows in the Webinar how real-time data helps control picking processes on the fly – rather than analyzing them after the fact.
• AI-Powered Batch Formation: How Orders Are Intelligently Grouped in the WMS – Live with PSI (Friday, 30 January 2026): When order picking slows down, it is often due to poorly structured orders. In the talk with PSI, you will learn how modern WMS systems use AI to automate batch formation – shortening pick paths, making better use of resources, and noticeably relieving pressure on your warehouse.

Why you should attend

• You are considering automating (part of) your picking processes
• You want to know whether robots would be suitable for your product range
• You are looking for a realistic picture beyond polished sales pitches

What you will take away from the talk

• How MS Direct manages the use of picking robots in day-to-day warehouse operations
• Which items can (and cannot) be picked automatically – and why
• How much preparation is needed for robots to operate reliably
• Which success factors were critical during implementation

The Speakers

• Marc Messerli, VP Automation & Innovation at MS Direct
• Tom Walther, Partner Director at Sereact
• Moderator: Andreas Löwe, Founder of even