Case Study
Leading system provider in the supply and disposal industry with 10 warehouse locations from Hamburg to North Rhine-Westphalia
Industry: Utilities and waste disposal industry
Goal: Digitization of all warehouse logistics processes through the introduction of online MDE devices.
Keywords: WMS, MDE devices, warehouse management, barcode scanner
Our software:
- MX Mobile
Advantages:
- Savings of approx. 100000 sheets of paper per year.
- Error rates in order picking have been reduced to almost “0”
- Up-to-date information available at all times
Initial situation: Paper-based stock management often led to picking errors
EBERO has around 10 warehouse locations from North Rhine-Westphalia to Hamburg. These are high-bay warehouses with pallet spaces and pallet cages as well as external warehouses for bulky long goods. Previously, the warehouses were managed by printing out documents in the warehouse, ticking off the document items and then recording the movements in the ERP system. Among other things, this led to errors during picking when very similar but incorrect items were picked, as well as to inaccuracies in the stock information due to the time-delayed postings. In addition, there were very few control options for management to evaluate the efficiency of the logistics processes.
Introduction of MDE devices at 10 warehouse locations
The implementation took place in several steps: as soon as a sub-area (e.g. incoming goods with determination of the optimum storage location) was programmed, this functional area was tested together with the customer. This made it possible to react to incorrectly defined requirements or programming at an early stage.
In iterative steps, the digitized processes were first rolled out completely in the main warehouse at the headquarters location. Following the successful test operation, the company's IT department rolled out the system to the other locations with the help of the documentation created. Today, around 40 scanners are permanently in use at the sites.
Challenges when switching to MDE devices
The WLAN coverage in the storage areas posed technical challenges. As the WLAN radiation is strongly shielded due to the metal structures of the high racks. This also affected the scanner hardware. To improve reception, the devices had to be enlarged by expanding the main memory.
There were organizational challenges in the analysis of the warehouse processes down to the last detail. It was necessary to respond to some very individual requirements. For example, the function “automatic task distribution to employees depending on the picks already made” was introduced to ensure a “fair” distribution of work among the warehouse employees.
Last but not least, there were also human challenges: it was necessary to convince the employees in the warehouse that the introduction of scanner-controlled warehouse management would make their daily work easier and not more difficult. It also had to be clearly communicated that there were no plans for extensive control or even a reduction in the number of employees.
Advantages of switching to digital scanner-controlled warehouse management
The scanners have been successfully introduced at all locations. This saves around 100,000 sheets of paper per year. The error rates in order picking and the associated customer complaints have been reduced to almost “0”. Availability information is now available live to the sales department, which means that annoying calls to the warehouse: “Is the material there yet?” are no longer necessary.
More information
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Iptor multiflex is a business application developed by Iptor Austria GmbH, formerly known as POLLEX-LC Software GmbH. Since 1982, we have been a trusted provider and manufacturer of ERP software solutions tailored to small and medium-sized trading companies, with or without manufacturing operations. As the leading experts in this field, our focus on customer orientation and flexible solutions have earned us a well-respected reputation. Our commitment to putting the customer first is proven daily, with our motto "The customer is the most important person in the company" being the driving force behind our customer contact. It’s no surprise that our high level of customer satisfaction has been consistently demonstrated in ERP satisfaction studies, and we’re proud to say that our loyal customers have placed their trust in us for many years.
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