Hydac International GmbH, Sulzbach/Saar, wanted to achieve complete transparency regarding the costs and stocks of its own loading equipment and customer containers in order to uncover potential for improvement and reduce logistics costs. This was achieved thanks to container management software from EURO-LOG.
The creation of a central container pool for the standardised management of all containers was an important basis for greater transparency regarding the Group's own pallet cages, small load carriers (SLCs) and pallets, as the containers were managed in many different systems. The Harmonisation of logistics processes of the various plants should enable a neutral assessment. The use of mobile devices was planned for incoming goods in order to automate manual data entry processes.
Comprehensive container movements with triangular relationships could not be mapped in the existing systems. There was no clarity about container costs, stocks, routes and connections between the individual Hydac branches and the partners involved. This led to unnecessary storage costs, as there was unutilised stock and, on the other hand, containers, for example thousands of small load carriers (SLCs), had to be purchased frequently every year. In addition, there was a high shrinkage of pallet cages and other container types.
Sought and found
To the Requirement profile The key features of the new solution included a web-based, intuitive tool, the mapping of internal and external container cycles, the automation of container bookings, the connection to customer portals as well as a high degree of flexibility and further development options. EURO-LOG's container management system maps cross-company container movements, offers real-time access for all partners, integrates mobile solutions such as the digital pen or apps, helps to minimise container losses and purchases, integrates customer and supplier systems and is future-proof thanks to the integration of RFID, for example.
The solution in practice
Thanks to the web-based solution, the various Hydac plants have access to All container data in a centralised system that maps the container movements of Hydac, its suppliers, customers and logistics service providers. Inventories, container costs and movements are transparent for all parties involved. in real time available. Throughput times and dwell times of the containers can be tracked transparently for all exchange partners. Only the load carriers actually used are booked so that process deviations are immediately recognised. Hydac's suppliers and logistics service providers are actively involved in the process: they have access to the tool and can book containers. Thanks to the standardised container management system, the company is now able to track the relevant Comprehensive control and evaluation of logistics processes. The loss of containers and the purchase of new containers could thus be sustainably reduced.
Integration of mobile devices
In goods receipt, the integration of the Digital pen processes are considerably simplified and shortened. The completed paper forms no longer have to be scanned manually, but are automatically transferred and archived electronically. Thanks to character recognition, the digital pen reads the completed forms. In future, mobile devices will also be compatible with the Container management app (BMS app) is used to further automate and thus simplify processes.
„The combination of container management and digital pen has significantly shortened our administrative processes,“ says Thomas Kraft, Head of Logistics at Hydac Verwaltung GmbH.
Automated synchronisation with supplier portals
The company exchanges a wide variety of container types in cooperation with its customers. For some of these customers, container booking in their portals is a requirement. Previously, this was a manual process that took a lot of time. Thanks to state-of-the-art agent technology, the Supplier portals from some major customers connected. The mandatory daily booking of the correct number of bins can now be automated with the bin management system. All partners see the same data and have a common database. Differences in the accounts are displayed directly and can be reconciled directly in the system, which enables partnership-based cooperation with the exchange partners.
[infotext icon]IT service provider EURO-LOG headquartered in Hallbergmoos-Munich, offers the shipping industry solutions such as supply chain management, transport, container and time slot management. The company was founded in 1992 as a joint venture between Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom and Digital Equipment. In 1997 the company became a „people owned company“ and developed into one of the leading providers of IT and process integration.
