Day: 22 July 2020

A customised IT solution in vehicle logistics from software provider INFORM for ASB Logistics has been awarded the highest possible funding of the EU subsidized Digital Bonus Bavaria. The application aims at end-to-end control and optimisation of all transport and workshop processes. ASB digitises all its processes to ensure that in its volatile business environment it can always reliably and flexibly respond to any customer inquiries.

The new system offers continuous, real-time transparency of all transports, vehicles, components, personnel, and orders. In addition, intelligent algorithms based on operations research and artificial intelligence control and optimise operational processes in all phases of the storage, workshop, and transport process in ASB’s 100-plus-employee operation.

ASB transports and modifies around 60,000 vehicles and vehicle parts every year. These include new and used cars, but also special transports of mobile homes, tractors, and boats, as well as construction and agricultural machinery, and even unusual special transports. “Our system schedules all known orders and puts the individual work steps into concrete, optimized sequences so that ASB can use its existing capacities to the best possible extent,” says Hartmut Haubrich, Director Vehicle Logistics Systems at INFORM, explaining the system’s main functions.
20 to 30 times faster processes

“INFORM helps us to better structure the processes and procedures in our logistics center with less organisation,” says Christian Binder, managing director of ASB Logistics for 14 years. “If an automobile manufacturer calls at 5 p.m. because they spontaneously want to place 1,000 new vehicles on a car terminal and possibly even have them refitted with additional components, we will have a solution the very same day. This flexibility is what sets us apart. In order to cope with our growing order load, I would have had to hire three new employees just to deal with the bureaucracy, which we now handle automatically. We are 20 to 30 times faster than before.”

State Funding for Pioneering Work
The joint project was supported with a maximum grant of €50,000 from the Digital Bonus of the European Union, which was approved by the state of Bavaria. This program promotes regional initiatives for digitization and thereby supports the long-term viability of local businesses. The development and application phase lasted a good year. Since November 2019, the overall solution has been in use at ASB with outstanding results. The digital bonus was paid out in March 2020, but the cooperation does not end there. In the future, the overall solution is to be expanded to include planning and optimisation of all transports as well as machine-learning functionalities that will make planning even more precise.

Logistics software specialist inconso, part of the Körber group of supply chain businesses, is implementing Zalando’s logistics centre in Lodz, Poland with highly automated system components for managing IT processes.

The logistics centre was equipped with a four-aisle shuttle for over 6,000 containers and 35 km of conveyor technology. inconsoWCS (Warehouse Control System) is inconso’s innovative solution for controlling logistics and proof of the company’s expertise in seamless integration. The solution enables supplier-independent material flow control and comprehensive optimization strategies for dynamic internal transport control, interleaving or the sequencing of partial orders. In addition, inconsoWCS creates modern technology standards for the processing approximately 1.7 million telegrams per hour in order to fulfill the demanding logistic processing requirements of e-commerce.

“On our 130,000 m² premises, we need powerful solutions for smooth logistics processing,” Rudolf Pulkenat, Lead Warehouse Facilities Engineering at Zalando, emphasizes. “We found a suitable partner in inconso to help us implement a system with synchronized components that interact in complex ways. The implementation of modern solutions like inconsoWCS enables us to respond to growing logistics challenges.

The growing demand for alternative power solutions continues to drive evolution. This sparks opportunities to find new solutions and gains in product design. The new Yale ERP25-30VLL Series counterbalance forklift truck is engineered around an integrated lithium-ion battery, enabling space in the operator cabin to be optimised.

The Yale ERP25-30VLL Series offers all the benefits of lithium-ion power in a counterbalance truck: its fully-integrated battery requires zero maintenance, while opportunity charging enables the truck to complete a dual-shift operation without having to remove and replace its battery, unlike a conventional lead-acid based solution.

As the truck has been designed around the power source, the additional gains made in the operator compartment puts the ERP25-30VLL at the forefront of innovation in the materials handling industry.

Focus on ergonomics
The integrated lithium-ion battery sits low within the ERP25-30VLL truck. As a result, the truck enjoys ergonomic features that benefit the operator, which in turn enables high productivity.

The large open compartment maximises comfort and convenience, such as additional foot space and leg room. A low seat and floor plate in the ERP25-30VLL allows easy access to and from the truck, while creating additional head clearance. The extra space allows the truck to be fitted with comfortable seat options, such as air suspension, while the truck’s low centre of gravity brings enhanced drive quality and truck handling in corners.

Flexibility of operations
Customers with medium to heavy duty applications can benefit from the charging flexibility of the ERP25-30VLL. Its lithium-ion power is a good choice for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries, where clean operations are essential, as no emissions are given off in the charging process.

The ERP25-30VLL can also be used in temperature controlled environments, such as cold-stores, down to -20°C ambient temperature. As the lithium-ion battery is directly connected to the telemetry system, it can adjust its performance based on its operating environment. The in-built heater keeps the battery’s temperature above 0°C while charging.

Ivor Wilkinson, Solutions Manager at Yale said: “Our new fully-integrated lithium-ion truck showcases the innovative vision of Yale to develop the future of motive power. The ERP25-30VLL offers all the benefits of lithium-ion power: high efficiency, charging flexibility, zero maintenance. It embraces technology that enhances our customers’ productivity while keeping operations costs low. We believe it is a powerful addition to our product range.”

While supply chain organizations deal with the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, they still pursue gender equality goals. According to Gartner, Inc.’s 2020 Women in Supply Chain Survey among 177 supply chain professionals, 17% of chief supply chain officers (CSCOs) are now women – a 6% increase compared to 2019 and the highest rate since the first edition of the survey in 2016.

“The increase in women executive leaders over the past year is a positive sign, however the survey showed that women don’t consistently make it through the pipeline,” said Dana Stiffler, vice president analyst with the Gartner Supply Chain Practice. “Lack of progress is not something the industry can afford at the moment. Supply chain’s role in the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent recovery is crucial, with lives and livelihoods at stake. This is a pivotal time for many women in midlevel and senior management positions.”

Compared to 2019, there are proportionally fewer women at the vice president and director levels (see Figure 1). In 2020, 63% of respondents do have active goals, objectives or initiatives to recruit women and build pipelines, but Ms. Stiffler said it takes years for this activity to strengthen pipelines. This dynamic also contributes to representation of women in the total supply chain workforce remaining unchanged at 39% year over year.

Consumer Goods & Retail Organizations Lead the Way

At 25%, consumer goods and retail supply chain organizations’ representation of women at vice president level is nearly twice that of industrial organizations (13%). One reason for this development is that 55% of industrial organizations prefer a science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) degree for senior hires, compared to 39% of consumer organizations. As women are less likely to have a STEM background than men, they are also less likely to be hired for senior supply chain roles in industrial organizations.

“Another notable difference between industrial and consumer/retail supply chain organizations is goal setting. Consumer and retail organizations were more than twice as likely to have formal targets and specific goals in management scorecards for gender diversity,” Ms. Stiffler added.

Pipeline Planning is Key

Until recently, gender-focused inclusion and diversity initiatives focused mostly on employee resource groups and women’s leadership development programs. While organizations still value those initiatives, they have found that improved pipeline planning and management is a key factor for attracting and retaining diverse talent in leadership positions.

“Not a single respondent cited employee resource groups as a top action for progressing women to senior leadership roles in supply chain. Leadership development programs or improved work-life balance also didn’t make the list. However, 21% claim that integrated pipeline planning is their best approach. This reinforces what we have found over the years: The right place to focus for diverse senior leadership is the pipeline and the decisions that support it,” Ms. Stiffler concluded.

Methodology

Between January and February Gartner’s 2020 Women in Supply Chain Survey gathered data from 177 respondents, primarily in North America. AWESOME partnered with Gartner to develop the survey and recruit participants. Qualified participants worked in organizations that have an internal supply chain organization or in organizations where supply chain is a separate business unit, specialty or practice area, or those who are vendors of supply chain services and solutions. Organizations also had to have a minimum of $100 million in annual revenue.