Increased storage capacity, shorter travel paths and new technologies

Approximately seven pallets with products are shipped every week from Zeulenroda, Germany to Oberrohrdorf in Switzerland. Bauerfeind Switzerland has its own storage facilities there. To allow larger product volumes to reach customers from this warehouse in the future, the storage capacities and logistics processes are undergoing systematic improvements since late 2022. An overview of the latest developments at the subsidiary:

Thanks to this warehouse it is possible for customers in Switzerland who order products from the Swiss stock range by 1:30 p.m. to receive their orders on the following day Because Switzerland is not part of the EU, this would only be possible to a limited extent and at considerable expense without a warehouse.

An expansion of the Swiss stock range is being reviewed for the future. To this end, storage capacities need to be better utilized and processes need to be optimized or digitalized. No sooner said than done: In November 2022, seven staff members met on site to redesign the shelf and storage systems in great detail and to shorten travel paths by rearranging the space. The result is plain to see. Workspaces were moved and openings were created in shelf systems so that employees can reach the products more quickly. In addition, more products fit in the new shelf arrangement.

New technology and new processes

Furthermore, an IT and logistics team in Zeulenroda is working with the staff in Switzerland to accelerate and digitalize the warehousing and dispatch process. When it comes to technology, experiences gained at the company headquarters and from affiliate company Berkemann are being harnessed and adapted to the requirements in Switzerland: Many elements in the incoming goods process that were previously handled manually and registered on paper will be made easier and faster with new mobile devices. “The storage spaces can be scanned in on site and can then be found directly in the system in a transparent manner. For this purpose, the IT infrastructure in the warehouse is also being reconstructed,” explains Holger Wohlrabe from the IT department, who is supervising the transition along with a project team. The plan is also to improve dispatch handling in the future. An interface with the Swiss postal service was established in the SAP system which sends already-finished labels to the warehouse – organizational and technical changes that facilitate everyday business and pave the way for even more efficient work processes.