Learn everything about our three strategic areas for a more efficient logis
tics system. And meet the three new teams.
Read more on page 5
LFS.academy, LFS.crm and LFS.consulting.
LFS.oculus3D: Record master data in less than 60 secondsTE
CHNO
LOGY
Place item, scan it, record mas
ter data: That’s how easy the pro
cess of item identification is with
the newly developed LFS.oculus3D
from the Ehrhardt + Partner Group.
In less than 60 seconds, the inte
grated cameras scan the products
below them and record all impor
tant master data such as the length,
width, height, volume and weight. A
mathematical fingerprint also en
sures that the items are recognized
by the system later, without time
consu ming, manual searching or
entering of item numbers. One hun
dred percent security at low process
costs is the result. The recording and
identification system is a product of
the scientific cooperation with the
University of Coblenz. The techno
logical innovation LFS.oculus3D is
uniquely in use in this manner at the
Ehrhardt + BOMAG Logistics (EBL)
logistics center.
Correct master data is the basis of all warehouse processes.
Since the data recorded by both the
manufacturer and manually are often
incorrect or incomplete, the in-house
development, LFS.oculus3D, offers
users decisive benefits. Once recor-
ded, the program ensures the item
can later be easily found in the ware-
house and identified. LFS.oculus3D
solves the complicated and fault-laden
manual master data recording such as
weighing and measuring items and en-
tering the item numbers and provides
mathematically precise results. Very
delicate parts are also identified by the
camera. The dimensions that can be
recorded by the current development
model are, maximum, 60 x 40 x 27 cm
up to a weight of approximately 32 kg.
Both can be expanded, depending on
the customer requirements by simply
adjusting the optical properties of the
camera and the casing geometry which
E+P can implement as needed.
Continuation on page 6
A team consisting of more than
300 motivated minds! You can learn
more about the opportunities we
offer our employees …… on page 6.
Who is really behind E+P?
… on page 7.
LFS manages more than 3 million parts with 140,000 variants on a logistics
area of 80,000 m² at the new central warehouse. You can read more about
this gigantic project …
With LFS, Fiege is sprinting into the future of logistics for SportScheck:
The customer magazine of the Ehrhardt + Partner Group 11th edition
How to find one item
among 50,000?
Manual recording is a thing of the past!
School partnership:E+P supports the KantGymnasium in Boppard
Since 2012, E+P has maintained a
close partnership with the Kant-Gym-
nasium in Boppard. The goal: To
support the robotics club which the
school initiated for pupils with an in-
terest in technology. At the end of the
year, E+P donated € 500, so a total of
nine LEGO™ Mindstorms Evolution3
robotics systems could be construct-
ed. The pupils are not only extremely
well-equipped for the regional com-
petition, the First LEGO League, but
also get to know the exciting world of
technology. Perhaps they are the E+P
trainees of the future?
Strikes after work
If you go to the Pin-up bowling al-
ley in Coblenz, you’re certain to run
into a logistics specialist from E+P.
Since last summer, the company
has been practicing regularly to get
as many consecutive strikes as they
can. Whole company-internal teams
have since been formed. No wonder,
since at the last Christmas party,
they played for it all. Which team ulti-
mately won the competition? We will
gladly tell you at our next personal
meeting.
From theory to practice
For the logistics masters students at
the FH Münster, theory and practice
go hand-in-hand. At the end of Oc-
tober, the chair therefore organized
an excursion to E+P for the 1st and
3rd semester students. While they
were there, they not only visited the
logistics center, Ehrhardt + BOMAG
Logistic (EBL), the students were also
able to test different technologies
themselves at our training logistics
center (IAW).
2
320,000 tons of products per year –BMI optimizes logistics processes with LFS.
++ News +++ News +++ NewCA
SE S
TUDY
A central warehouse management
system for all new production sites:
This was the initial requirement of
the Bayerische Milchindustrie eG
(BMI) when they began searching for
a suitable warehouse management
software provider. The objective was
not only to establish a uniform, com
panywide warehouse management
system, but also to ensure the ne
cessary transparency within the en
tire product chain for sensitive prod
ucts. The producer of different fresh
dairy products, cheese and dry milk
products found the optimal solution
with the LFS warehouse manage
ment system from E+P: The software
accelerates the production output
considerably, reduces the ware
house inventory levels and ensures
that the strict criteria pertaining to
expiration dates for fresh products
are complied with. The entire ware
house inventory was significantly
reduced with the help of LFS and the
m a t e r i a l
flow was
optimized.
W h e t h e r
mozzarel la,
fruit yogurt or
milk powder:
BMI’s production runs continuously in
order to reliably supply the regional
and national supermarkets and proces-
sors with fresh products. In addition to
longer-term orders, several customers
obtain the goods immediately from the
production site without an intermediate
stop at the warehouse. For instance, up
to 700 vehicles are processed at the
Würzburg site per month, which re-
sults in shipments amounting to approx.
100,000 tons of goods per year. “By
implementing the warehouse manage-
ment system, we were able to ramp up
our production. That means we process
more orders with the same number of
employees,” explains Hartmut Glücker,
Director of Internal Logistics at BMI.
“The warehouse inventory level was
also reduced from approximately 120
to 80 percent.” Before, the problem was
that, among other things, the pallets
were not stored optimally or were in the
wrong place.
Hartmut Glücker became aware of the
warehouse management system LFS
several years ago. Back then, he vi-
sited the Logistik Informationstage (LIT
(Logistics Symposium)), at Ehrhardt +
Partner held every year at the in-house
logistics training center in Boppard-
Buchholz. “After that day, I was certain,
fairly quickly, that the warehouse man-
agement system was the right solution
for us,” Glücker recalls. “The software
is capable of illustrating our process-
es precisely. Beyond that, LFS is also
equipped for the future as we can easily
make adjustments or flexibly connect
new modules, de-
pending on
how our
business de-
velops.” The
primary require-
ment of the BMI was
to introduce a com-
plete solution at the indi-
vidual sites with regard to both
the software and the necessary hard-
ware. In addition to LFS, E+P delivered
all hand-helds and forklift terminals in
use with the user interface iBrowser.
This ensures intuitive and comfortable
control of all processes in the ware-
house.
Nearly 200,000 picksper month
With three locations in Germany for
fresh production, four for dry produc-
tion and four for cheese production,
BMI is one of the most important dairy
companies in the country. Würzburg is
home to the largest production site for
fresh goods such as milk, cream, yogurt,
coffee drinks and deserts. This site re-
ceives up to 2,500 orders per month; for
the order pickers, this results in up to
200,000 picks per month. The in-house
production department continuously de-
livers fresh goods on conveyor belts to
the neighboring warehouse. There, the
pallets are recorded and a label is
attached. With the help of LFS,
the goods are optimized with re-
gard to travel path and space and
brought to the storage space by the
employees. “LFS now also handles
the selection logistics, which means
the goods are stored based on expir-
ation date and shipped out accord-
ingly,” explains Glücker. “Before, our
employees had to search for the pallets
with the next-closest expiration date
and decide whether these goods fulfill
the customers’ requirements. With LFS,
we only need a few hand movements.”
But not every product is stored before
it is picked up. If a customer requests
goods produced on short notice, the
storage process is circumvented, the
pallets are accordingly directly assigned
to the order at outgoing goods and load-
ed onto the waiting truck. In other cases,
the BMI employees pick the products to
be removed using a hand scanner. LFS
then calculates the respective shortest
route by consolidating the items. Finally,
every pallet receives a label and is then
loaded.
Transparency throughoutthe entire process
chain Sensitive products require
sensitive handling – BMI places great
value on compliance with hygiene and
quality standards. Gapless traceability
is also equally as important as trans-
parency throughout the entire process
chain. LFS records every step of the
fresh
products
to be stored at tem-
peratures between
4 °C and 8 °C from the
production department through
to delivery at the final customer’s loca-
tion. “With the E+P solution, we have
introduced a central system that se-
cures the actual warehouse inventory
and precisely documents the individual
warehouse movements,” says Hartmut
Glücker. “This is especially important
in the sales departments as they work
with the current warehouse inventory
and accept orders.”
Equipped for the futureAfter a short training period and inten-
sive training for the warehouse person-
nel by E+P during real operations, BMI is
now working reliably and autonomously
with LFS at six locations. Currently, the
company is planning to connect four ad-
ditional cheese production sites to the
warehouse management system. To this
end, for instance, the existing hardware
resources, such as an automatic scale
with a communication interface to LFS
will be implemented. In addition, each
BMI site has a maintenance warehouse
with all replacement parts for the dai-
ly dairy production operation. They are
also scheduled to be connected to the
E+P solution in the future.
Bayerische Milchindustrie eG (BMI) – all the variety made of good milk
The Bayerische Milchindustrie eG (BMI) is an association that creates enjoy
ment and stands for sustainable success. Its guiding principle, “The Best Milk
Ideas” stands for the best quality, responsibly produced milk and innovative
product ideas.
With highly modern technologies and optimized, environmentallyfriendly
work processes, BMI is in high demand as a partner in Germany and on inter
national markets. The association is one of the largest milk powder manufac
turers in Germany and the largest provider of organic dairy products world
wide. In addition, fresh products such as yogurt, butter and cream as well as
cheese such as sliced cheese, hard cheese, mozzarella and blue cheese are
the pillars of the business.
© B
MI
© v
olff
/ww
w.fo
tolia
.de
3
Ehrhardt + Partner positioned in Gartner Magic Quadrant for Warehouse Management Systems
LFS for Callius – six weeks to the optimal picking solution with E+P
NEW
SCA
SE S
TUDY
“As the first German software provider for ware-
house management systems, we were listed in
the Gartner Magic Quadrant. Our positioning is
an indication of the extremely high acceptance
of LFS on the international logistics market. We
are especially delighted to see the high degree
of customer satisfaction with regard to our ware-
house management system. This shows that we
are on the right path with placing the focus on our
customers’ requirements.
E+P supports their customers (and not only those in Germany) during the entire
project implementation phase and beyond. Also for international roll-outs, we
support them as consultants, solution providers and reliable partners. Please do
not hesitate to contact us.”
Marco Ehrhardt, managing partner of Ehrhardt + Partner
Ehrhardt + Partner (E+P) has been
evaluated in the Magic Quadrant for
warehouse management systems
(WMS) published 30 September 2014
by the IT advisory company Gartner
Inc. The internationally renowned
technology research and advisory
company evaluates annually ware
house management systems in the
global market considering sev
eral factors. E+P with their LFS
integrated logistics platform is the
first German provider specialized
in logistics solutions that has ever
been listed in this Magic Quadrant.
Every year, Gartner performs a pro vider
analysis and a market survey in the
area of warehouse management sys-
tems. E+P is the first German software
provider specialized in WMS ever to be
listed in the Gartner Magic Quadrant.
The Quadrant evaluates the positions
of different providers within the market
of WMS. The logistics market demands
The logistics service provider Callius
restructured the entire warehouse
organization for its customer, Fond
of Bags GmbH, the manufacturer
of the ergonomic school backpack
brands, ergobag and pingpong. The
requirements: simplified handling of
the items when picking, efficient re
duction of the picking errors and a
high level of flexibility under strongly
fluctuating daily business conditions
with collection and seasonal changes.
A logistics package from Ehrhardt +
Partner (E+P) was selected, consist
ing of the PickManager LFS.pm for
voicecontrolled picking and the ISS
module (integrated shipping system).
In addition to the creation of ship
ping labels, this also ensures gapless
tracking and tracing of all orders and
thus a high level of transparency in
the shipping process. As a result,
the paperbased picking process is
replaced and the reliability of order
processing is significantly increased.
School backpacks, school satchels
and other accessories for the per-
ever increasing functionality coupled
with innovation. Mature, proven, broad
and deep WMS are in demand. LFS from
E+P can scale to support very complex
warehouse environments including
highly automated facilities due to the
fully integrated module Material Flow
Controller LFS.mfc. LFS has shown its
industry flexibility by being one of the
most used systems by leading logistics
service providers (3PLs) worldwide.
High customer satisfaction, power of innovation and own logistics center
E+P has been working closely with
customers like Rossmann, DHL or
Fiege for decades proving a high level
fect school day are
stored at the Callius
facility in Bergheim.
In the framework of
the restructuring,
the objective was
to find a modern
system that signi-
ficantly increases
the traceability of
the order processing
and the picking out-
put. Within only six
weeks, E+P implemented the picking
manager LFS.pm, a software solution
especially for voice-controlled picking.
For the first time, the company installed
voice devices from the manufacturer
Topsystem. This excellent cooperation
will be continued in further projects.
In a first step, the complete warehouse
layout, with 8,000 pallets and 20,000
compartments, was adapted to the soft-
ware logic. This included, for instance,
replacing all of the labels on the storage
spaces and the system-side reorgani-
zation of the in-house WMS. “We chose
of quality and reliability in the high end
of the WMS marketplace. The compa-
ny runs its own logistics center, the
EBL – Ehrhardt + BOMAG Logistics,
which also serves as a research and
innovation center for testing in-house
developments. Last but not least,
E+P works closely with science and
research institutes, such as the ITL,
the Institute for Technical Solutions
in Logistics. This institute examines
technical components and their future
integration as new solutions for ware-
house logistics.
For further information about the magic
quadrant and E+P please contact us at
the PickManager from E+P because we
not only wanted to design our picking
process more efficiently, we also want-
ed to profit from the modular set-up
of the solution. We are now capable of
connecting further logistics modules
within the warehouse management
system as needed, using the PickMan-
ager as a basis,” Tobias Knopp, Project
Manager at Callius explains the choice
for the LFS.pm software solution.
“In our strongly fluctuating daily busi-
ness environment, with collection and
seasonal changes, we are able to stay
flexible and can always adapt our logis-
tics to the current demands.” Previous-
Results at a glance
Thanks to the use of LFS.pm, Callius can now process their orders
faster and more efficiently.
In addition, the replacement of paperbased picking allows a higher
process security in order processing.
In the peak season or when changing collections, Callius remains
extremely flexible thanks to LFS.pm.
The modular design of the solution allows Callius to add further
logistics modules within the warehouse management system as
required.
Disclaimer
Gartner does not endorse any vendor,
product or service depicted in its re-
search publications, and does not advise
technology users to select only those
vendors with the highest ratings or other
designation. Gartner research publica-
ly, the employees in
the 6,000 m² ware-
house only picked us-
ing pick lists. Callius
GmbH’s other clients
from the financial
sector are also con-
sidering switching to
LFS.pm soon.
Up to 3,500 picks per daySince the commis-
sioning, Callius has been performing
up to 3,500 picks per day with LFS.pm
and thus compiles around 1,700 indi-
vidual packages. This results in a total
volume of 142 euro-pallets per day.
Compiling orders is also significant-
ly easier for the employees now: Due
to the Pick-by-Voice technology, they
tions consist of the opinions of Gartner’s
research organization and should not be
construed as statements of fact. Gartner
disclaims all warranties, expressed or
implied, with respect to this research, in-
cluding any warranties of merchantability
or fitness for a particular purpose.
have both hands free and are, for in-
stance, able to better pick large crates.
Picking errors are efficiently prevented
by using the voice entry and confirma-
tion. The ISS module is used during
packaging: It displays what quantity of
which item is in the package, gener-
ates shipping labels and subsequently
ensures gapless traceability. Thanks
to an integrated weight control sys-
tem, potentially missing quantities are
reduced to a minimum. By pre-cal-
culating the shipping handling units,
the optimum packaging is used for all
orders and partial orders. “E+P is not
just a software and IT expert. The com-
pany comes directly from the logistics
branch and understands our proces-
ses. That is why the logistics package
they offer impressed us immediately,”
Tobias Knopp summarizes.
© ergobag
4
Warehouse Hardware + IT Infrastructure
Training+
Seminars
Material FlowController
Transportation Management
Hosting /Cloud / SaaS
Logistics Planning + Consulting
Three solution areas. Three teams. One goal: satisfied customers.
The LFS.academy has a new website: At www.lfs.academy, interested parties can
find, among other things, all of the information about the new training concept and
the course contents as well as an overview of the seminar schedules. The special
feature: By creating a user account once, you can au-
tonomously book the courses you wish to take via the
interactive training calendar. With one click, you can
also see which courses are still available and which
content is still on the agenda.
Come by and have a look!
The logistics market is constant
ly in motion. Customer require
ments change at rapid speeds and
new business models completely
overturn individual branches. To
pics such as multichannel trade
and eCommerce, Industry 4.0 or
the acute lack of specialists in the
logistics and IT sectors are currently
significant in this context. That re
quires new ideas. That is the only
way your company can stay com
petitive longterm. Supporting them
is the objective of our daily trade. We
are therefore constantly further de
veloping our comprehensive range
of solutions.
In this issue of the Warehouse Facts,
we will place our focus on three ser-
vices from our complete solution range:
Warehouse planning and consultation
(LFS.consulting), customer support or
account management (LFS.crm) and
our training services at the LFS.acade-
my. We have expanded these segments
significantly over the last few months
and intertwined them even further in
order to be very well-prepared for cur-
rent developments and your require-
ments today and in the future.
That means, concretely: Due to the even
closer cooperation and expansion of the
teams in all three areas, we can always
react flexibly to changing conditions; re-
gardless of whether the market defines
them or your business model changes.
Together, we analyze the situation and
develop a solution. In the same step, we
can create customized training courses
at the LFS.academy for you in accord-
ance with these requirements. So you
can master the new tasks with confi-
dence. Your personal sparring partner
from the LFS.crm team, and the project
manager, are available to you as a point
of contact throughout the entire project.
Before, during and after the project.
We will continue in this direction in
the future so we can react to changes
at your company early on. On the one
hand, with practical solutions. On the
other hand, with our know-how and ex-
perience from more than 700 completed
projects.
Read everything about these three solu-
tions and please ask about them!
The LFS.academy team (from left to right): Anna Zalewska, Sandra Schwarz, Theresa Frickel, Marco Stenzel, Sabine Peters,
Ines Renz, Lena Weiler and Carsten Henze
IT and logistics specialists are more
in demand than ever, but good soft
ware specialists more and more sel
dom. This is nothing new. But how
can one best counteract this devel
opment? We have the solution at our
LFS.academy.
LFS is in use at more than 700 loca-
tions worldwide. This year alone, E+P
comple ted more than 50 new projects.
The need for software experts familiar
with the current requirements of mo-
dern warehouse management is ac-
cordingly high. The new training con-
cept, the LFS.aca demy fulfills this need.
It was developed for continuous optimi-
zation and based on E+P’s many years of
training and project experience and the
knowledge accor dingly gained. “The goal
is to develop specific knowledge in LFS
by means of detailed and comprehen-
sive training and cover the high demand
for LFS consultants on the market,” ex-
plains Theresa Frickel, Manager of Logis-
tics Training. She continues: “Structu ring
the training courses into logistics and
IT-specific areas and the depth of the in-
dividual topics offers the course partici-
pants the opportunity of concentrating
on a single topic of focus.” For instance
a certain branch with its logistical par-
ticularities for which customized training
packages, precisely tailored to the cus-
tomer’s requirements are incorporated at
the LFS.academy. The overall concept is
comprehensive: The curriculum consists
of five different levels. The three most im-
portant basic courses, elementary, inter-
mediate and professional, build on each
other. From level to level, the instructors
discuss the logistical processes in more
and more detail. Here is an overview:
Elementary: The elementary course is
primarily aimed at logistics specialists
who have never worked with LFS. Con-
veying the basics for using the software
is therefore the primary focus. All logisti-
cal processes are handled step-by-step,
from goods receiving to the picking pro-
cess through to outgoing goods; and this
is reflected in practical exercises. This
way, the participants get to know all of
the warehouse processes using LFS from
the bottom up.
Intermediate: At the intermediate lev-
el, there is a range of additional cours-
es on specific topics such as quality con-
trol, serial number handling, order man-
agement or value added services. Future
warehouse forepersons or department
managers learn everything they need for
their daily work with LFS.
Professional: The participants intensify
their knowledge of the warehouse man-
agement system in this step; the focus
here is primarily on learning the key set-
tings, master data and customizing in
LFS. On the one hand, the particularities
of different branches are discussed, for
instance, the particularities of beverage
logistics, the fashion industry, the auto-
motive industry or logistics services. On
the other hand, there are logistical opti-
mization courses. This means over-arch-
ing topics such as inventory, statistics
and key figures are the focus of these
courses.
Fit for the logistics market.
5
Three solution areas. Three teams. One goal: satisfied customers.
LFS.crm: Your personal point of con
tact, from the start of the project to
going live and beyond. Ehrhardt +
Partner doesn’t abandon its custom
ers after the project has been com
pleted. You profit from the logistics
experts’ knowhow throughout the
entire process chain. For a long
term, cooperative partnership.
Growing with the customer while help-
ing the customer grow: This concept
is the basis for the daily actions of the
E+P Group. We therefore continuously
optimize our customer support. In ad-
dition to the E+P project team, which
is primarily responsible for the smooth
and on-schedule implementation of
your logistical challenges, starting
immediately, a personal point
of contact is available to
every existing or new
customer throughout
the entire project
and after go-
ing live. This
way, for in-
stance, early
change at the
company can
be detected
which may also
impact the logistics. “If the customers
change their strategy, we can immedi-
ately react because we are constantly
in contact,” explains Markus Welz, Key
Account Manager.
In order to promote a con-
tinuous exchange beyond
the individual project
phases, E+P organ-
izes regular LFS
user symposiums
in addition to the
logistics sympo-
sium (LIT). While
at the LIT, new
solutions and
developments in
the logistics market are discussed in
particular, at the user symposium, you,
our customers and partners, are the
focus. Under the motto “From logistics
specialists for logistics specialists”, we
offer you the opportunity to discuss de-
velopment options within your project
with our LFS experts and obtain new
ideas. At the same time, there is also
an opportunity to discuss individual ex-
periences with companies “in the same
branch”.
Together, we create change. We are
your development partner. Please get
in touch with us!
In 2005, we founded our subsidi
ary, Ehrhardt + Partner Consulting
(EPC). The logistics consulting ex
perts’ tasks include consulting on
and planning warehouse and logis
tics systems and modernizing and
optimizing existing systems along
the entire logistical value creation
chain. This offer is supplemented by
the management and control of pro
jects throughout all of the phases:
a comprehensive service package
which we have now optimized for
you again. The team has also ex
panded.
Thus, Marcel Keller has been over-
seeing the further development of the
LFS.consulting department as of this
year. In cooperation with his team, he
consults the customers: from the initial
idea to the concept and implementa-
tion through to after-sales services.
“The need for comprehensive solutions
continues to increase, especially with
regards to the high level of complexity
and the corresponding required inte-
gration capability of logistics systems.
LFS.consulting contributes significantly
toward these developments,” explains
Marcel Keller, Logistics Consultant.
Will reinforce the LFS.crm and
LFS.consulting teams (from left to
right): Markus Welz, Carsten Henze,
Marcel Keller, Eva Giesselbach
“To this end, we fall back
on many years of practical ex-
perience and the specialist logistics
knowledge from a multitude of imple-
mented logistics projects in a wide
range of branches.” Thus, the EPC team
realizes customer-specific logistics
systems that are in line with the market
requirements.
Identifying potential for optimization
Early on in addition to planning new
logistics systems, another core compe-
tence of LFS.consulting is consulting.
We believe: In order to identify potential
for process optimization early on, an
analysis of the actual, current situation
on site with the customer is required.
This includes recording all relevant
data. Because of the EPC employees’
know-how, weaknesses such as out-
dated technology, long waiting times or
an inefficient use of the storage spaces
can be quickly identified.
Based on this data, in the next step,
the team develops the optimization
potential that can be realized and per-
forms an effect analysis. The goal is
to minimize or eliminate the identified
weaknesses. The current market con-
ditions and customer requirements are
also taken into account. The developed
catalog of measures then illustrates po-
tential increases in productivity, storage
space capacities and technical perfor-
mance. Beyond that, savings potential
in the distribution and processing times
are taken into account and down-
times and fault sources are reduced.
LFS.consulting accompanies the imple-
mentation of the catalog of measures
throughout the entire duration of the
project: from developing the implemen-
tation plan to project management dur-
ing the implementation phase through
to stabilizing the measures and support
after the optimization.
Our primary goal: satisfied customers.
We achieve that by consistently align-
ing our logistics solutions with your
needs and requirements. At the same
time, with our independent and neutral
consultation, we lay the foundation for
your individual project to result in a high
financial gain.
Team expanded, range of services optimized.
For a cooperative customer relationship.
6
Excellent software, 300 motivated minds, a reasonable goal: a smarter world of logistics!
TECH
NOLO
GYBA
CKGR
OUND
LFS.oculus3D: Record master datain less than 60 seconds
instance, high-priced
items are rescanned
and the results are
compared to the pick
list. The risk of incorrect
deliveries is thus significantly reduced.
E+P is currently working on further fea-
tures which LFS.oculus3D should fulfill
in the future. This includes, for instance,
ter data can be immediately recorded.
The recording and identification system
can also be used for product validation
during picking or during the packaging
process: Directly prior to packaging, for
Because it is connected to the LFS
warehouse management system, LFS.
oculus3D can be flexibly integrated any-
automatic identification of stackable
and non-stackable items. It is already
possible to modularize the system and
only record the individual, necessary
key figures, for instance, the weight.
www.vortourderhoffnung.de
© D
omin
ik K
etz
Phot
ogra
phy/
Rhei
nlan
d-Pf
alz
Tour
ism
us G
mbH
We are the Ehrhardt + Partner Group.
We are more than 300 employees
worldwide at six locations, who han
dle the requirements of more than 450
customers per day. And they do it with
passion, enthusiasm and total dedica
tion. We are proud of that.
As an owner-operated, internationally
active company, we know how impor-
tant people are for the success of a pro-
ject. We therefore ensure that our em-
ployees feel comfortable at our sites.
This includes flexible work schedule
models, optimal office and training
rooms and, of course, the option of
working from a home office. Customized
continuing education offers or athletic
activities such as bowling, football or
yoga are an integral component of our
company culture. This creates a unique
team spirit which is reflected in the
smooth implementation of our custom-
ers’ projects. Every day, we master new,
exciting tasks in the logistics branch of
the future. And we are developing a sys-
tem that has proven it is one of the top
products in the branch.
Numbers and facts in a different light
Our company headquarters are lo-
cated in one of the most beautiful re-
gions in Germany: The Rhine-Moselle
region offers a number of excursion
destinations and is only a short dis-
tance to the hubs cities, Cologne and
Frankfurt.
E+P goes Cinema! That is to say to
the Kinopolis cinema in Coblenz.
How? See for yourself.
The E+P bowling team is undefeated.
Challenge our Logist[r]ikers.
Dedication to good cause! Our em-
ployees cycle for donations to sup-
port the fight against pediatric cancer
for the VOR TOUR action from the
Hoffnung e.V. (Hope Association).
where in the material flow where a con-
trol or validation of the item master in
the warehouse is required, for instance,
at goods receiving. Here, prior to the
initial storage of a new item, the mas-
…Continuation of page 1
See our cinema spot on YouTube®
A “mathematical fingerprint” for your products Enormous time savings and security because the items are recorded fully
automatically at the press of a button.
Recording in less than 60 seconds per product!
Quick and automatic recognition/identification.
For instance, when processing returns or during the packaging process.
Security and control of the “right item”.
“Independence” of experienced employees.
Familiarity with the item master is no longer a requirement for working in the
goods receiving/returns department.
This makes flexible personnel deployment possible.
High quality and completeness of the recorded data in comparison to
manual recording.
PRACTICAL EXAMPLE (assuming 50,000 items, calculations based on 250 work days per year)
Recording Manual With LFS.oculus3D
Time required (determination of length, width,
height, weight, color photo, upload, item number assignment, etc.)
3 minutes per item 1 minute per item
Time saved 100,000 minutes per year= 208 work days per year
Recognition Manual With LFS.oculus3D
Time required (assuming three items to be identified per
day with three processes each for recognition, e.g. searching in the catalog,
image comparison, re-measuring)
20 minutes per item= 15,000 minutes per year
1 minute per item = 750 minutes per year
Time saved 14,250 minutes per year = 29.7 work days per year
Time saved overall (recording and recognition)
114,250 minutes per year = 238 work days per year
7
returns area.
“Due to this
system and the
centralization of the shipping and re-
turns logistics, we ensure that goods
can be back on the way to the cus-
to mer six hours later,” says Project
Mana ger, Oliver Schlüter. “In order to
keep the process reliability and the
quality at the same level, we have inte-
grated several 100 percent checks in
the material flow,” explains IT Mana-
ger Marco Balz. This starts at goods
receiving. Here, for instance, the scale
on the conveyor technology checks
whether the right item is in the box.
During picking, feedback is constant-
ly transmitted to the LFS via double
scanning and confirmation which prac-
tically eliminates errors. Then, there is
another scan at the transfer station for
the spring-bottom cart, just as there
is when equipping the hanging bag
sorter and packaging stations, so the
LFS is continuously informed about the
processes. “Due to the many years of
cooperation with E+P, we were already
familiar with the high level of quality of
the warehouse management system. It
really pays off, especially if it has to go
fast, like in e-commerce,” Marco Balz
sums up.
Dynamic work stations and puttolight for store processing
At the 42 work stations for store
shipments, the items are com-
piled for each store. The employees
handle the additional servi ces, such
as anti-theft security, price labeling
or hanging the goods onto hangers. A
put-to-light system displays for which
floor of the branch the item is intended.
Another peculiarity: The store deliv-
eries are also packed in multi-transport
boxes that are also divided into floors.
Every floor is equipped with a specific
range of products, for instance, hiking
clothing or swimsuits. This is also dis-
played by the put-to-light system so
the employee can intuitively compile
the orders. “Sport Scheck would like to
keep the internal logistics expenses in
the stores as low as possible. Due to
our pre-sorting the branch employees
only have to remove the box on site
and can simply place them in the dis-
play,” explains Oliver Schlüter.
Six hours until reuseThe returns logistics process is also
performed centrally. Both customer
and store returns are assessed and
prepared by Fiege. Employees make
the decision regarding the further use
of the item. Unobjectionable goods are
transported on a spring-bottom cart to
a separate work station in the hang-
ing bag sorter system. An employee
then equips these with one item each;
40,000 bags are available for this in
the dynamic buffer. If possible, 1/3 of
the goods in every batch are from the
© D
omin
ik K
etz
Phot
ogra
phy/
Rhei
nlan
d-Pf
alz
Tour
ism
us G
mbH
Fiege in cooperation with Ehrhardt + Partner SportScheck is fit for the futureCA
SE S
TUDY
Several orders with few items, same
day delivery and many returns:
Ecommerce has its own laws. And
they are different than those for sta
tionary trade. In stationary trade,
the focus is on fulfilling the require
ments of the individual stores and
processing orders on a larger scale.
Managing online, branch and returns
logistics under one roof is a huge
challenge. This is also the case at the
sporting goods dealer, SportScheck.
The company is placing more of a
focus on multichannels sales and
thus decided to completely restruc
ture its logistics and IT landscape.
The logistics service provider Fiege
was awarded the contract. In order to
maintain the necessary flexibility in
the order processing despite the com
plex structures, Fiege has chosen the
warehouse management system LFS
from Ehrhardt + Partner (E+P). In con
junction with a sophisticated sorting
system with a bag sorting system and
integrated dynamic buffer, consisting
of approx. 40,000 bags, it ensures fast
processing and is an optimum inter
face between shipping and returns
logistics and thus completely fulfills
the requirements of the multichannel
company.
stadt in Upper Franconia to Apfelstädt
near Erfurt. SportScheck also left the
decision regarding which IT system and
which suppliers would be involved up
to Fiege. “Many joint projects and the
many years of successful cooperation
have convinced us to trust in the E+P
warehouse management system as
well,” says Marco Balz, IT Project Man-
ager at Fiege. “We thus not only main-
tain the standards within our group, we
also have a solution that fulfills the re-
quirements of multi-channel sales and
the complex processes with the neces-
sary flexibility for this business.”
3, 2, 1 … Go!Key chains, running shirts, bicycles –
the SportScheck range of products is
extremely diverse. The joint project from
Fiege and E+P also started this way:
The two material flow computers for the
conveyor technology and the bag sorter
had to be connected with SportScheck’s
warehouse management system and
ERP system so all of the processes ran
smoothly together. Other characteristics
of SportScheck’s logistics are the regu-
lar changes in the product range and
the differentiation between online and
store orders. Thus, store orders are, for
instance, equipped with an anti-theft
the outgoing goods area, where they are
placed on shelf carts and placed in stor-
age per RF. Via the RF, the employees
also know if the item has to be put onto
a hanger and thus has to be transported
to a separate part of the storage area set
up for this purpose. The stacking system
(TCS), also from E+P, guides the pick-
er through the corridors of the racking
storage system. “The fact that the TCS
is also responsible for the pickers in this
project is, perhaps, somewhat unusual,
but in this case, very efficient. This way,
Fiege’s picking process is optimized
with regard to travel paths and at the
same time Fiege profits from optimum
space management and very transpar-
ent item handling,” explains E+P Project
Manager, Markus Linkenbach. More
than 140,000 variants have to optimally
managed. LFS assigns the bin locations
based on the dynamic field assignment
and either assigns variants to an exist-
ing bin location or creates a new one.
The pickers then place the goods direct-
ly into the ergonomic spring-bottom cart
and push them to the vertical conveyors
for transport to the ground floor. Once
they have arrived there, they continue
on to the bag sorter for further sorting
for the orders. 5,000 bags are available
per batch and are equipped with one
item each by the employees.
5,000 parts per hour To pick one batch takes exactly one
hour. This corresponds precisely with
the time required for the hanging bag
sorter to sort 5,000 parts. The planning
should provide for 2/3 of the goods to
be taken from the warehouse and 1/3
of the goods from the dynamic buf-
fer, ergo the returns area. Here too, the
communication between the different
IT systems play a decisive role. As soon
as the parts have been scanned and fall
into the bag, the material flow computer
for the bag sorter takes over. Via tele-
gram, the computer knows everything
about the orders in the batch and starts
the multi-staged sorting process. The
5,000 parts are first reduced, in sta-
ges, down to batches with 600 and then
100 parts from which the customer or-
ders are then generated, piece-by-piece.
The LFS takes over again at a total of
23 packing stations. Per order, the bags
move forward to the packagers that pre-
pare the goods for shipment. For online
orders, the goods travel on a conveyor
to the outgoing goods area and then to
the corresponding outgoing bridges for
Germany, Austria or Switzerland. Store
goods are processed separately. The
system is designed so 2/3 of the batch
contains goods for the end customer and
1/3 for stores.
Background: Fiege Gruppe
The Fiege Group places its focus on complex, individually customized logis
tics solutions who, together, cover the entire supply chain, the delivery
chain from producers through to the recipient. The offer doesn’t just in
clude the implementation of logistics concepts, but also the development
from practical application for practical application: In cooperation with the
customer, a comprehensive system is developed for sustainably optimized
logistics solutions for the customer’s individual requirements. As a basis for
the cooperation, the Fiege Group offers the entire spectrum of logistics ser
vices from engineering to logistics management. It also creates customized
goods management systems through Europe and the world.
More than 3 million parts with
140,000 variants on a logistics area
of 80,000 m²: “The dimensions are
gigantic,” comments Oliver Schlüter,
Project Manager at Fiege Germany in
reference to the project at the Apfel-
städt (near Erfurt) location. The new
logistics system was implemented in a
total of six halls, each with a floor area
of 6,500 m². In 2012, the multi-channel
merchant, SportScheck, which belonged
to the Otto Group, began searching for
a suitable partner to assume the en-
tire warehouse logistics. The contract
was awarded to the logistics service
provider Fiege which handles the item
processing, picking, shipping, returns
and branch deliveries for Germany as
well as the end customer deliveries in
the DACH region. The central warehouse
was therefore moved from Burgkun-
device, a price tag or a clothes hanger,
prior to shipping. This had to be taken
into consideration in the IT planning in
order to completely fulfill the require-
ments of the multi-channel concept.
Partially automated material flow for a complex warehouse environment
The partial automation of goods receiv-
ing is a solution for a smooth flow of
materials. 80 percent of the incoming
goods are able to be conveyed, which
means the boxes are transported via
the conveyor technology for further pro-
cessing. LFS knows, based on the label,
whether they are boxes with one type
of item or contain mixed goods. Mixed
goods boxes are transported to a station
for manual sorting. Only boxes with one
type of item are transported directly to
8
A warehouse management system
for the two central warehouses in
Langenhagen for supplying all 450
branches in Germany – this is the is
sue with which expert AG approached
Ehrhardt + Partner (E+P). The chal
lenge was reorganizing the huge
product range of the specialist retailer
for consumer electronics and electri
cal appliances with a wide variety of
items. In addition, the purely manual
operation of the warehouse will be
replaced by online data transmissions
– today, 150 handheld devices are in
use at the site. The result: expert saves
a significant amount of time during
picking by using the warehouse man
agement system LFS from E+P. At the
same time, the security is increased in
comparison to the previous listbound
warehouse management system. With
LFS, the pickers are guided through
the warehouse on optimized paths.
The multiorder picking of small parts
is executed in a pickandpack pro
cess. Large orders are collected via
software control and are sorted for the
branches on the packing table. Due to
the parallel processing of both strate
gies, the company is able to optimally
handle seasonal fluctuations in every
day business.
Nearly 100,000 different items from USB
sticks to washing machines: expert AG’s
product range is extremely diverse. 450
specialist retail stores throughout Ger-
many are supplied by the two central
warehouses in Langenhagen. At the same
time, everyday business is seasonal – the
demand at trade shows or the Christmas
segment. During peak times, expert de-
livers, for instance, up to 75,000 elec-
tronics items per day. The warehouse
section for electronics and consumer
electronics encompasses 17,200 m² and
the warehouse for household applian ces
is 13,000 m². Based on LINUX, today the
warehouse management system LFS from
E+P ensures a daily total throughput from
both warehouses of nearly 130 t. The soft-
ware organizes the material flow at the
different warehouse locations into shelves,
blocks, reserve and picking storage areas
– from goods receiving to outgoing goods.
At goods receiving, the items are first
checked to ensure the item master data
is complete, such as weight or volume. A
volume-detection device weighs the items
and determines the dimensions. Only
when the data is complete is it transmitted
to the LFS and the items are released for
storage. In accordance with the respective
dimensions, they are then transported to
the relevant storage area.
Pickandpack process or collective picking
Incoming branch orders are recorded by
LFS and collected in a disposition pool.
The dispatcher then transfers the in-
coming units to the warehouse as pick-
and-pack orders or collective orders.
Pick-and-pack orders are picked on a
single-order basis in a multi-order pro-
cess directly into a suitable shipping box.
Picking and packing are thus merged
into a single work step. In comparison,
this saves a significant amount of time.
Prior to introducing LFS, picking was
performed in an anonymous container
and the goods were then
packaged at a packing table.
This step is now completely
omitted: LFS determines the
right shipping box ahead of
time based on the volume
data and dimensions of the
packaging. Then these pack-
ages are closed and provid-
ed for shipping. The packed
pieces are then collected on a
pallet which is equipped with a mas-
ter label. This contains the data for all of
the packages so the pallet can be loaded
after one scanning process. Collective
Become a logistics expert with Ehrhardt + Partner: New warehouse management for expertCA
SE S
TUDY
picking orders
are placed when several
branches order the same item in large
quantities, for instance, for special pro-
motions.
© P
ictu
res:
exp
ert A
G
© g
ebrü
der
götz
CONT
ACT
ImprintPublisher:
Ehrhardt + Partner GmbH & Co. KG
Alte Römerstraße 3
56154 BoppardBuchholz
Germany
Tel. (+49) 67 4287 27 0
Fax (+49) 67 4287 27 50
Email: info@ehrhardtpartner.com
Internet: www.ehrhardtpartner.com
Responsible for the content:
Marco Ehrhardt
Editorial office:
additiv pr GmbH & Co. KG, Montabaur
© All rights of the released contents
reserved by the publisher. Any repro
duction, also of excerpts, is only
per mitted with the approval of the
publisher. All information is supplied
without guarantee.
will in the future be returned to the ware-
house. The gebrüder götz employees can
evaluate the goods based on their returns
rate and make them ready for sale again.
When the customers order items, the dif-
ferent orders are combined in one batch,
which is then released for picking. The
pickers are guided through the three
warehouse levels on an optimized path.
In peak times, the employees perform
up to 30,000 picks per day. Currently, a
sorter system and several gravity chutes
transport the picked items to an individual
order picking area. In the second stage,
this installation will be replaced and
connected to LFS in summer 2015. The
warehouse management system will then
also control the sorter feeding processes,
individual order picking in a Pick-to-Light
installation and the packaging processes.
From a regional shoe retailer to an
internationally active mail order
company: gebrüder
götz has continu-
ously extended their
business activities
throughout the years and adjusted them
to the developments on the national and
international markets. The mail order
trade has in the meantime become their
most important distribution channel.
To be able to react more flexibly and to
reliably supply their customers in peak
times, the company has decided to work
with the warehouse management system
LFS. Already in the standard version, the
software offers a comprehensive range
of functions so that only minimum modi-
fications had to be made for this specific
industry – such as variants and returns
handling. Several stages are planned to
make all material flow processes meet
at the end and to guarantee an imme-
diate supply for the 400,000 customers
per season. The challenge was to imple-
ment all customer-specific processes of
one stage in a way that the LFS standard
system can still be used in all following
stages. The first stage, the implemen-
tation of the goods receiving processes,
has already been completed.
Stage 1: Goods receiving with LFS
The special processes in goods receiv-
ing: The pallets and boxes delivered on
trucks are repackaged, because only sin-
gle pieces are handled in the warehouse.
Conveyors take the boxes and textile bags
to a qualitative and quantitative control
supported by the ERP system used by
gebrüder götz. Afterwards, LFS is respon-
sible for the storage process. The items
are equipped with bar codes containing
the item number and a unique serial
number before they are stored in one of
the 180,000 shelf bin locations on three
levels. The purpose of this process is to
determine the value of every item that
Several stages to
standardize warehouse
management: The intention of the
German shoe mail order company
gebrüder götz was to securely and
reliably maintain the 1.2 million active
items in the Würzburg warehouse with
the warehouse management system
LFS. Especially before the main sea
son – at order peaks – the challenge
is to manage the high throughput of
20,000 to 30,000 picks per day. Be
sides the stationary trade, the mail
order trade (mainly ecommerce) is
with 80 percent the company’s most
important business division. With the
introduction of LFS, gebrüder götz can
from now on count on a futureproof
system that cannot only handle order
peaks, but also guarantee the highest
possible process security. Thanks to
LFS, returns can in the future be han
dled more efficiently.
LFS for gebrüder götz: Fits like a gloveCA
SE S
TUDY
The expert AG with headquarters
in Hannover Langenhagen, Germa
ny, is an efficient retail alliance of
currently 226 expert partners and
members with a total of 461 loca
tions in Germany. The alliance of
specialized retailers for consumer
electronics, information technol
ogy, telecommunications, enter
tainment and domestic appliances
was founded in 1962. In more than
50 years of history, the alliance
and its companies have been able
Background information: expert AG
to achieve a strong position in the
market and operating results that
have been far above the industry
average in recent years.
© g
ebrü
der
götz