Nördlinger Verlagsauslieferung - an independently operating subsidiary of the publishing house C.H.BECK oHG in Munich - is a logistics service provider based in Nördlingen. With its customized fulfillment logistics, Nördlinger Verlagsauslieferung enables the complete outsourcing of its customers' article management. For over 35 years, the logistics service provider's goal has been to efficiently and cost-effectively link all related logistics functions along its customers' supply chains. Flexible, efficient and reliable. In order to meet the high quantitative and qualitative expectations as well as requirements of its customers also in the long term, Nördlinger Verlagsauslieferung has decided to introduce the warehouse management software SuPCIS-L8 of S&P Computersysteme GmbH in its distribution warehouse at the Nördlingen site and thus pushes the digitalization in the warehouse.
A perfectly functioning warehouse management is the lifeline and backbone for the Nördlinger Verlagsauslieferung: "We have already been living the continuous further development of existing processes to the new requirements of our customers for many years. So it was quickly clear to us that we would like to initiate the project with S&P and support our claim with a modern multi-client capable WMS such as SuPCIS-L8 in order to be able to cope even better with the future challenges in the warehouse", says Stefan Eisele, Head of Publishing Distribution at Nördlinger Verlagsauslieferung GmbH & Co. KG.
Masteringchallengesin the warehouse in the best possible way
With the implementation of the SuPCIS-L8 warehouse management software, Nördlinger Verlagsauslieferung has already taken decisive steps into the digital age. The processes that the WMS SuPCIS-L8 maps and supports include all processes and components in the individual warehouse areas, from goods receipt to picking and consolidation to packaging.
The numerous deliveries, such as the Beck articles and the external goods (for example, client-related warehouse goods), arrive at Noerdlinger via the goods receipt area and are separated there by the employees. A special feature of the incoming goods process is the delivery of so-called errands (order-related procurements). This enables the bookstores to order from the huge range of products offered by the full-range suppliers KNV and Libri. In order to cope with the high sorting effort in the incoming goods department, an additional process was designed together with S&P, which supports the separation of the "orders". In this way, articles can be sorted by means of an article scan, which significantly reduces the workload of the warehouse staff.
After sorting, the goods can either be taken directly to the packing station (cross-docking), other assortments can be picked from the warehouse or, in the case of further backlogs, they can be put into storage. In addition, the processing of the house distributors, the stock of goods that is not permanently transferred to the warehouse stock after the goods receipt entry, but is promptly redistributed "within the house Beck", was consequently also integrated into the WMS.
Transparent processes for reliable warehouse management
Thetwo-stage picking via MDE device and picker trolley ensures route-optimized and efficient picking in Nördlinger's distribution center. During pick order planning, for example, the individual items are grouped into collective orders across all articles, made available at the packing station, and then broken down again to the original customer orders using the packing function. The entire picking process is paperless. At this point, identification of the correct target container via put-to-light ensures that the goods are also assigned to the correct order.
Extremely rational picking and packing is carried out with the automatic packing machine (Fix-Pack). Orders with a large quantity of the same titles are automatically suggested by the WMS for processing on the Fix-Pack machine and replenishment is scheduled. Employees merely separate the books onto the conveyor system, and a few seconds later a finished package comes out of the machine, complete with an invoice in the package and ready to be labeled for shipping.
Another special feature in the Nördlinger warehouse is the automatic replenishment process. Replenishment processes must be initiated based on order planning and material reservations. If the available stocks are not sufficient for the warehouse area concerned, the WMS generates a replenishment order - provided that replenishment rules are stored in the system - and requests the corresponding replenishment quantities. The quantities are usually based on the maximum of the determined requirement as well as a sophisticated logic for rounding up to full compartments of different sizes and thus ensure a replenishment stock for this article in the warehouse.
At the individual packing stations, the goods are prepared for shipping at Noerdlinger. The shipping processing includes the operations: Provision of pallets ready for shipment, consolidation of auxiliary packages onto shipping pallets, and loading of general cargo pallets. In addition, individual packages are prepared for package shipment and collected in the designated zone. The packing stations are trimmed for efficiency. For example, papers are printed directly during the first scan of the picking cart compartment and automatic scales are used in the weighing process to eliminate picking errors.
Efficientlogistics strategy as the linchpin of the future
"As a logistics software provider, we are shaping the future of logistics. Together with our customer, Nördlinger Verlagsauslieferung, we have succeeded in implementing a logistics strategy that reveals hidden potential and enables further adjustments to the running system in the future," says Ferdinand Gantert, project manager at S&P. Currently, the new Pick-by-Voice software from S&P is being piloted at the Nördlinger Verlagsauslieferung.
The SuPCIS-L8 software solution from S&P enables increased efficiency, performance and flexibility of the logistical processes in Nördlinger's warehouse. By implementing SuPCIS-L8, paper-based, time-consuming and manual booking activities are a thing of the past. With simple and smooth processes that adapt to the material flow, the WMS efficiently handles the operations in Nördlinger's distribution center. This ensures a high-performance and smooth material flow and equips the intralogistics of Nördlinger's publishing distribution center optimally for the future.
