BAUSTOFF UNION NÜRNBERG relied on the expertise of proLogistik for the introduction of a warehouse management system (WMS). The implemented industry solution pL-Store® Techline from the intralogistics system house is part of a self-imposed digital agenda that the building materials retailer is implementing step by step. For logistics processing, this primarily means: increased stock reliability, reduced susceptibility to errors, end-to-end transparency and improved monitoring. At the same time, it is now much easier to instruct employees.
With the final commissioning of the warehouse management system (WMS) pL-Store® Techline in 2019, BAUSTOFF UNION NÜRNBERG has practically fulfilled a wish for its milestone birthday and 50th anniversary. Like OBI-Baumärkte Franken and Regnitztal, the company is part of BU-Holding, which has already won the “Bavaria’s Best 50” award twice. The product range of this sales partner to the building materials industry comprises more than 25,000 products that are used in building construction, shell construction and new builds, civil engineering and gardening and landscaping.
Digital agenda shows the way
Outside of regular opening hours, customers of the building materials retailer can access a web store where more than 200,000 items can be ordered around the clock. This was set up by the BU holding company in order to prepare the associated members for the challenges of the digital age.
Strengthen customer loyalty, avoid dependencies
The launch of the new state-of-the-art warehouse management system was kicked off with a kick-off meeting at the end of October 2017, during which the actual and target status was recorded. “Optimized processes ultimately benefit the customer, who receives the goods they need as quickly and completely as possible,” says Suat Ersoy. There is another factor that the Head of Organizational Development attaches particular importance to: “A warehouse management system reduces the dependency on skilled and experienced employees, whose warehouse knowledge was previously almost essential. In addition, it is much easier to train new staff”.
Significantly reduced reprogramming required
When asked about the criteria that spoke in favor of the pL-Store Techline-LVS from Dortmund-based intralogistics system provider proLogistik, Suat Ersoy points to the company’s expertise in building materials. This is documented by numerous specialized references. At the same time, its know-how and experience are comprehensively reflected in the industry solution for the sanitary, building materials and technical wholesale trade. The standard software is equipped with interfaces to all common ERP systems in the building materials trade and even the basic version offers a wide range of typical applications in addition to all relevant functions for online warehouse management. Examples of this are counter handling, route, parking space and loading sequence optimization, night shift and batch management.
Order processing is now completely paperless. This also relieves the strain on employees, especially in the picking area. What’s more, there are no longer any long journeys involved in printing delivery notes, as they are now printed directly in the warehouse. A special feature of BAUSTOFF UNION NÜRNBERG is the immediate collection business in conjunction with a service that is not quite commonplace. With the help of pL-Store Techline, it is possible to send a QR code to the customer’s cell phone when goods are picked on time so that they can pick up the goods contactlessly without getting out of the vehicle.
Software and hardware from a single source
Following the completion of the specification phase and subsequent implementation, the Nuremberg head office went live at the beginning of December 2018. The commissioning of pL-Store® Techline in nearby Forchheim was successfully completed at the end of March 2019. Both locations were equipped with the hardware required for order and data communication in parallel with the introduction of the standard software. At the same time, proLogistik implemented the necessary WLAN coverage for both warehouses from a single source. At device level, both mobile handhelds and on-board computers of the “pro-V-pad” brand are used.
From the SME sector for the SME sector
The fact that the software and hardware supplier is not subject to corporate structures, but is rather a medium-sized company like BAUSTOFF UNION, has also proven to be an advantage in the context of the cooperation. Furthermore, proLogistik’s many years of experience in the building materials sector simplified communication. “The necessary knowledge about the processes and special challenges that our industry has to master did not have to be trained in advance,” says Suat Ersoy. “On the contrary, the company has always made its own constructive suggestions, from which we as a specialist building materials trade have been able to benefit directly.”
Equipped for current and future tasks
In addition to increased inventory security and transparency for reliable monitoring, other aspects are relevant for the BU Head of Organizational Development Logistics, Processes and Digitalization. In addition, the processes and the performance of the employees can now be evaluated in detail and reliably.
