For the introduction of a warehouse management system (WMS), BAUSTOFF UNION NÜRNBERG relied on the expertise of proLogistik. 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 inventory security, reduced susceptibility to errors, end-to-end transparency and improved monitoring. At the same time, instructing employees is much easier today.
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 round birthday or 50th anniversary. Like the OBI DIY stores in Franconia and Regnitztal, the company is part of BU Holding, which has already won the “Bavaria’s Best 50” award twice. The product range of the sales partner of the building materials industry comprises more than 25,000 products that are used in the context of building construction, shell construction and new buildings, civil engineering as well as gardening and landscaping.
Digital agenda points the way
Outside regular opening hours, customers of the building materials retailer can access a web store from which more than 200,000 articles can be ordered around the clock. This was set up by BU Holding to equip its affiliated members for the challenges of the digital age.
Strengthen customer loyalty, avoid dependencies
The starting signal for the introduction of the new state-of-the-art warehouse management was given with a kick-off meeting at the end of October 2017, in the course of which the recording of the actual and target status was begun. “Ultimately, optimized processes benefit the customer, who gets his hands on the goods he needs as quickly and completely as possible,” says Suat Ersoy. In addition, there is another factor to which the head of organizational development attaches special importance: “A warehouse management system reduces the dependence on technically skilled and experienced employees, whose warehouse knowledge was previously almost essential. In addition, it is much easier to train new personnel”.
Significantly reduced reprogramming required
Asked about the criteria that spoke in favor of the pL-Store Techline-LVS from the Dortmund-based intralogistics system house proLogistik, Suat Ersoy points to the company’s expertise in building materials. These document numerous, specialized references. At the same time, its know-how and experience are comprehensively mapped 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 large number of typical applications in addition to all relevant functions for online warehouse management. Examples of this are counter processing, route, parking space and loading sequence optimization, night jump and batch management.
Order processing is now organized on a paperless basis throughout. This also reduces the workload on employees, especially in the picking area. In addition, there are no longer long distances involved in printing delivery notes that cannot be bypassed; today, they are printed directly in the warehouse. A special feature at BAUSTOFF UNION NÜRNBERG is the immediate collector business in connection with a not quite everyday service. With the help of pL-Store Techline, for example, it is possible to send a QR code to the customer’s cell phone when goods are picked on time, so that the customer can pick up the goods contactlessly without having to get out of the vehicle.
Software and hardware from a single source
After completion of the requirements specification phase and subsequent implementation, the Nuremberg headquarters was the first to go 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 sites were equipped with the hardware required for order and data communication in parallel with the introduction of the standard software. In parallel, proLogistik implemented the required WLAN illumination for both warehouses from a single source. At the device level, both mobile handhelds and on-board computers of the “pro-V-pad” brand are used.
From the middle class for the middle class
In the context of the cooperation, it has also proven to be an advantage that the software and hardware supplier is not subject to any corporate structures, but rather has a medium-sized character, just like BAUSTOFF UNION. Furthermore, proLogistik’s many years of experience in the building materials sector had simplified communication. “The necessary knowledge around the processes and special challenges that our industry has to master did not have to be acquired in advance,” says Suat Ersoy. “On the contrary, the company has also always contributed its own constructive suggestions, from which we as building materials retailers have been able to benefit directly.”
Equipped for current and future tasks
Beyond increased inventory security and transparency for secure 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.
