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

info@ehrhardt-partner.com.

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

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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

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Fiege in cooperation with Ehrhardt + Partner SportScheck is fit for the futureCA

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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

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picking orders

are placed when several

branches order the same item in large

quantities, for instance, for special pro-

motions.

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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

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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.

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