Rethinking warehouse logistics

The vast majority of industrial and commercial companies are familiar with the challenges of traditional warehousing. In particular, inaccurate inventory data is a problem, since accurate system inventory levels are essential for procurement and delivery readiness. One of the main causes is the highly manual, inefficient form of warehousing that many companies still practice. From training new warehouse workers, to manual inventory checks and item searches that require unnecessary walking and searching, to the recording and time-consuming post-processing of entries, to the annual pen-and-paper inventory and subsequent manual data transfer, too many people often spend too much time in the warehouse. And, of course, they make mistakes. This was also the case at CARL FUHR GmbH & Co. KG in Heiligenhaus. Here, about half an hour's drive south from Essen, the company has been developing and producing particularly high-quality and convenient locks, fittings and locking systems for 160 years. FUHR operates production and supply companies throughout Europe, including Poland, the Netherlands and the UK. This also means several large warehouses, some of which are very far apart. FUHR moves an enormous amount of goods between these warehouses and the production sites, as well as to and from external locations.