Rethinking warehouse logistics

Precision, visibility and efficiency are essential in warehousing. But the reality is often different. This was also the case at the safety technology expert CARL FUHR. Thanks to the mobile warehouse logistics solution from MAIT and Abas ERP, FUHR now has a precise overview of its extensive internal and external goods flows at all times.

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.

Mobile warehouse logistics with seamless real-time connection to business processes

Today, FUHR has its extensive flow of goods always in view and under control. How is this possible? The answer is MAIT Mobile Warehouse Logistics. This integrated solution, based on engomo's low-code app platform, enables mobile entries to be made in the warehouse, online and in real time, using barcodes and scanners. All this can be done simultaneously with the movement of goods. The system reliably reflects actual stock levels and provides accurate bin location details. This eliminates the need for multiple checks, searching and unnecessary walking.

However, barcode scanners and container logics are only one side of the new warehouse logistics concept. Accurate, real-time inventory management is only possible through seamless integration with other business processes. At FUHR, this is done via abas ERP, the proven solution for efficient business management. MAIT had also implemented this solution at FUHR and thus digitalized numerous processes at the metal processing company and made them fit for the future.

"We developed our mobile warehouse logistics software with abas ERP in mind. That's why today both systems can communicate perfectly with each other," says Kerstin Varro, project manager in the abas business unit at MAIT. In concrete terms, this means that the abas ERP system sends relevant order information online and in real time to the hand-held scanners. In the other direction, stock levels and count lists are updated immediately with each scan and stored in Abas ERP with single-item accuracy.

Precision in warehousing and constant readiness to deliver

For industrial and commercial companies such as CARL FUHR GmbH & Co KG, MAIT mobile warehouse logistics means an end to warehousing that was previously at least potentially error-prone and costly. Inventory quality is now consistently high and process reliability is guaranteed at all times. Or as Stefan Schlüter, Head of Materials Management, says: "We constantly manage millions of stock items in our warehouses. Thanks to MAIT's mobile warehouse logistics solution, the error rate has dropped to almost zero." What else? There is no more searching for items, picking is faster and requires much shorter walking distances. In addition, the time required for the annual stocktaking has been significantly reduced. Together, FUHR and MAIT have even developed a concept for permanent stocktaking using a hand-held scanner. The system is designed to take the pressure off the end-of-year inventory. Only those items that have not changed hands during the year need to be counted. Perhaps the most important consequence of MAIT mobile warehouse logistics from today's perspective: FUHR is now always ready to deliver. Deliveries are always made on time and wrong deliveries or returns are avoided. FUHR's customers could not be more satisfied.