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Oct 17, 2018 | Weingarten

Digitalization meets reality: intelligent IT lifts logistics to new heights

• Volatile markets require flexible use of existing resources
• Intelligently managed processes reduce running costs
• CHG-MERIDIAN’s holistic approach increases efficiency at all levels

The logistics industry faces a variety of challenges throughout the supply chain. These include capacity bottlenecks in infrastructure and transport services, highly volatile national and international markets, a lack of drivers, and uncertainties in the global economy. Digitalization can help, but requires a broad approach and integrated solutions.

“In the future, technology investments for logistics must be even more targeted and efficient in order to meet market requirements. Logistics can benefit from valuable insights provided by smart IT and implement them profitably along the technology lifecycle,” says Dirk Matura, Sales Director at CHG-MERIDIAN Industrial Solutions GmbH.

CHG-MERIDIAN develops fully integrated and customized business concepts that integrate all stages of the technology lifecycle. These enable more efficient management of the technology portfolio and optimization of the value chain – both nationally and internationally. The interaction between IT and logistics plays an important role in this context and will be the focus of the 35th International Supply Chain Conference, running from October 17 to 19 in Berlin under the banner ‘digitalization meets reality’.

Capacity utilization is becoming less predictable

Rapid changes in the markets and shifts in customer behavior constantly create capacity utilization problems for companies. Unpredictable fluctuations in orders make it increasingly difficult to reliably plan the size and composition of the transport fleet or the number of drivers required. These fluctuations also mean that the relationship between costs and revenue is not always constant. To address this, CHG-MERIDIAN designs flexible financing models that allow cash flows and order volumes to be aligned. In this case, the customer pays per unit produced or per machine hour.

Maximum efficiency can only be achieved if all elements of the logistics process, from new orders to personnel planning and handling technology, are continuously and optimally coordinated within a suitable IT environment.   

Process optimization from day one

Instead of solving planning problems selectively, CHG-MERIDIAN takes a holistic approach to optimizing logistics processes that focuses on the customer’s usage behavior. One example is the fleet management of material handling vehicles based on an individual requirements analysis. Suitable vehicle models and suppliers are selected according to commercial, technical, energy-efficiency, and process-related aspects, and the necessary administrative and disposal processes are defined.

CHG-MERIDIAN takes on the responsibility for procuring and leasing the assets to customers, thereby saving them from high levels of capital expenditure on the equipment and relieving the burden on their liquidity and balance sheet. A wide range of rental models are available that cater to different usage patterns and production output levels, thereby ensuring maximum flexibility with minimum risk. If required, CHG-MERIDIAN can provide all logistics equipment, from shelving and conveyors to machinery and material handling vehicles such as power stackers, forklift trucks, and electric tow tractors. Thanks to a network of offices in 25 countries, CHG-MERIDIAN is able to include planned expansions or distant locations in its solutions. As one of the world’s leading providers of technology management solutions, CHG-MERIDIAN has the necessary expertise to coordinate complex processes, such as supply chains and logistics processes, and to create highly efficient and seamlessly integrated systems.

Bringing the digital and real world together

Fleet management by CHG-MERIDIAN involves combining real-world and digital resources, and coordinating logistical processes and individual usage in the best possible way. Equipped with the latest sensor technology, vehicles provide the data that forms the basis for continuous usage optimization. Information on current capacity utilization, battery status, or pending maintenance work is collected and intelligently linked in CHG-MERIDIAN’s TESMA® technology and service management system. On the basis of this data, TESMA® calculates a wide range of parameters, such as the operating costs of the vehicles used and the exact cost center allocation. The system also indicates when wearing parts are due for replacement, which can then be reordered directly via the system. Comprehensive monitoring of the material handling vehicles enables process optimization and improvements to usage behavior without having to interrupt operation for even a minute. As a result, logistics companies can make efficient use of existing capacities at any time, even when capacity utilization is subject to strong fluctuations. They can also proactively plan the use of personnel and always reliably calculate operating costs.

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Your Contact

Please contact us for further questions!

Jessica Behrens

Company Spokesperson

Dirk Matura

Sales Director Industrial Solutions GmbH