Dedication behind - e.wurth-logistics.com - Würth Logistics

www.wurth-logistics.com Edition 1/2011Martin Fuchser (58) originally trainedas a metal worker and then worked as atechnical draughtsman. In 1988, he movedto the Swiss office of Miebach Consultingwhere he designed conveyorsand thereby developed a fascination forlogistics and project management: “Thisis my world!” Intralogistics became thefocus of his career. During his 14 yearsat Miebach, Fuchser also kept cominginto contact with Würth; the corporateculture of the global business group appealedto him. When he was offered a jobhere, the passionate motorcyclist movedhis place of work to Aspermontstrasse inChur. Fuchser is married and the fatherof three grown-up children.His intralogistics colleague MichaelWild had an early taste of logistics evenbefore he took it up as a career. In fact,the 45-year-old from Rhineland Pfalzworked in a materials depot during hisnational service. Wild concentrated onconveying technology early on in his engineeringstudies. Afterwards, he workedfor a couple of years in distribution formanufacturing companies. “There I wasquickly given responsibility and managedprojects from the initial brief to handover.It was just my thing.” After a shorttime he moved … to Miebach Consultingin Frankfurt. “I was hungry for really bigprojects with 50 million capital expenditureand plenty of complexity.”Experience of 100 projectsIn 2006, he came into contact with Würthand Martin Fuchser who was in the processof looking for an experienced intralogisticsexpert. “I knew Martin by sight,and we hit it off right away. It is hardlysurprising; after all we have lived for along time in the same consultancy culture.That makes all sorts of things simpler.”So Wild followed the call of Switzerlandand the possibilities offered bya major employer and went to work inChur. His wife and three sons continue tolive in the Pfalz. “That works quite well inmy job. I have always travelled around alot.”Both logistics consultants initiallyworked under the Würth Phönix banner;later, it said ITensis on their businesscards. Fuchser: “There, we were regardedas having a rather exotic speciality.But now we are part of the team at WürthLogistics, we are in our element. We enjoythe exchange with like-minded colleagues.”Engrossed in the detailed plans of large storage facilities: Martin Fuchser and MichaelWild are in their element.In the past few years, the pair have takena good 100 projects through to completion,the majority for companies withinthe Würth Group and about one tenth forexternal clients. These include a 20-million-eurodistribution centre in France,a retrofit project for production logisticsat a Swiss manufacturer of technicalcomponents and a five-day audit of awarehouse in Brisbane.Many contracts come from regular clients.The intralogisticians often stumbleon interesting projects via the logisticsnetwork within the Group. And they alsoget work from external contacts throughword of mouth. Wild: “With the changeto Würth Logistics, we would like to placegreater emphasis on the free market.”Spectrum of services:from a quick fix ...Some customers use the intralogisticsteam from Würth Logistics selectively:for monitoring projects, checking plans,interface management or designing logisticsIT. Clients often engage Fuchser andWild to carry out an audit. This involvesthem analysing in the space of a few daysall processes that take place in and betweenincoming goods, the warehouse,picking stations, production islands andoutgoing goods. This results in clear andeasily implemented suggestions for improvement.“New clients in particularvalue this service. With one very transparentinvestment, they can see quicklyin black and white where the potentiallies within their company. And how theycan exploit it.” If this results in a project,the consultants from Chur are availableto carry out the operational project management.“Logistics projects in companiesare often given to one manager.In addition to their standard duties, ofFrom two years of project management ona 30-million-euro distribution centre to afive-day logistics audit: the range of servicesprovided by the Würth Logistics intralogisticsconsultants is very wide.

www.wurth-logistics.com Edition 1/2011Intralogistics atWürth Logistics ata glanceWhether it is for a minor retrofit projector the construction of a new distributioncentre, our clients benefit from a wellintegrated and strong team with manyyears’ experience of handling logisticalchallenges:The two experts pay particular attention to the start-up management of their projects. Thetime between the first live operations and the smooth running of the business should beas short as possible.course. Both usually suffer under thisdouble burden: the project and the dayto-daybusiness. We have occasionallyseen logistics managers lose their jobs insituations such as these. And then all theexpertise that they have built up over theyears is gone too,” says Wild, presentinga powerful argument in favour of allocatingthe project manager role to them.He adds that the importance of projectmanagement experience should not beunderestimated in logistics projects suchas these.... to ‘complete hassle-freepackages’“If the client wants, we can put togetheran all-inclusive trouble-free package.We discuss the objectives, and the managingdirector brings us back againwhen they are going live,” says Fuchserwith a smile. If the client decides on anew initiative, the experts from Churtake over the detailed planning andcoordination. They draw up the tenderdocuments and are present during thebidding process all the way through tonegotiations over price. And they controlthe implementation of the projectthrough to handover. “In the course ofmore than 100 projects, we have naturallyseen a large number of colleaguesfrom many different suppliers in action,”adds Wild. “We pretty much knowtheir strengths and weaknesses, whichincreases efficiency and saves precioustime. As we said before, it’s all down toexperience.”The two experts pay particular attentionto the start-up management of theirprojects. The time between the first liveoperations and the smooth running ofthe business should be as short as possible.“We stipulate in the specifications,for example, that suppliers of both thehardware and software have to send staffto join us on site during the first days ofoperation.” For intralogistics projectsfrom Würth Logistics, the final inspectionand payment to the suppliers usuallytakes place a few weeks after operationsgo live. “Anything else makes verylittle sense,” explains Wild. “During thestart-up phase of a system, the client hasvery little time to accurately commit topaper all the problems and hiccups. Andlots of things only come to light duringlive operations.”Experience and neutralitysave moneyIn the case of intralogistics consultantssuch as Fuchser and Wild, experience isthe unique selling point. They know preciselywhat to look out for in projects.Wild gives us a small example: “You canplan and draw up specifications for complexprojects as precisely as you like. Butyou often only discover that you needtwo extra metres of roller conveyor hereor you need one fewer drive motor therewhen the conveyor line is being assembledin the hall. This is quite normal. Thedifference is this: someone with little experiencepays his suppliers for the additionalwork and expense – as they quickly• Identifying opportunities and risksWe analyse your processes,warehousing and conveying technology,plus the associated IT systems.You can see in black and white whereyour potential and your risks lie.• Reliable costingsBased on your plans, we give youprecise investment and operationalcosts. We support you through thetendering and award stage, usingour experience of more than 100projects.• Transparency creates efficiencyBecause we have a broad overviewof all our suppliers, we are able tocheck their performance in termsof deadlines, quality, function andbudget.• Expertise and transformationWe draw up designs for the constructionof warehouses, flow of materialsand work flow management,whether in a new plant or a retrofit.We accompany change managementthrough to the smooth runningof live operations.• Turnkey solutions save on worryUpon request, we will manage thewhole of your intralogistics project. Sothat your employees and managerscan concentrate on their own work.Would you like more detailedinformation?Martin Fuchser and Michael Wildlook forward to hearing from you:+41 81 558 38 51 ormartin.fuchser@wurth-logistics.commichael wild@wurth-logistics.com

www.wurth-logistics.comEdition 1/11make a fuss about it. But if less work orexpenditure is involved, this often getsbrushed under the carpet. Experiencedproject managers like us keep preciserecords of cost increases and reductions.This saves a lot of money.” Their secondselling point is their absolute neutrality.“We are not tied to any manufacturer,and we don’t get any commission. Our recommendationsare always based solelyon functionality,” emphasises Fuchser.This makes it simpler for the intralogisticiansto take a wider view at the biddingstage of the subsequent costs. Wild:“If, for example, a client installs a rollerconveyor drive motor from company Xin a warehouse, then it makes the mostsense to use this supplier at their other sitestoo. This brings with it the advantageof volume and simpler administration,as you don’t need to order and stock somany replacement parts …”Green belt in France andbeing able to listenFuchser and Wild have been advisingWürth France for many years. This is agood example to illustrate the typical sequenceof events in an intralogistics project.Today, Würth operates two warehousesin France: the first in Erstein (Alsace)dates back to 1967; the second, a moderndistribution centre, was designed in 2006and constructed over a two-year periodon green belt land near Montélimar, withThe devil is in the detail, particularly in intralogistics.And after 100 projects, Fuchser andWild know pretty accurately where.a capital investment of some 25 millioneuros. And of course the two consultantsfrom Chur were there to see the projectthrough.André Reymann has been Director of Logisticsat Würth France for more than 25years and has known Fuchser and Wildfor a very long time. “The warehouseproject in Montélimar was a very complexmatter. Michael Wild held his ownexcellently in our rainbow project teammade up of external French warehousetechnicians, EDP specialists and the managementteam of Würth France. It allwent off without a hitch.” And with thebest possible success in a project of thismagnitude: the 25-million-euro investmentwent smoothly into operation fromday one. “The intralogisticians from Churlisten and respond to our ideas. That isunusual in itself. And if required, they arereadily available.” Reymann particularlyvalues the honest way that Fuchser andWild operate. “Everything is laid on thetable. If they have a better idea, they tellus and explain exactly why it is their preferredoption.”13 points and pragmaticsolutionsIn February 2008, Montélimar went intooperation. Over the following months,the French logisticians compared theproductivity indicators for both plants:the old warehouse lay far behind the performanceof the new distribution centre.Too far behind. It was high time for anaudit by the intralogisticians from Chur.This was conducted by Michael Wild:“The result was a 13-point programmewith short, medium and long-term measuresto be implemented.” He noticed,for example, that in Erstein there weretoo few buffer spaces for container products.The result was that containerswere placed on pallets in the incominggoods area and taken to the automatedhigh bay warehouse 70 metres away. Ifone of these articles needed picking, ittook a least half an hour to get it from thehigh bay warehouse to the picking station.Waiting times are not factored intobatch picking, so time and again, ordershad to be sent as partial deliveries. Thiswas not only expensive, it was also notconducive to customer satisfaction.“The intralogisticians from Chur listen and respondto our ideas. That is unusual in itself.”André Reymann manages logistics for WürthFrance.“How can we create these buffers sothat picking can run smoothly? The optimumsolution would have been a fullyautomated small-parts warehouse feddirectly from incoming goods,” explainsWild. “But that would have cost 1.5 millioneuros, and that was clearly too much.So we built an automated conveyor linefrom the high bay warehouse to the pickingarea. This cost only 100,000 euros,saved a lot of toing and froing, and significantlyimproved the accessibility ofgoods at the picking station.” In the longterm, though, it is envisaged that Ersteinwill also get the modern pick, pack andcheck system used in Montélimar andmany other modern warehouses. “We arestarting the design process in February.”It is the end of the working day in theLandquart warehouse. We shoulder ourcamera rucksack, flash bags and tripodbag. On the floor, yellow markings showpedestrians the way to the exit. Thesemake a loop around a small pallet rack.Fuchser: “Michael, that wasn’t here lasttime, was it?” Wild: “Well yes, we neededa couple of buffer spaces for picking.”Würth Logistics AG, Aspermontstrasse 1, Postfach, CH-7004 ChurT +41 (0)81 558 38 00, F +41 (0)81 558 10 00info@wurth-logistics.com, www.wurth-logistics.com