Since the start of 2015, the Business Consultancy Group has been expanding intralogistics specialist SSI Schaefer's range of services with its expertise in project management. The main focus lies on a thorough examination of aspects relevant to the establishment of a complex logistics centre, such as the new intralogistics system and the customer's process interfaces. “Our range of services includes logistics consultation before the project goes live as well as an operative analysis following start-up,” says Andreas Hampe, Director of the Business Consultancy Group at SSI Schaefer. “Our team combines extensive professional experience and wide-ranging knowledge in all kind of sectors, such as wholesale and mail order trade, logistics services, mechanical engineering and automotive, fashion, electronics, food and beverages as well as e-commerce.” In addition, a pool of internal and external specialists can be consulted depending on the requirements and complexity of the project. The result is a personalised, differentiated and holistic consultation service of the highest quality for existing and potential/future SSI Schaefer customers.
For most companies, especially small and medium-sized ones, the planning and establishment of a fully automated warehouse is not an everyday activity, but an important milestone in the company's history. Simply expanding and automating an existing warehouse is often insufficient, as the increasingly fast turnover of articles and goods – especially in the field of e-commerce – requires the construction of a newer, larger warehouse. Choosing the optimum logistics site, developing the intralogistics characteristics and last but not least, economic factors, require comprehensive consulting and project resources that customers usually have limited access to in their day-to-day activities. Large companies are often faced with the challenge of replacing several individual warehouses with a newly built logistics centre. In order to guarantee availability for delivery and the complete start-up of the new system, a comprehensive risk assessment is required. SSI Schaefer initiated the Business Consultancy Group in order to address these issues.
The Business Consultancy Group guides and supports end users throughout the entire duration of the project; from a concept evaluation and workshops prior to the actual project start, through to comprehensive consultation during implementation and the identification of bottlenecks and improvements after the project has been completed. This is all carried out in close collaboration with the SSI Schaefer project team, while the Business Consultancy Group focuses on the specific requirements of the individual customer and considers aspects beyond the project environment. Implementing a complex logistics project presents a variety of challenges. “Sensitive change management is therefore the key factor in ensuring smooth integration,” says Hampe. “In addition, the potential for process and cost optimisation can be identified during this step and the corresponding adjustments can be implemented directly.”
Particularly in the workshop phase prior to the start of the project or in the initial phase, drawing up an imaginary, ideal workflow together with the customer has proven successful to the Business Consultancy Group team. While not every wish can be fulfilled down to the last detail, the foundations can still be laid at an early stage for a result that simplifies the day-to-day work of many employees. Further support may be provided in the fields of staff analysis, resource planning and staff training. If third parties are involved, for example in the field of warehouse management systems, assistance in defining and implementing the necessary IT is another Business Consultancy Group speciality. Shortly before the project goes live, comprehensive support is often requested by the customer while planning the relocation and implementation phases. The team can draw on a wealth of experience from projects in various industries to help with this; knowledge which is shared with the customer in joint workshops. At the same time, each step is checked for potential or existing sources of error as part of the risk management process. To conserve customer resources, experienced on-site specialists (both national and international) are also available to offer longer term support if required.
If a project is complete and the warehouse is already in operation, changes in day-to-day business can call for adjustments. Such situations are not unusual for Hampe: “If a two-year old warehouse was originally designed to supply stores to 60% and online customers to 40%, this percentage distribution could be completely reversed in an extremely short space of time due to the rapid growth in e-commerce.” A comprehensive operative analysis carried out by the Business Consultancy Group shows in what way restructuring measures, expansions or technical innovations can optimise the workflow in such a case. Empirical values from similar projects help to identify bottlenecks and vulnerabilities as well as optimisation potential. All results are then checked based on previously defined key performance indicators (KPIs) and consolidated in a master plan.
The Business Consultancy Group's order book shows that the comprehensive consultation and support on offer is a service in demand from commercial clients and confirms SSI Schaefer's new set-up. The Business Consultancy Group team is already involved in many national and international projects and aims to make further progress in ensuring long term satisfaction for potential and existing SSI Schaefer customers.
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