TGW Logistics Group
Remote Services: Far away and yet so close
With remote services, intralogistics specialists can access highly automated warehouses in real time and rectify faults. The trend is not just to react to problems, but to proactively analyze data and simulate scenarios in order to provide customers with maximum availability. The example of the TGW Logistics Group shows why these services are worthwhile.
If you drop off your faulty car at a garage this afternoon, you will get it back the next day - with a working spare part. If you order a shirt online in the morning, you can try it on in the evening. And if you want potato chips and soft drinks for an evening in front of the TV, quick commerce delivery is usually available within three hours, at least in many metropolitan areas. Companies that make such delivery promises to their customers need high-performance logistics. Their intralogistics systems have to run smoothly - sometimes around the clock.
Lifetime Services
Unplanned downtimes lead to delivery delays that annoy customers. The mere thought of a successful hacker attack - and thus a standstill lasting for days - causes those responsible for operations to break out in a sweat. But it doesn't have to be maximum chaos: Even minor software malfunctions raise management's blood pressure. In order to offer customers maximum availability, intralogistics providers introduced so-called remote services years ago. One example is the TGW Logistics Group. With its Lifetime Services (LTS) unit, the Austrian company offers nine different remote services - and is constantly developing new ones. "Remote services are increasingly in demand because the desire for availability is growing," emphasizes Georg Katzlinger-Söllradl, Director Global Lifetime Services at TGW.
Two major drivers are ensuring that customers are increasingly making use of remote services. Firstly, fewer of their own employees need to be on site, which saves costs. Secondly, companies want to protect themselves against cybercrime, especially hacker attacks, and regularly have their systems updated to the latest security standards by external experts.
Focus on cyber security
Hacker attacks on the supply chain have increased since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. For example, 81 percent of respondents to a 2021 IT study conducted with 1,451 decision-makers reported that they were increasingly confronted with cyber threats during the pandemic. 56 percent experienced critical shutdowns that caused damage of more than 100,000 US dollars.
According to the study, companies still only attach low priority to cyber security, even though their IT departments have recognized the heightened threat situation. Katzlinger-Söllradl observes that it is primarily those companies that have already paid the price themselves or heard about it in their immediate environment that are taking the issue seriously. According to him, corporations tend to be better positioned in this area than SMEs. "But there are also larger companies that believe that you have to do everything yourself in order to save costs," says Katzlinger-Söllradl.
The fact is: when it comes to IT, in-depth specialist knowledge is required. TGW can draw on the experience of more than 1,000 implemented systems and continuously trains its specialists. In total, more than 130 specialists work in the Remote Services division. Customers who have complete systems including warehouse management systems (WMS) installed also benefit from the fact that the distances to the TGW software developers are short and no third-party suppliers need to be involved.
Inhouse Support Center
TGW differs from other providers of remote services in that customers can reach the in-house support center directly via the hotline. TGW even provides first-level support itself and has not outsourced it to service providers. In this way, TGW can solve around 90 percent of all software problems promptly. Only in extremely complex cases - for example, software combined with hardware problems - is it necessary for technicians to be on site.
System operators can combine different service modules with each other:
- Connectivity: To ensure that remote access is as secure as possible, the connection is based on security standards. Keywords in this context are a Cisco Multipoint Virtual Private Network (VPN) and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) technology.
- Expert support: TGW specialists are available around the clock, 365 days a year via the hotline. They speak several languages and are proficient in the complete range of services: from mechatronic components, control systems and IT hardware to software applications such as TGW's material flow computer or the WMS.
- Monitoring & Alerting: The experts constantly measure the pulse of the system. This means that they can monitor all software components supplied by TGW - from the error statistics of the mechatronic modules to the IT hardware and software applications through to the interfaces. Irregularities trigger an alarm.
- Backup and disaster recovery: The entire system is prepared for the worst-case scenario - with standardized and tested procedures for restoring backed-up data. Backups are regularly improved and availability is checked.
- Visualization & Analytics: The generated data is analysed and visualized in a dashboard. The operator can carry out evaluations himself and start certain queries.
- TGW offers server and database management. The customer receives regular reports and suggestions, for example for improvements or software updates.
- Test environment: LTS specialists mirror the system 1:1 to test what happens when updates or patches are applied. This allows different operating strategies to be compared without ever involving the production system. The test system thus remains permanently at the same level as the production system.
- Management Services: TGW keeps the production system up to date with the latest technology. Experts select, test and install security-relevant patches that are customized to the system. This closes security gaps and minimizes downtime. Release updates from database providers are also carried out - this requires the system to be down for less than four hours.
- Scanning: Specialists regularly check for security vulnerabilities and take countermeasures if necessary.
The article appeared in materialfluss 10/22.
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