Cool WMS for polar bears and more

The long-established company Eisbär Eis requires perfect intralogistics, and not just in the summer months, when the cool specialties are in particularly high demand. After all, the more than three million portions of ice cream produced daily in three shifts during the peak season need to be dispatched in the best possible way and on time.

Eisbär Eis has therefore relied for many years on the "ProStore" warehouse management system from the specialist Team, which has been in use in the latest version 10.0 since the ice cream producer's conversion and expansion measures and takes on extensive tasks. It controls the deep-freeze high-bay warehouse, which has now been expanded to 14,000 pallet spaces, the dispatch buffer warehouse and the forklift-supported mobile racking warehouse as well as the entire warehouse management including the dispatch processing of the finished goods. This includes communication with the ERP system and the subordinate control systems for the automatic conveyor technology and the storage and retrieval machines.

"The route planning integrated into the ProStore software makes shipping even more targeted and efficient"

Andreas Starck, Plant Manager at Eisbär Eis, is satisfied with the new features of the 10.0 release of the software from Team.

Supplies never run out

The WMS ProStore from Team takes over all warehouse management and material flow control tasks at Eisbär Eis. Photo: Team

During palletizing, ProStore regulates the replenishment control for empty pallets via the integrated material flow computer and provides empty pallets either from the conveyor technology carousel of the deep-freeze high-bay warehouse or from production itself when requested by production. Remaining pallets that are automatically stored in the deep-freeze high-bay warehouse can also be supplied via the conveyor system for the packing of further goods, such as for production or palletizing. The material flow of the mobile racking warehouse with 3,000 additional storage locations is also controlled by ProStore.

System compiles tours

The deep-frozen shipping buffer warehouse integrated into the conveyor system between the high-bay warehouse and the dispatch area is used to prepare the tours. ProStore, which is connected to the ERP system via an interface, independently compiles the routes after receiving the shipping orders from the system. "The route planning integrated into the software makes shipping even more targeted and efficient," as Plant Manager Andreas Starck emphasizes.

"Klinkware has been completely redeveloped and is based on state-of-the-art technology and software architecture."

Frank Bennemann, Managing Director of AK Warehouse Solutions GmbH, praises the benefits of the new generation of Klinkhammer's WMS.

Andreas Starck is very satisfied with the project implementation by Team GmbH and the version 10.0 of ProStore now in use: "Even before the expansion of our production and storage capacities, we had good experiences with ProStore. With the latest release, we can take full advantage of the implemented innovations such as improved dialog design in terms of personalization, context-oriented functionalities and user-specific configurations of tasks. With the support of Team GmbH, we have optimized production, storage and shipping for the future.

More than 2,500 functions for intralogistics

In the transshipment warehouse of beverage wholesaler Kempf, Wamas ensures complex goods flows with different picking strategies. Photo: SSI Schäfer

viastore Software GmbH has given its established viadat warehouse management system (WMS) a comprehensive upgrade. viadat 9.0 offers a new, easily configurable and intuitive user interface, is independent of databases and operating systems and, with its scalability and multi-client capability, is also ideal for e-commerce companies and logistics service providers.

viadat 9.0 provides more than 2,500 functions for manual or automated storage, picking and distribution in 16 languages as standard. This means that the WMS can also be used across location and national borders and enables standardized, lean intralogistics processes throughout the company.

viadat 9.0 provides more than 2,500 functions for manual or automated storage, picking and distribution in 16 languages as standard. Photo: viastore Software

As viastore reports, the WMS can be connected to all ERP systems and is "quickly implemented via a convenient configuration wizard and can be individually adapted".

Create a new stacker or integrate an AGV at the click of a mouse

For example, users can create new forklift or order picking workstations, add additional storage zones and integrate further warehouse technology components such as shuttle systems or driverless transport systems with a single click. This means that operators are also ideally prepared for future changes and expansions to their intralogistics.

The self-explanatory user interface ensures simple operation. Order pickers can work intuitively and without a long training period in different areas of the distribution center. Logistics managers can compile information and key figures in an individual dashboard and thus better plan their tasks and resources. All relevant data is clearly displayed and available at any time, on the desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone. Functions and information that are not required are hidden, but can be quickly switched on again as required.

"With technological excellence and a global presence, we are committed to supporting our customers as the most attractive software partner in intralogistics and operating at the highest level of quality."

Franz Bauer-Kieslinger CEO SSI Schäfer IT Solution GmbH, announces the ambitious vision that guides his company.

WMS "transforms" order data into picking strategies

At LogiMAT, SSI Schaefer announced two current applications of its comprehensive warehouse management system Wamas. In the new frozen high-bay warehouse of Hochreiter Fleischwaren GmbH, it is used as a warehouse management system and material flow computer, and Wamas Lighthouse is used for visualization.

SSI Schaefer has also implemented one of the most modern and largest beverage transshipment warehouses for the Edeka Südwest subsidiary A. Kempf Getränkegroßhandel GmbH, where up to 160,000 beverage crates with full and empty containers are handled daily. Based on and controlled by the logistics software, complex goods flows with different picking strategies could be realized, which the software triggers with the order data transmitted by the stores and retailers. Wamas generates the picking orders in a route- and order-optimized manner and transmits them to the picking vehicle displays via WLAN. The SSI Schaefer software also takes specific loading and unloading schemes into account in the process control of the two-stage sequencing of the pallets into shipping tours according to planning and store requirements.

Navigate with the swipe finger

The decision and optimization software "Qualicision" is part of PSIwms 4.0 and monitors, among other things, the key figures and operation of warehouses. Photo: PSI Logistics

With the warehouse management software "Klinkware", the Klinkhammer Group presents a new generation of warehouse management software and material flow control. "The fast powerhouse Klinkware has been completely redeveloped and is based on the latest technology and software architecture," says Frank Bennemann, Managing Director of AK Warehouse Solutions GmbH, part of the Klinkhammer Group. The processing speed of control orders in the form of PLC telegrams is now up to five times faster than in the previous system, the company emphasizes. Great importance was attached to the ease of use of the touch panels, tablets and forklift terminals as well as the clear, ergonomic user interface of the stationary and web-based version. The mobile touch version works in a similar way to an app. The slide function avoids time-consuming scrolling, the swipe finger navigates effortlessly through lists and relevant functions are zoomed in by tapping.

Determine storage strategies

The menus of the stationary PCs and the web version are logically structured, self-explanatory and the best basis for daily work. Meaningful symbols and simple graphic guidance through the warehouse management processes enable quick and easy orientation within the software. After just a short training period, users can select the warehouse strategies themselves. They can decide whether they want to use FiFo, ABC classification, height and weight classes, order release rules, picking sequences or packing station supply.

Consistent capacity utilization

PSI Logistics GmbH presented the PSI Logistics Suite including the WMS PSIwms Release 4.0 for the first time at LogiMAT. This offers users numerous innovations for more flexibility, individuality and efficiency increases and relies on a completely flexible configurable graphical user interface using 'PSI Click Design'. PSIwms 4.0 has the optimization function 'Adaptive Job Start'. This ensures that work areas are evenly utilized, taking into account all defined restrictions. The corresponding parameters, such as priority or workload, can be weighted on a customer-specific and time-dependent basis. A new standard interface for localization and acknowledgement can be used to determine the position of vehicles and goods in the warehouse, in production and in the yard.

Körber Logistics relies on digital control of the entire logistics network. Photo: Körber Logistics Systems

Digital control of the logistics network

Hubert Kloß, Managing Director of Körber Logistics Systems GmbH, emphasizes the company's digital expertise: "Thanks to our digital expertise, we are also able to control the entire logistics network digitally and interlink it via suitable interfaces. This ranges from the smart factory to the warehouse and distribution centers to the end customer. We have thus integrated the increasing digitalization of all processes within logistics into our service portfolio as a valuable asset.

Aberle presented reference projects for production and warehouse applications with intelligently controlled and networked systems. The basis for this is, for example, the "Aberle VirtualPlant" software tool, with which the conveyor technology components of the planned system are virtually mapped, simulated and connected to the IT systems and control systems involved during the planning phase. The response behavior of the planned system is then recorded and analyzed in the so-called emulation of the automation systems. The result is an optimal system design, sustainable risk minimization and shorter commissioning times.

Applications for the Internet of Things

All access from mobile devices is also possible via app. This is implemented via the PSI Mobile Service Solution Framework, or MOSS for short. For example, PSIwms has an app for internal transportation; mobile devices of different generations can be operated in parallel. In addition, the MOSS platform already offers applications in the area of the Internet of Things, where the app can be used for tracking and tracing and for in-house localization or navigation. A standardized interface has been set up for connecting driverless transport systems.

Reinhard Irrgang