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Modernization of software and hardware

As a central hub, the JRS warehouse in Rosenberg enables goods to be made available individually according to customer requirements. © Viastore

In the run-up to the expansion work, Viastore analyzed the system technology to determine which components had become obsolete. For example, the operating terminals had been discontinued by the manufacturer, there was no longer any support for distance measurement and the conductor rails were showing signs of wear. JRS also wanted to retrofit functions, as Michael Wettinger explains: "Scanners now carry out plausibility checks to ensure that the correct pallet is stored in the compartment."

JRS not only upgraded the hardware, but also introduced a new warehouse management system. "We were already familiar with Viadat version 7 from our high-bay warehouse. Now we wanted to use it in version 9 as a new general warehouse management system," says Wettinger. Viastore's Viadat WMS can be used for manual or forklift-operated warehouses as well as for automated systems. Another argument in favor of the solution was that it "fulfills most of the logistical processes of the JRS locations as standard," as Christian Wagner, Chief Information Officer at JRS, explains. The system offers more than 2,500 logistics functions that can be expanded and customized.

JRS wanted to introduce Viadat not only at its headquarters in Rosenberg, but gradually at all of the Group's sites. In this way, the company wants to standardize the processes in all plants and simplify the exchange of data. Viadat scores highly with its multi-warehouse capability, which means that one installation on one server can manage different warehouses - even at different locations. It was also important for JRS to be able to connect Viadat to the various ERP systems of the production facilities via standardized interfaces. Because WLAN is not available everywhere, the specialists networked the warehouse systems partly via LTE.

Delivery capability even in the retrofit phase

"The project at Rettenmaier actually included all the facets that our retrofit portfolio offers," summarizes Swen Mantel, Director Retrofit at Viastore. "It included reorganization as well as expansion, extension, modernization and software upgrade." In order not to disrupt the daily routine, a sophisticated strategy was required, because "the ability to deliver had to be guaranteed the entire time", as Logistics Manager Simon Wagner emphasizes. To achieve this, Viastore divided the project into many small individual steps and scheduled conversion work on the existing system for the weekends. In order to maintain the warehouse's efficiency while working on the existing high-bay aisles, Viastore first completed the two new aisles and put them into operation. In a two-week rhythm, the fitters modernized and expanded one aisle after the other.

"Preliminary tests are essential for projects of this kind," says Mantel. Viastore has its own test stand for this purpose, where the specialists check the automation technology before they install the system. Viastore tests conveyor systems using a digital twin of the planned system. "When installing the conveyor technology, we only have to compare this virtual model with the actual situation - we can do this at the weekend before we go live," explains Mantel. Viastore also carried out all the work at JRS without any impact on delivery capability.

Next projects in planning

Today, the high-bay warehouse with around 30,000 pallet spaces has enough capacity for further growth. Viadat has already been installed in plants in Germany, the USA and France. "Everything that was required in the project has been realized within the time frame," says Simon Wagner. JRS is already planning to carry out further modernization measures on the system together with Viastore.