So that the SIM card arrives correctly

Anyone who concludes a mobile phone contract with 1&1 can be sure that the package containing the new cell phone will be dispatched the next day at the latest. In order to ensure this in the future with more than 4.3 million shipments per year, the DSL and mobile provider decided to expand its building and logistics facilities adjacent to the existing buildings in Montabaur.

The new logistics center with a total usable area of around 5,000 square meters was inaugurated in July 2015. The expansion was absolutely necessary due to the steady growth in consignment volumes. With around 20,000 letters and parcels being sent per day, the previous logistics center had reached its capacity limits. 1&1 now has a state-of-the-art distribution center that will be able to process a mail volume of more than 7 million items per year. This is made possible by Pierau Planung's plan to equip the center with the latest technology, including a fully automated shipping labeling system and paperless picking using mobile data capture. "Customer orders now arrive in the logistics department within an hour and are processed immediately," emphasizes Christina Bastron, Press Officer at 1&1. "By expanding our logistics center, we can not only keep our clear service promises to our customers, but also continuously expand them."

Concept for seven million shipments per year

The expansion of logistics became necessary as the hall capacity was fully utilized. Due to the good geographical location with short distances to the delivery centers of the freight carriers GLS, DHL and Hermes, the company decided to expand the existing site. As a result, the majority of customers still usually receive their goods the next day - even without the overnight service.

The experts from Pierau Planung were responsible for creating the overall logistics concept. When planning the expansion, it was necessary, among other things, to plan a new hall as an extension to the existing building, as the previous space capacity could not cope with future requirements. Future planning was based on an annual volume of around 7 million consignments. These volumes were to be realized on the existing floor space and the new hall with incoming goods.

Space-saving carton conveyor technology

Inauguration of the logistics center in Montabaur in July 2015.

Once the concept study had been completed, the agreed structural and logistical concept was implemented in a second step: The Hamburg planning office supported 1&1 with the hall planning, the coordination of the logistics solution with the building and building services and the construction of the pallet racking, among other things. The components implemented included an automatic carton erector, automatic carton sealer, automatic shipping labeler and space-saving carton conveyor technology. New concepts and material flows also had to be developed for all processes in order to increase deliveries and productivity.

Integrating contracts into the logistics process

Pierau Planung successfully helped to shape the overall logistics process - from the concept study and detailed planning through to implementation, we were impressed by the high hourly rates and the sometimes very small cartons, for example when shipping SIM cards. Another exceptionally agile and groundbreakingly responsive feature was the short implementation time in the middle of ongoing operations and the relatively high complexity of the processes," reports Andreas Beermann, project manager at Pierau Planung.

At 1&1, the associated contracts play a major role in the telephone and shipping of smartphones, SIM cards and other products. "It is essential to integrate these into the logistics process.

In the packing department, for example, customer consignments, item allocation and contracts have to be coordinated with each other - the item entry process therefore involves a manual packing process," says Beermann, describing the complexity of the handling process. The logistics center currently employs 100 people.

Further logistics optimization measures are planned for the future. These are expected to include returns in 2016 and 2017 as well as the expansion for even smaller consignments in letter form.

Lothar Hättich

Contact:

1&1 Internet SE 56410 Montabaur Phone: 07 21 / 96 00 E-Mail:

Pierau Unternehmensberatung GmbH 22391 Hamburg Tel.: 0 40 / 60 68 99-0 E-Mail: [email protected] www.pierau-planung.de