Customer Success: DB Schenker

Background

As one of the global industry leaders, Schenker Deutschland AG offers innovative supply chain solutions for its customers. Within the procurement and manufacturing industries, Schenker Deutschland AG supports its customers with transparent production supply and sequence-accurate deliveries to assembly lines. In doing so, they cover all manufacturing-specific activities, focused on the premise of lean processes. Above all, Schenker Deutschland AG relies on the latest engineering and technology.

At its Hanover site, Schenker Deutschland AG manages a just in-time (JIT) and just-in-sequence (JIS) supply of parts for the assembly line of customers in the automotive industry. Previously, Schenker Deutschland AG used a pick-by-voice system for this purpose, among other things. The focus on process reliability and efficiency, as well as the strategic orientation towards further future optimizations prompted the company to look for a new solution to ensure the most reliable and error-free sequencing possible for the end customer at the Hanover site. 

Challenges

When fulfilling JIS and JIT orders, the top priority for Schenker Deutschland AG is high-speed accuracy. Errors in sequencing have a direct impact on the customer’s production, resulting in delayed deliveries, long wait times, and — in the worst case — a complete standstill of the assembly line.

As the complexity of products has increased significantly over the recent years, particularly in the automotive sector, the corresponding supplier tasks have also become more demanding. The sequencing racks for Schenker Deutschland AG for supplying customers’ automotive production chains are available in approximately 20 different combinations. 

Solution

Schenker Deutschland AG started a pilot program with the TeamViewer Frontline vision picking solution xPick. A device test was to reveal the appropriate solution for the specific use case.

The winning combination: a wrist-worn Zebra TC 20 as a display unit for visual presentation of information combined with the TeamViewer Frontline RFID wristband xBand and additional scanners for confirmation. With the complete integration of xPick, the entire process syncs with data from their SAP system in real time.

Luca Bode Project Manager Supplier Park at Schenker Deutschland AG

“We were looking for a hands-free picking solution that would optimize our performance. With xPick, we found just that.”