Publication of LogiPlus in the E-3 magazine | November 2023 | Thilo Matheis & Christian Speck
The Deutsche Amphibolin Werke (DAW) built a state-of-the-art logistics center with high-bay warehouse and AutoStore and benefits from the holistic and direct integration in SAP EWM. Automation solutions can only develop their full potential through direct EWM integration.
DAW SE has been developing, producing and selling premium products for buildings and building protection for more than 125 years and is the head of for numerous strong brands. The headquarters in Ober-Ramstadt is also DAW’s largest location, where the core brands Alpina and Caparol are produced and where the Research & Development and Innovation departments are based. A new distribution center with a high degree of automation and digitalisation was opened in September 2022. Among other things, LogiPlus Consulting provided support in converting the existing warehouse management solution SAP Warehouse Management (SAP WM) to SAP Extended Warehouse Management (SAP EWM) and in integrating the technical systems into the SAP landscape during the entire multi-stage project planning. This enabled end-to-end automation of intralogistics at the Ober-Ramstadt site.
DAW faced a wide range of challenges in 2018. The continuous increase in the variety of articles over 15 years and changing market requirements increased the need for storage capacity, which could no longer be covered by the existing structures on the factory premises. Due to space problems, DAW had to store goods in various external warehouses and pick partial assortments there. This led to an enormous effort in inventory management and requirements planning. Picking required a high level of article expertise on the part of the employees, as mobile dialogs and forklift control in a proprietary, subordinate system were outdated. In addition, SAP WM was discontinued and SAP S/4HANA was introduced at the same time. DAW therefore decided to replace the existing IT infrastructure and put it on a completely new footing.
With the aim of optimising the entire supply chain processes and reducing transport routes, the warehouse locations that were previously spread across the factory premises and external warehouse locations in the region were to be brought together under one roof. In order to create the necessary storage capacity and at the same time optimize the processes in the warehouse, the concept included the construction of an automated high-bay warehouse (HBW), an AutoStore system and an automated, dynamic picking buffer, including the conveyor connection of the various storage areas. The automation of processes should make work considerably easier for logistics employees, including the integration of manual areas and existing systems such as conveyor technology. Another key objective was to optimise the workplace design for warehouse employees based on ergonomic criteria.
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The scope of the project also included the software integration of all systems in order to efficiently control all logistics processes and ensure ongoing operations. DAW decided to migrate the existing SAP WM system to SAP EWM with a view to future-proofing, compatibility and central control of the warehouse in a dominant system. As SAP S/4HANA had not yet been introduced as an ERP system, a decentralized SAP EWM was implemented.
By optimising the material flow with SAP EWM MFS, automation solutions such as AutoStore and a forklift control system could then be introduced and integrated into the project. SAP S/4HANA was implemented downstream as an ERP system and now complements the automated intralogistics landscape at DAW’s main site.
“The project consisted of medium and long-term goals. In the medium term, the existing SAP WM and the existing systems had to be replaced by SAP EWM and SAP EWM MFS. In the long term, the SAP EWM processes had to grow in line with the construction progress and the associated commissioning,” explains Jörg Martin, Head of Finished Goods Warehouse at DAW.
“Due to the different automated trades, the biggest advantage was that everything could be connected via the SAP EWM MFS. SAP EWM is therefore the central control unit for all process sequences. The implementation took place during ongoing operations and the delivery service to the customer was ensured in every phase of the project. The overall project enabled external warehouse activities to be fully integrated back into the Ober-Ramstadt site,” says Jörg Martin, summarizing the implementation project process.
Thanks to the increased storage capacity, DAW now has all its merchandise, finished goods and packaging under one roof. This has improved the availability of items and the stability of processes, and DAW can offer its customers a better delivery service.
The material flow was improved by running in one direction from the central incoming goods area on the third floor of the logistics building to loading at the ramp on the first floor. Overall, output was increased by 57 percent to around three million delivery note items per year.
There are various options for connecting AutoStore to SAP EWM. DAW decided not to connect via external middleware, but instead opted for a direct connection via a task interface.
As a result, stocks and storage locations are managed directly in SAP EWM, making SAP EWM the dominant central control system.
Communication between SAP EWM and AutoStore is based on TCP/IP in XML format via http. This enables SAP EWM to transfer all storage and retrieval orders directly to the AutoStore Controller.
This central control unit of the AutoStore takes over the route control of the robots and decides which robot can access the required bin most efficiently. The operator at the port is optimally and intuitively guided through the process by the user interfaces and dialogs individually developed by LogiPlus. This means that new employees are also quickly up and running.
You would like to download the article from November 2023 “End-to-end warehouse automation at DAW SE with SAP EWM” from the E-3 magazine? Simply fill out this form. You will then receive the link to the article.
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Find out more about how our team can help you digitize and optimize your supply chain in an ever-changing environment.
Or simply give us a call: +49 621 669 439 0
Find out more about how our team can help you digitize and optimize your supply chain in an ever-changing environment.
Or simply give us a call: +49 621 669 439 0
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