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SAP LES Implementation at CLAAS
Connection of a control logic for decentralised production supply
Global leader for agricultural machinery implements SAP LES for production supply
About Claas
CLAAS KGaA mbH, headquartered in Harsewinkel in eastern Westphalia, is the world market leader in the manufacture of self-propelled forage harvesters and is also the market leader in the combine harvester product group. Claas also occupies top positions with tractors as well as agricultural presses and grassland harvesting machines. The product range also includes state-of-the-art agricultural information technology.
CLAAS employs over 11,400 people worldwide and achieved sales of 3.8 billion euros in the 2019 financial year.
Industry: Mechanical Engineering
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Initial situation
During the optimisation of the logistics processes, Claas was faced with the question of which warehouse management system was the right one. A major focus was on the topics of customer orientation and customer service, which above all brought with it requirements for flexibility in logistics.
Against this background, the decision was made in 2006 in favour of the SAP LES warehouse management system.
The top 2 challenges
- Integration of a control logic for decentralised production supply
- Direct connection to the high rack warehouse
Solutions and services used
- SAP LES
- Mobile data recording
Implementation highlights
- Tailor-made connection of the automatic high-bay warehouse
- Integration of a forklift control system
- Restructuring and optimisation of the goods receiving process
Key benefits for Claas
- Significant savings in supply logistics
- Shorter provisioning times
- Optimised use of forklifts
Project highlights
Production supply in a decentralised environment
A major challenge in implementing the entire SAP system was the connection of the production supply to a decentralised LES as well as the integration of the material flow into the complex plant structure.
The multi-layered supply of the production lines required a timely and targeted provision of goods from the warehouse, from the smallest screw to axles and tanks. The long routes of the goods from the warehouse to the assembly line were defined in several stages using SAP WM means, accompanied online with RF and the transports were carried out using a forklift guidance system.
Efficient goods receipt thanks to restructuring
In the course of implementing the high-bay warehouse, the entire goods receiving process was revised and converted to delivery. Only this made it possible to use delivery notifications as advice notes.
By structuring the goods receiving area, the identification of the delivered goods and the preparation for storage was considerably simplified and accelerated.
The main goods receipt activities are monitored seamlessly and promptly with RF:
- Deconsolidation
- Container-related preparation for storage
- Removal of inspection quantities for QM
Connection to an automatic high-bay warehouse
The connection of the new automatic high-bay warehouse proved to be a further challenge. This is designed both for the retrieval of entire storage units as well as for small quantity order picking according to the “goods-to-man” principle.
Both the optimisation of the storage and retrieval processes and the control of the movements in the high-bay warehouse are carried out completely in the SAP LES system. This includes:
- Equal utilisation of RBG
- Equal material distribution over all aisles
- Sensible timing of the complete removals from storage
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Demand-oriented and access-optimised utilisation of the picking processes
