Novità

Raab Karcher Warehouse live with SattStore

24.06.2008

Consafe Logistics and Raab Karcher Bouwstoffen in Netherlands have worked closely together in implementing a new SattStore WMS

Consafe Logistics and Raab Karcher Bouwstoffen in Netherlands – a subsidiary of the French multinational Saint Gobain – have worked closely together in implementing a new SattStore WMS, a new wireless data communication network, additionally providing all warehouse-vehicles and order pickers with mobile terminals. This is a complete innovation for the new central Raab Karcher warehouse in Tilburg.

One of the goals set for Raab Karcher by Saint Gobain, is to remain the market leader supplying construction materials to the professional building & construction industry. The organization, who wants to be the biggest, by being the best, finds it extremely important to know everything there is to know about building materials and the way they are used. Through a thorough understanding of the market and a clear knowledge of the customer’s needs, Raab Karcher strives to present the right solution at the right moment. This could mean new products with the accompanying advice, but could also mean logistical services or innovative marketing concepts such as Archihome and Inspiration. The vast knowledge of Raab Karcher is based on the wealth of experience that dates back to the 19th century.

SattStore
Raab Karcher services their Dutch customers through a distribution-chain of over 50 branches divided up in four regions: North, East, South and West. The regions are managed from the head office in Tilburg, where the central warehouse is located.

In this central warehouse the SattStore WMS was implemented by Consafe Logistics, together with a new wireless (radio) network that will assure communication between the WMS and the mobile terminals on the forklifts and other warehouse-vehicles. This meant a total installation of 20 TraffiCom mobile terminals. An additional feature is that the outside-premises of the warehouse is also equipped with Cisco Access Points, meaning that all vehicles whether inside or out have direct connection to the SattStore WMS.

The central warehouse stores all building materials that Raab Karcher uses to supply the professional building & construction industry. "It is of the utmost importance for Raab Karcher as a market leader to deliver quality to their customers. Not only in building materials and as mentioned before in knowledge of the building process and applied materials, but also from a logistical point of view. To achieve this SattStore was installed, accompanied by a wireless network and mobile terminals. This assures that the Sales and Distribution departments know exactly what the stock-levels are, allowing them to provide "tailor-made" distribution", says Ronald Schepers, Sales Manager for Consafe Logistics.

Project manager John Heere adds that the project began in 2007. "We were able to meet all of the customer’s expectations. In April and May the system was thoroughly tested, and all employees of Raab Karcher that needed to be involved in the project were trained. The project went 'live' in the weekend of June 7th. We hardly came across any errors or problems in the system, and the goal is to hand the system over to the customer on June 20th.“