Completed WMS projects
Adalbert Zajadacz GmbH
Selecting a Warehouse Management System
Branch
- Wholesale industry
- Electronics Industry
The team warehouse logistics was asked by the company Adalbert Zajadacz GmbH (Zacadacz) for support during the selection of a warehouse management system (WMS) for all its subsidiaries. Zajadacz is a wholesaler for electrical appliances with headquarters in Neu Wulmstorf and acts as mediator between industry, trade and craft. The company was established in 1932 in Hamburg as a electronics wholesaler. In the course of time Zajadacz took over some of its competitors. Today, the company has a staff of 450 and an overall turnover of 150 Mio Euros. From its 12 subsidiaries it supplies more than 8,500 installers and specialized traders from Flensburg to Magdeburg, from Rügen to Emden. Furthermore, they operate two self-service subsidiaries where – as at all the other subsidiaries – the customers can collect their goods.
Intention and goal
In recent years Zajadacz has experienced a considerable growth, also owing to takeovers of direct competitors. This lead to a certain kind of heterogeneity, not just as far as logistics is concerned. The first step of the harmonisation or consolidation of the IT environment will be the introduction of a new warehouse management system. The team warehouse logistics was asked to provide substantiated information about suitable WMS suppliers and their systems. This should on the one hand ensure that the current functional requirements as well as future IT demands will be met by the WMS system. On the other hand it should be ensured that the potential WMS supplier “suits” Zajadacz.
Definition of requirements
The requirements on the future WMS were put down in a performance specification according to Zajadacz’s longterm logistic concept. Important aspects were, among others, the simultaneous management of serial and batch numbers and an extensive support of the EAN and the permanent inventory. The WMS should allow for a paperless material flow, the picking of small parts by pick-by voice and the automatic control of replenishments in case of lower deviations of the minimum quantity. In addition to this a conclusive reporting offering the functions of a control station should give an overview over the current order, labour and performance status.
Workshop WMS selection
By visiting several exhibitions and checking the offers and presentations of local WMS suppliers Zajadacz could limit the number of potential suppliers to four. During a workshop together with the team warehouse logistics these remaining four were put to the “acid test”:
- The scope of functions was compared in detail, weak and strong points were pointed out
- The offers were checked with regard to completeness and scope
- The suppliers were compared with regard to company size, number of employees, references, etc.
Result
Together with Zajadacz the team warehouse logistics developed a ranking of the four remaining WMS suppliers which did not focus on the scope of functions but mainly on the experience, the qualification of the staff and the methods which the WMS supplier used to carry out a project. In other words, the “chemistry” between Zajadacz and the potential WMS supplier had to be right.
