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Bossard Holding relies on LFS as a central component of their supply chain
16.08.2024
Global Expansion: Bossard relies on LFS for efficient logistics management in new locations.
To meet the complex demands of the automotive and high-tech industries worldwide, Bossard Holding AG relies on the LFS warehouse management system as a central component of its supply chain. Following implementations in Asia, Strasbourg, Johannesburg, and the USA are next. Bossard Holding AG, a Swiss expert in fastening technology, aims to streamline its organically grown and fragmented IT landscape by 2031 to enhance supply chain efficiency. The LFS warehouse management system from EPG (Ehrhardt Partner Group) plays a key role in the company’s internal BOOST program. EPG's supply chain specialists are progressively implementing LFS at all global locations, with the most recent parallel go-lives in Strasbourg and Johannesburg. Nine locations in the USA will follow. Bossard products are integral to many items used daily, both privately and across various industries: whether in hospital equipment, home offices, or public transportation, Bossard Holding AG's products are nearly omnipresent.
The multinational corporation, Headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, Bossard Holding AG is a global specialist in industrial fastening and assembly solutions, including screws and nuts for OEM customers. The company's portfolio also includes specialized developments in application engineering, having been founded in 1831.
LFS as a Central Component of the Bossard Supply Chain
Maintaining highly efficient logistics across more than 40 warehouses is crucial for Bossard. If specific fastening elements are unavailable for a customer, production lines of leading automotive and high-tech companies could come to a halt. In the BOOST program, LFS from EPG is vital for creating more resilient, faster, and efficient processes in close collaboration with customers.
Bossard has been working with EPG for several years; in 2018, they implemented the WCS material flow controller in Zug. The WCS allows Bossard to centrally connect various equipment from different manufacturers through the software, whether in a logistics center or at different locations, and provides real-time oversight of operations. EPG’s insight into the BOOST program, involving 40 locations, ensured that a well-structured program organization coordinating all rollouts could successfully manage parallel processes across three continents. »An effective new program organization with specialized project teams was established. This structure allows independent teams to work simultaneously, meeting desired timelines and maintaining consistent quality,« says program manager Ozan Eycan.
In recent years, locations in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Copenhagen have been successfully integrated with the LFS system. »LFS has proven to be a stable and reliable solution at all previous locations. Therefore, it was clear to us that we would also design the BOOST program with EPG,« says Giuseppe Aruanno, Chief Information Officer at Bossard Holding. LFS minimizes errors and provides high-quality analysis of all relevant metrics. »LFS is flexible and easily accommodates our industry-specific processes. We can gradually unify our logistical operations within the group and make processes more transparent. The initial training and onboarding effort for customers and warehouse staff is also minimal,« explains Aruanno. Additionally, each location has unique requirements and specifics, such as the product range to be maintained.
The LFS system includes all necessary specifications for shipping screws, nuts, rivets, and taps with an industry-specific software module. Besides easy handling of fastening elements, each location can also manage returns and value-added services efficiently with LFS. Bossard must be able to quickly deliver items of various sizes to automotive manufacturers at any time.
Roll-Out in Strasbourg and Johannesburg
At the Bossard warehouse in Strasbourg, where LFS was launched in March, 9,150 pallets, 10,700 half-pallets, and 34,000 small boxes are managed across 12,000 square meters. Bossard supplies both end customers and branches or warehouse locations of its clients. The challenge for EPG was to organize the go-live in Johannesburg simultaneously with Strasbourg. »This was new for us, but it worked very well due to the previous parallel rollouts and the experiences we gained during the project in Asia,« says EPG project manager Michael Brandner. A unique aspect of the Strasbourg warehouse is handling hazardous materials. However, thanks to a specially developed module, integrating it into LFS is no problem. »Warehouse staff then know exactly how to package products and which special shipping regulations apply,« explains Brandner.
In Strasbourg and Johannesburg, LFS is nearly completely and seamlessly implemented. After the hyper-care phase at the project's end, the transition to hotline and support will follow. The multi-carrier shipping software (ISS) is also integrated into LFS at the French warehouse for more efficient package management. The shipping solution provides access to over 250 different courier, freight, and postal service providers through a single interface. »This multi-carrier strategy enables our customers to optimize their shipments, respond flexibly to the advantages and disadvantages of each carrier, and reduce their shipping costs,« says Brandner. The software ensures that each package is automatically assigned the correct shipping label. Furthermore, Timesquare, EPG's supply chain control tower for monitoring all current warehouse activities and defined KPIs globally, will also be connected.
New Locations in the USA and Asia to Follow
Further rollouts are imminent: later this year, in addition to three locations in Asia, another nine sites in the USA will transition to LFS and ISS simultaneously. »The overall feedback from Bossard is positive: The fact that the implementations have gone so smoothly is by no means a given and is only possible because a successful global team has grown over the past years. This team embodies program organization, where everyone has a feel for the overall system and knows their point of contact,« says Wolfgang Jöbstl, program sponsor at EPG.