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Anonymous Case Study – Daily Planning for Exports, from Production sites to Distribution Centers with ORTEC’s SAP Logistics Software

In the following section, learn how a global consumer packaged goods company optimized its logistics using ORTEC’s multi-level packing and loading solution.

This global consumer goods company, headquartered in Germany, was looking for an interface-free, SAP integrated solution to streamline and realign internal logistics, as part of an extensive project. They decided for ORTEC’s pallet pack, vehicle space and transport load optimization.

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Requirement: Load optimization directly within SAP ERP

The consumer packaged goods company produces products under numerous brands in 200 countries worldwide. They were looking for a way to plan exports from production sites to distribution centers in the best possible, automated way. They wanted to increase automation and preferred a solution that would enable them to optimize loads directly within his SAP ERP.

The Solution: ORTEC for SAP Modules: Transport Load Optimizer (TLO) Pallet pack and vehicle space optimization (PPO + VSO)

The software allows the company’s users to plan daily transports directly in their familiar SAP environment. Using intelligent ORTEC algorithms, pallets and trucks are displayed in 3D graphics, e. g., loaded into containers or trucks in an optimized manner. For example, taking various restrictions, such as stacking, consolidation rules and axle weight into account.

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One global template for the production centers

ORTEC developed a template to globally roll-out the solution in various production centers, taking each center’s requirements into account. In a European location, dispatchers are already planning transports / containers to be shipped to different sites in Europe and other continents.

The basis of the loading planning is not standard SAP documents, such as the SAP Sales Order or the SAP Stock Transport Order. The plan is built using SAP Handling Units instead. A handling unit corresponds to a pallet in the goods issue area. For the customer, it was important to take predefined priorities for individual handling units into account during the load space optimization process.

Our customer’s advantages:

Planning and optimization is fully embedded in SAP and interface-free
Efficient load unit utilization, taking specific loading rules into account
Simple, automated planning of a large number of handling units, including the generation of follow-up processes and documents in SAP ERP
Individual selection / planning option of handling units to be loaded per destination by the transport planner
Improved planning flexibility, while considering various restrictions, such as priorities, stacking rules, center of gravity/axles weights, and more
High planning security
More transparency and improved internal and external communication

Roll-out to Thailand after a success in Germany

Our SAP-integrated solution for pallet- and load building supports this consumer goods manufacturer efficiently in planning their transports to distribution centers in foreign countries. After a positive experience in the first site in Europe, the solution was implemented at a production plant in Thailand. Another one in Brazil will follow shortly.