LeanwareWMS transformed the warehouse management of Finland’s leading manufacturer of electrical, telecommunications and automation products into a real-time system that allowed the standard of automation to be elevated.
Delivery reliability and customer satisfaction go hand in hand. When striving for a high level of customer satisfaction, products have to be delivered to the customer on the promised service level. To ensure top-notch delivery reliability, products need to be at the right place at the right time.
The Sonepar logistics center in Vantaa has a selection of more than 20,000 products. In recent years, the company has also invested in warehouse automation, which made it possible to further increase the product selection and service level.
“We promise our customers reliable and quick delivery to all of Finland. Our old in-house logistics guidance system was a fixed part of our ERP system and would no longer conform to the demands of modern warehouse management and automation,” Sonepar’s Director of Logistics Lasse Sevonkari says.
Raising the level of automation is one of the most significant aspects to influence the competitiveness and profitability of a warehouse. This is why the new system was chosen from a company with strong track record of other, similar projects and the ability to understand and improve warehouse processes also outside of technology.
“Leanware’s solid experience with modern automation environments and its reputation as a reliable local operator positively influenced the supplier choice,” Sonepar’s Director of Logistics Lasse Sevonkari says.
Sonepar’s logistics center uses a very varied warehouse, which sets its own challenges for picking. The quality of picking is directly reflected in keeping delivery times and errorless deliveries. Previously, the warehouse used fixed warehouse locations and picking was done using paper picking lists.
“Along with the new LeanwareWMS, the warehouse locations are dynamic, which has significantly improved the utilization of the warehouse.” The LeanwareWMS guides warehousing and keeps a real time log about materials and their locations.
Thanks to the renewal, all reporting was digitalized. Paper picking lists were completely given up and they were replaced with touch-screen forklift PCs and tablets. The change of tools has brought new meaningfulness to work and makes using seasonal workers easier.
“LeanwareWMS is an easy-to-use warehouse management system. A lot of temporary and part-time staff is used in the industry, and their onboarding time has significantly decreased due to the renewal. On the other hand, the change has also created new kinds of skill requirements as staff is now using modern tools,” says Sonepar’s Director of Logistics Lasse Sevonkari.
Thanks to LeanwareWMS, the quality of operations has developed, stock balance management has become real-time and operational reliability has improved. The number of errors has also decreased. All events, such as taking inventory, are now real-time.
“LeanwareWMS has brought continuity to business operations and enabled the improvement of automation level and capacity. The level of service and logistics has improved with regard to the end customer. The change has also brought along new kinds of service models and enabled their development,” Sevonkari states.
