IT employees were actively involved in the warehouse in Bischofsheim (Germany) to get an idea of what reality in a warehouse looks like and what is important for their processes.
They sit at a desk, look at screens, operate a mouse and keyboard. This is how one imagines the work of IT employees. That they store, label, retrieve or pack products in a warehouse … this does not fit this image. But this is exactly what the CPIM Logistic Execution team did (note: the abbreviation CPIM refers to the central IT department of Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST)). This excursion into warehouse practice did not take place just anywhere, but at the FST distribution center in Bischofsheim.
Christopher Jäckle came up with the idea. The IT team he heads, Logistic Execution, is responsible at FST for all warehouse processes that are mapped in the SAP system. So if, example given, an outbound delivery cannot be booked in an FST warehouse or there are problems with storage, this ends up as a fault ticket on the team’s desk – or rather on the screen of one of the nine team members in Germany, Italy, India or the USA.
Like in Former Times in the SAIL Project
Years ago, when FST integrated all of its locations into a standardized SAP system as part of the SAIL project, Jäckle was often on site in his role at the time. He experienced first-hand what it meant to implement new processes and IT solutions and solve problems. In doing so, he learned how important and effective it is for IT specialists to cooperate with colleagues who work on shopfloor and in warehouses.
“Ideally, IT staff should have worked in the area for which they are responsible for at least a short time. Then they can see and understand the tasks and challenges faced by the employees there. Behind every ticket is a person who has to deal with an unplanned problem at work,” Jäckle says.
No sooner said than done. Bringing IT and “business” closer together – this idea prompted Jäckle to incorporate the camp visit to Bischofsheim into his team’s one-week annual meeting in December. The team members from three continents met physically for the first time in years. They spent several days discussing a wide range of IT topics and process improvements in technical discussions, workshops and hackathons. And they gained practical experience in Bischofsheim.
“A very good idea”
Patrick Hopp, Director Supply Chain Execution Europe, is a so-called key user for the warehouse management system SAP Extended Warehouse Management (EWM) for the distribution center in Bischofsheim. In this role, he acts as the interface between FST’s IT and the service provider Kühne + Nagel, who operate the warehouse on behalf of FST.
Hopp says: “When Christopher Jäckle presented his idea to me, I was surprised at first. A group-sized visit during operations is unusual. But then I quickly realized that it was a very good idea. On the one side, it was good to prove to our service provider that we are taking care of the needs of Kuehne + Nagel associates as a partner and that we are constantly working on process improvements. On the other hand, some things are easier if the IT colleagues have real understanding of the location, the equipment used and our automated warehouse vehicles. This helps them to better understand the overall context. After all, personal interaction promotes mutual understanding and simplifies communication, which is often virtual.”
In the feedback questionnaire, one team member also confirms the positive effect of the “flying” visit to the day-to-day business of a warehouse: “What appears to be a minor disruption on the screen can be a major problem in real working life.” This knowledge speeds up problem solving and facilitates process improvements. In short, such a meeting of IT and business could also serve as a model for other areas and locations.
