It all started as a one-man operation in a garage in Achim near Bremen. Now, Hansa-Flex, a systems provider specializing in fluid technology, employs over 4,400 people. The new building, featuring an automated pallet warehouse, went into operation in 2022. The switch to Viadat 9.1 also proved to be the right choice.
The products and services range from simple hydraulic and pneumatic hose assemblies to engineering, power unit construction, cylinder repair, and series production for original equipment manufacturers. The new building, covering an area of 18,000 square meters, comprises a four-part complex with administration, logistics and production halls, and a high-bay warehouse.
At the same time, Hansa-Flex carried out a complete update of its software landscape at its three locations: The existing SAP R/3 system was migrated to SAP S/4HANA. This also included an update of the warehouse management system, with the aim of increasing the productivity of logistics processes: "Our customers expect to receive their goods ever faster," explains Christine Linz, Head of the Central Warehouse. "In addition, we want to expand the capacity of our online shop to be able to serve an even larger customer base."
Until then, Hansa-Flex used two systems in its logistics operations: The manual warehouses in Geisenfeld and at the "old" location "Zum Panrepel 44" in Bremen were managed with SAP WM, which is scheduled to be discontinued in 2027. The automated tray warehouse with 24,500 storage locations at "Zum Panrepel" and the automated container warehouse in Geisenfeld with 36,000 storage locations used the warehouse management system Viadat – initially version 4.0 since 1993, and then version 6.2 since 2006.
Fast service. Image: Hana-Flex
With the planned migration to SAP S/4HANA, Hansa-Flex faced a choice: either manage all warehouse areas – automatically and manually – via SAP or the SAP EWM module, or use SAP S/4HANA only for the higher-level functions and implement warehouse management using Viadat version 9.1. "But we definitely wanted to have all materials in our various warehouses in one system," recalls Linz. Ultimately, the decision was made in favor of Viadat 9: "Our employees are familiar with Viadat – even though the new version represents a significant leap, they still have a certain degree of familiarity," says Christine Linz. "Therefore, the learning process was easier for them than with the considerably more complex SAP." Hansa-Flex rated Viadat 9 as superior to SAP EWM overall in terms of both cost and time expenditure.
Hose lengths precisely recorded
But Viadat 9 also impressed with its functionality, as Tobias Seidel, Supply Chain Manager at Hansa-Flex, reports: "Viadat enables individual hose length management in the automated pallet warehouse at our company headquarters." Previously, the hose warehouse was managed by SAP, Seidel explains. However, the system only "knew" the total amount of hose material on a pallet. It didn't record how many meters of hose were on the various rolls stored on a pallet.
“Previously, a pallet would be retrieved, and the required length of hose would be cut from a roll as needed. This process was very time-consuming.” In contrast, Viadat 9.1 stores the exact number of meters available for each roll on a pallet. For example, if a 30-meter hose is ordered today, the system knows whether the desired length is already in stock and retrieves the appropriate pallet directly. “This has significantly improved picking performance in the hose warehouse alone and reduced the amount of leftover stock,” Seidel emphasizes.
Automatic replenishment
In Geisenfeld, Viadat controls not only the automated small parts warehouse, but also the fast-moving goods area, including the tugger train: "We store the most frequently requested items in the lower section of the shelves," explains Tobias Seidel. "From this area, an employee uses the tugger train to retrieve packaging units directly from the shelf, enabling particularly fast picking." Viadat fully automatically manages the replenishment of the fast-moving goods from the upper shelf areas.
Furthermore, viastore has implemented a free choice of storage location here, as Markus Ott, project manager at viastore, adds: "The standard is that Viadat specifies the storage location on the shelf. With Hansa-Flex, however, the warehouse staff were able to work more efficiently when they had the option of choosing the appropriate storage location themselves."
“We configured the system so that each user only sees the information that is actually relevant to them,” explains Seidel. For example, the order picking process is now much more transparent and user-friendly, as Seidel continues: “For every order, the system also displays an image of the item to be picked – this significantly reduces picking errors.” Furthermore, key performance indicators (KPIs) can be visualized graphically in individual dashboards. “Today, we pull the most important KPIs from the system daily,” says Christine Linz.
Working hand in hand...
Viadat has now been in operation for over a year – with great success: "We are currently significantly faster in picking times in the hose area thanks to the interaction of the automated pallet warehouse and Viadat9," Seidel explains, describing the productivity gains. Christine Linz emphasizes that picking quality has also improved considerably. "Thanks to the visual display of the items in the picking dialog and an additional scan of the item number, picking the wrong item is no longer possible."
