Autor: Sebastian Meißner

Regarding to a lack of transparency, expert interviews have shown that many activities in load-carrier-management in companies are performed manually and are prone to errors. The consequences are overstock or more severe understock of load carriers. This article presents the concept of the data-based service “automated monitoring of stock levels”. The service is based on the integration of technologies for identification, communication and localization into conventional load carriers and the generation of data during the logistic process. The data are processed in a cloud-based service-system that triggers supply chain events in case of potential understock of load carriers to prevent supply chain disruptions.

Process modeling represents a challenge for small and medium-sized enterprises. In most cases, the added value is not recognized and is therefore rarely used. This article shows the potential of process modeling in order picking processes. The focus is on the documentation of the processes as well as their execution. Deficits in companies are pointed out and clarified, how the process modeling can solve these. Above all in the management of different process variants adaptive process modeling can show advantages. The resulting adaptive process models form the basis for making processes executable.

The transformation of business models, based on the digitalisation of products, is becoming more and more in the focus of the companies and is also affecting the Load Carrier branch. Intelligent components are integrated into the products, to collect and analyse data in order to create new services. The digital transformation of intelligent products into cyber-physical-systems, which includes a setup of a cloud-based Service System, enables traditional Load Carrier manufacturer to develop new business areas to optimize the supply chain of their customers by offering new services.

Lean material supply and provision concepts are crucial to an efficient production system. In the automobile production are common supply concepts: in-sequence material provision (JIS), vehicle specific sets and non-mixed provision. For the provision of sets containing different part clusters efficient picking processes are necessary. Picking is usually carried out in supermarkets close to the assembly line, which are replenished by warehouses. A scientific project of MAN Truck & Bus AG and the Technische Universität München aims at streamlining these processes and proposes to merge warehousing and picking stages. Prerequisite of a broad implementation of those one-stage material provision concepts is a change in the material supply and disposition strategy.

On the technical level there are different possibilities to fight counterfeiting and to prohibit the use of counterfeited parts in machinery and equipment. The aim should be to enable the machinery control to recognize the exchange of wearing or the assembly of additional parts automatically and to check its originality independently. RFID offers not only the conditions to realise the suggested functions but also to implement additional benefits for manufacturer and customer.