Getting a better handle on logistics

Smart phones have become a key part of our daily lives as people use them to carry out banking transactions, book holidays or share some news with the family. It’s easy! We do that all the time using a mobile internet connection. Smart phones are also helping us in the world of work, as special apps simplify and speed up processes, enable us to communicate more easily, and, at the end of the day, save money.

Now, for the first time, application software has been developed to aid logistics at DMK.

Veterinary certificates are needed for export shipments. To issue these documents, users will need to check the shipments.

To check:

• Empty containers (e.g. for damage)
• Identity of the articles being sent
• Closed containers • The seal

A veterinary office in Zeven used to carry out these inspections, and took photographs with a digital camera to document the process.

These were manually uploaded into the SAP-ER system then manually assigned to the SAP transport. Inspectors could assess the information through external access to the system. An app has now been developed to streamline this process, capturing the photos taken with a tablet or smart phone and sending these digitally to the right SAP transport. The app specifies exactly which and how many photos are needed. This will speed up and accelerate the process enormously as well as making it more transparent. Right through the whole process, the container shipment is documented, in a significant added value.

Improvements made:

• Reducing the additional costs associated with the veterinary office.
• Reducing the effort involved in documenting the process with photographs, which took 25 working hours each week in Zeven alone (dealing with approx. 100 containers each week).
• Reducing the possibility of error while creating the photo documentation.
• Minimizing the risks in the approval procedure by ensuring the photo documentation process is complete.
• Digital proof that the shipment was loaded properly.

Project and Process Management Logistics and DMK IT Application Management carried out this pilot project to digitize shipping documentation. Further digitization projects are planned. Logistics and DMK IT Application Management carried out this pilot project to digitize shipping documentation. Further digitization projects are planned.