Global supply chain software specialist Ehrhardt Partner Group (EPG) has deployed its innovative Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) LFS at Schneider Electric’s Sarre-Union warehouse and distribution center in France, boosting logistics capacity at the facility by 15 per cent.

Responsible for all enclosures and related accessories to Schneider Electric’s local distribution centers and third-party suppliers all over the world – the equivalent of 30 trucks per day leave the site carrying a collective 30,000 tons of goods, with over 7,500 products in storage, and 15,000 pallets in internal and external locations – reliable and always-on IT and software systems are vital in running the 10,000 sq ft warehouse and distribution center efficiently.

As a company with almost 200 years of history in sustainable innovation, Schneider Electric is a leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, and the provider of electrical distribution equipment and secure energy equipment for homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure, and industry.

Prior to the upgrade, the center’s previous WMS was built on a legacy mainframe, and with existing data becoming less reliable, Schneider Electric looked to EPG to install a flexible, state-of-the-art WMS that could both match their own specific needs more closely as well as future-proof the business at the same time.

 

Fast, trouble-free implementation

LFS is EPG’s off-the-shelf WMS, customized to intelligently connect the planning and control of all material flows in a logistics facility. It actively guides the movement of all manual and automated storage units with 100 per cent safety and transparency, a clear advantage over rival systems. Implementation of the project was trouble-free, and required no downtime at Sarre-Union,

despite the added pressures of the Covid lockdown, which did delay the first ‘go live ’target date. The entire process took 18 months, and the EPG team worked closely with Schneider Electric teams with initial workshops and project specification to prepare for the customization, tests and deployment.

 

Immediate performance uplift

Since implementing LFS, the center has experienced significant improvements to its processes, including a 15 per cent uplift in logistics capacity. In just three months, the center was outperforming previous benchmarks and has boosted capacity by 15 per cent.

“All configurations are controlled by our own key users, who can manage the jobs, change the flows and processes all by ourselves,” confirms Department Operations Manager Kevin Cartolano. “The label management facility enables us to print directly via LFS. The benefits of that include no fixed batch jobs and no downtime needed to integrate new orders. Meanwhile, the printer management function permits key users nominated by us to manage individual printers.”

Schneider Electric managers and staff were also impressed with the system’s easy-touse interface. This makes it more comfortable for relevant teams to adopt, particularly as it is flexible enough to be used on several platforms as required throughout the facility, such as tablets, handheld units, laptops and desktop computers.

“Schneider Electric is delighted with the flexibility benefits provided by the multiple functionalities incorporated within the customized LFS,” Kevin Cartolano shared. “The quality and speed of communication provided by EPG’s versatile and expert support personnel have been commendable, and we look forward to working with EPG on many future upgrading projects.”