CSB Solution delivers gains for German dairy producer
A bespoke and fully integrated ERP solution from food and drink IT specialist CSB-System is enabling leading German dairy Privatmolkerei Bechtel to save between two to three days’ time in planning every week, as well as identifying bottlenecks in production and eliminating input errors and incorrect calculations. This has reportedly led to improved overall supply capabilities and adherence to delivery dates.
Unlike the use of stand-alone systems throughout production, the CSB solution delivers valuable consistency through control of the entire process, from sales to production planning and purchasing planning. As a result, as Privatmolkerei Bechtel’s IT Manager Thomas Karl explains: “Input errors through transmissions or incorrect calculations in the data exchanges are not an issue for us at all.”
The CSB software brings together long-term, mid-term and short-term planning in a single system that provides a consistent overview of the entire operation. Long-term sales planning covers both the past seven weeks, the current week and the forecast for the next eight weeks. Planning calculations are based on a number of factors, including order and sales quantities, campaigns, cleaned-up quantities, statistical forecasts, additions and removals from listings, and even public holidays.
Production planning is then based on these long-term plans and can be compared with actual sales from the previous year. Mid-term planning, meanwhile, focuses on an evaluation of stock in hand, current orders, sales forecast, target stock, planned order volumes and planned sequence of production, which can be adjusted to take into account available capacity.
For short-term line planning, daily production schedules are created automatically. Production orders are displayed and can be adjusted in terms of quantity or split, or rescheduled. This enables shift supervisors to maintain a complete overview of activities which, for example, allows changeover and cleaning times to be optimised by changing the production sequence and for any procurement requirements to be verified immediately.
The new planning system gives Privatmolkerei Bechtel much improved visibility, according to the company. “On Wednesday at the latest, the data for next week is available,” says Thomas Karl. The extra time gained also enables staff to further refine future planning to help to optimise production.
The benefits of this improved planning process deliver important cost reductions. In particular, every pallet that is shipped to customers within its sell-by date and which therefore does not end up as a loss, translates into real money for Bechtel, says the company.
