Projects from PureLoX
The software for digital time slot management “plx.planning” ensures the highest level of transparency as tailor-made PERI Slot Management and enables easy planning and control of loading times. Country-specific requirements could be flexibly integrated during the implementation.
PERI is one of the largest international manufacturers and suppliers of formwork and scaffolding systems. With around 9,100 employees and well over 160 warehouse locations in more than 65 countries, the family-owned company headquartered in Weissenhorn, Germany, serves its customers with innovative system equipment and comprehensive services for all aspects of formwork and scaffolding technology.
The most demanding projects with extraordinary engineering solutions all over the world speak for PERI’s expertise and performance. At the same time, the company’s innovative product concepts set standards within the industry. In essence, these are well thought-out technical solutions that enable simple work processes and easy handling.
› Video link: UNTERNEHMEN | PERI – Pionier in der Schalungs- und Gerüsttechnik
PERI has reference projects all over the world (Photos: © PERI).
PERI is already exploiting the enormous potential of digitalization in many areas of the company and, together with its customers, is taking the path to a digital future of construction. The area of logistics plays an important role here. One of PERI’s objectives was therefore to introduce a standardized slot management platform tailored to its own requirements for all locations worldwide.
With regard to the requirements for loading time management, the “Reverse Logistics Process” plays an important role at PERI. Two phases are decisive for logistics. One phase is “Delivery”. This means that for each order, the requested formwork or scaffolding components as well as other products are made available in the outgoing goods department of a warehouse location or rental park for transportation by forwarding agents.
The other phase is “Return”. Once the project has been completed, the delivered components are returned by the forwarding agent to the warehouse location for goods receipt, where they are checked for damage and, if necessary, repaired. The parts are then returned to the warehouse stock and are available for the next project. Due to the high number of daily loading processes, reliable transparency and smooth workflows are important here.
Diagram “Reverse Logistics Process” from PERI (Graphic: © PureLoX SOLUTIONS).
The initial situation in loading time management at PERI before the introduction of Slot Management was manual, paper-driven processes, which were handled differently depending on the location. Communication with forwarders took place via telephone, e-mail, fax and/or Excel/CSV lists. This and unplanned changes in the processes, for example caused by delays, resulted in high personnel costs in managing the logistics processes. Coordination and data exchange took time, and errors could creep in. This led to unnecessary truck downtimes. Digitalization and networking of loading time management were therefore important goals for PERI management.
The PERI project team analyzed the status quo and defined objectives for the introduction of a digital slot management system that can be used worldwide. The aim was to develop a standardized PERI platform that could also take country-specific features into account. Philipp Schertl, Head of Logistics Processes and Systems at PERI:
“From the very beginning, it was important to us to involve the PERI subsidiaries in the process and also to take the freight forwarders with us on the way to a digitally networked world. In view of the challenge of introducing the software worldwide, there should then be a prioritization of the rollout within the PERI Group, starting with our pilot country Norway.”
The requirements for the software were clearly defined by PERI. It should be a modern, web-based and future-proof slot management software that is easy to use and can be flexibly adapted to the requirements of the worldwide locations. In addition, a secure private cloud solution with public access was important. The software partner to be found therefore not only had to offer the right software platform, but also reliably master the “cloud” aspect.
Another point that should not be neglected was the requirements and options for the necessary software interfaces. After all, the planned slot management system needed to communicate with the ERP system in real time as an integrated solution. An interface connection had to be correspondingly simple. All requirements played into the overriding objective of being able to roll out a customized software solution for PERI worldwide as quickly as possible.
After looking at various solutions in a multi-stage selection process, the project managers chose PureLoX SOLUTIONS with its “plx.planning” software for digital time slot management. The web-based software can be used flexibly and customized. As an integrated or deeply integrated solution, it can be intelligently networked with existing systems such as ERP and WMS. This also enables the interplay of picking, delivery and returns with maximum efficiency.
To connect to other systems and applications, plx.planning offers standardized REST API interfaces that use the uniform infrastructure of the World Wide Web on the Internet. This enables simple communication between systems using HTTP methods. This is fast and reliable. At the same time, as a Microsoft partner for Azure Cloud, PureLoX SOLUTIONS meets all the desired requirements for a private cloud with VPN protection with its cloud services.
The project team for the pilot country Norway consisted of logistics and IT specialists from PERI Headquarters, PERI Norge and PureLoX SOLUTIONS. Stefanie Stölzle, Specialist of Logistics Processes and Systems at PERI, took over the project management. She describes the beginnings:
“After a joint workshop in the project team, the customizing of the PERI solution began. We wanted an agile process in which all development steps were carried out in short feedback loops and results were quickly available for user tests. Further development was therefore always carried out with usability in mind. The basic version 1.0 of PERI Slot Management could therefore be developed quickly.”
With the basic version 1.0, which already contained essential standards, PERI produced an information video for the subsidiaries to prepare for the next step – the worldwide rollout. The aim was to effectively communicate the advantages of digitization and at the same time the simplicity of operation under the keywords “image” and “usability”. The PERI team responsible successfully achieved this. Due to the high level of acceptance for the planned digitization process, nothing stood in the way of the worldwide rollout. On the contrary, the project team was assured of active support from the subsidiaries.
› Video link: DIGITAL SOLUTIONS | PERI Slot Management Info Film (EN)
Screenshots from the PERI image video (Photos: ©PERI):
The worldwide rollout of PERI Slot Management was strategically planned and prioritized. Once the basic software had been introduced in Norway, the rollout was carried out in other countries in Europe and at the first suitable locations in North and South America, Asia and the Middle East. The processes for this were standardized in order to proceed efficiently. At the same time, the software was further developed on a user-specific basis to version 2.0.
Simplified illustration: Software rollout at the PERI sites in three waves. PERI Slot Management – as of 03/2024 – is already in use at the sites marked in green (Graphic: © PureLoX SOLUTIONS).
In the next rollout wave, regions were completed and Australia was added. Finally, the third wave took place, which included further locations in the countries and continents, such as Africa. Since 2023, PERI Slot Management has been successfully used by the PERI Group at 45 warehouse locations and rental parks worldwide (as of 03/2024).
Heiner Leipold, Logistics IT Consultant Slot Management System, was responsible for the project on the PureLoX SOLUTIONS side. He describes the process:
“The cloud and web-based nature of the software meant that new versions were available as soon as they were released. This made the entire process design easier. This was particularly important for PERI in the course of the wave-like rollout. At the same time, the PERI experts were able to easily create the interfaces to the ERP system independently thanks to our modern REST API architecture. From the ERP, PERI Slot Management receives, among other things, the tour number for each new outgoing and incoming goods order as well as the responsible forwarding agent. The loading time slots are then booked by the networked forwarders, who have fixed accounts or one-time access.”
There are also interfaces to the PERI Gate Control System (GCS). All new tour data with loading time windows and truck license plates are automatically transferred from the PERI Slot Management to the GCS and updated directly in the event of changes or deletions. When the trucks arrive, the personnel can see the current status and can quickly clear the entrance, which is additionally secured by the license plate scan in the GCS. The status messages are synchronized in both systems. After a truck has left, the tour is completed in PERI Slot Management. The final status is then automatically reported back to the ERP.
PERI Slot Management facilitates the processes in daily use. Stefanie Stölzle:
“It was important for us to implement standardized processes in incoming and outgoing goods for all locations, where local features can be easily integrated. We have succeeded in doing this. Compared to our conventional and manual past in loading time management, there are numerous advantages for us. The digitally networked software platform has significantly simplified the planning and control of loading times. For this purpose, we have perfectly aligned the automatic data exchange between PERI Slot Management and our own PERI ERP system. This provides us with digital transparency at all times, enabling us to react quickly to unplanned changes. As a result, in addition to the high efficiency of the processes, this means less effort for our personnel and less downtime for the trucks.”
Philipp Schertl adds from a management perspective:
“Our subsidiaries and the freight forwarders that we have taken with us on this joint journey have responded very positively to the open development process and the new opportunities. A return to the old days is no longer conceivable for anyone involved. With our PERI Slot Management, we are expanding our claim to be a pioneer in the digitalization of processes. We are very pleased about this. PureLoX SOLUTIONS was the right partner for us for this complex project, which we have successfully launched.”
More about our customer: www.peri.de
› Video link: UNTERNEHMEN | PERI – Pionier in der Schalungs- und Gerüsttechnik (DE)
"*" indicates required fields