Audi has an important production site in Vorst – Brussels. With the aim to reduce stock levels without reducing service level, storage of maintenance parts was both centralized and brought closer to the production lines. To accomplish this, a warehouse management system was needed.

 

SAPSTROOM was selected to do this project, from blue print to go-live and support after go-live.

 

The main challenges were the large variety of parts (over 30000 – mostly non-moving – SKUs), as well as getting a smooth and fast way to create and approve new parts in a well-controlled way. On top of that, processes had to be efficient and parts needed to be labelled well (components looking superficially similar may be quite different in their specifications).

 

In a first phase, SAP WM was set up for main storage and external procurement in the central warehouse, with replenishment to the decentralized warehouses close to the production lines, where minimal stocks were kept to ensure swift supply to the production line.

 

In a second phase, reporting functionality was built in for inbound delivery and reservation performance monitoring.

 

In a third phase SAPSTROOM provided in-depth training, including course material and exercises, to the warehouse workers and production technicians to improve their knowledge of the new system.

 

The SAPSTROOM/AUDI team managed to deliver the solutions on time and within budget – in time for the newly provisioned warehouse building.

 

Summary of achievements :

• Material Master creation process with multiple approval steps
• Typical SAP WM implementation with a variety of storage types
• External procurement in the central warehouse
• Smooth replenishment of decentral warehouses
• Simplified production supply through either the decentral warehouses – or in case of a less common part, through the central warehouse
• Cross docking functionality in the central warehouse
• Extensive label printing for the parts
• In-depth training of the warehouse workers
• …..