In the last three years, companies and their supply chains have been confronted with extreme challenges and previously unknown situations due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the outbreak of the Ukraine war, and climate change-related natural disasters, among other things. In the face of these globally impactful risk outbreaks, the importance of the topic of supply chain risk management is growing and has now become a top priority for 58% of the companies.

This is just one of the findings resulting from Miebach Consulting's second edition of the global market survey on the relevance and success factors of supply chain risk management with nearly 300 participating companies. Other findings of the study are:

“Supply chains are 40% more likely to be affected by disruptions than in 2019, and the disruptions that do occur result in more dramatic impacts. Accordingly, the demands for risk mitigation, flexibility, and resilience in supply chains are increasing. This is where supply chain risk management can make an important contribution,” says Tim Wagner, Consultant at Miebach.

Depending on the severity of the disruption, participating companies experienced financial losses averaging between 0.6% to a peak of 4% of annual sales last year. The most common consequences of the disruptions included delivery delays, blocked delivery routes, and rising transport costs.

About 50% of respondents with supply chain risk management in place were able to mitigate the impact of the top risks. In doing so, 68% of companies were able to bypass blocked supply routes, thereby maintaining their procurement or distribution flows and minimizing the impact. The negative effects of delivery delays were reduced by as many as 80% of companies.

94% of companies have established a process for supply chain risk management, but fewer than one in five include the entire supply chain in the process. Low system-side support (51% without a system) ensures that the benefits of a supply chain risk management process are not fully realized.

Three-quarters of respondents want to continue investing in supply chain risk management in the future. The focus is on optimizing the process as a whole.

In strengthening resilience, companies are focusing on redundancies in inventory or procurement (dual/multi-sourcing) in the short term - structural changes in the supply chain are planned for the long term, such as nearshoring.

“If the past few years have taught one thing, it is that supply chain risk management is essential for companies to navigate safely through difficult times and secure competitive advantages in the long term,” sums up Daniel Simon, Senior Consultant, Miebach Consulting.

The complete results of the report can be requested free of charge under this link or by e-mail to Ralf Hoffmann (hoffmann@miebach.com).

On March 14, DB Schenker, a leader in supply chain management and logistics solutions, officially opened its new automated e-commerce center in Guadalajara (Spain). One of their primary clients, a multinational sportswear company, will be using this facility to centralize all of its e-commerce destined for Spain, Portugal, and the south of France.

Miebach Consulting has actively participated in this project, offering consulting and engineering services for its implementation, which has included participating in the “ramp up” until stabilization. Miebach worked with this customer, as well as the internal and external suppliers, to carry out the coordination of the activities, including the definition and management of the functional tests of the systems and equipment.

DB Schenker's new, highly robotized warehouse consists of almost 50,000 m2 dedicated to warehousing and online order picking, and has the capacity to process more than 120,000 units per day. It has also been awarded the "BREEAM Very Good" sustainable certification, given to buildings that reduce environmental impact and save energy costs.

According to Alfredo Alcalá, Head of Contract Logistics Iberia at DB Schenker, "DB Schenker is committed to serving the e-Commerce sector with its innovative strength and proven reliability. The automated solutions for our Guadalajara operations were installed in a record time of only four months and have already proven their stability and flexibility around Black Friday and the holiday season. We are proud to meet the expectations and trust of our customers."

Rolf Endres, Miebach director responsible for this project, comments that "this project was a real challenge due to the demanding implementation schedule ahead of us. Thanks to the professionalism and involvement of the entire team, the installation was up and running in record time."

About DB Schenker

DB Schenker is the leading company in the management and logistics of the supply chain through all types of transport, on which industry and commerce rely for the global exchange of goods. Present in 130 countries, it has a network of more than 1,850 offices and a global team of around 76,100 people. A pioneer in innovative logistics solutions and environmental responsibility, DB Schenker aims to become the world's leading provider of green logistics services and to achieve climate neutrality by 2040.

Investments in supply chain and logistics have shot up exponentially over the last few years. In order to improve supply chain resilience and better manage complexity, companies are increasingly investing in real estate, new equipment or technology and digitalization of data and processes – which can quickly add up to an eight-digit price tag.

In order to provide clients with financial support within the project, Miebach Consulting enters into a strategic partnership with DLL, a global asset finance company for equipment and technology.

Miebach Consulting and DLL add value by financing and realizing logistics projects

“In supply chain and logistics projects the aspect of financing the investment is an integral success factor and should be addressed right from the start to not become a roadblock for implementation. Therefore, we are very glad to enhance the one-stop-shop experience for our clients by providing the comprehensive financial expertise and services of our partner DLL,” says Jürgen Hess, CEO, Miebach Consulting Group.

Both firms share a full understanding of the logistics ecosystem and related complexities and have a widespread global footprint, making it possible that projects around the globe can be ideally supported. DLL offers a complete range of financing solutions for entire ventures including progress payments, software, equipment and installation costs, another value add for clients in all project phases.

A holistic business case enables shorter pay-back times

“Funding intralogistics is much more than just providing money. By combining the key strengths of Miebach and DLL, we enable companies to invest into the most beneficial technology for their business and to realize their automation projects time and cost-effectively,” says Marco Wagner, Global Head of Intralogistics at DLL.

“Together with DLL, we are able to provide a genuine 360 degrees business case, including financing options as early as possible into the project. This will help logistics and supply chain executives to implement projects with a 30-50% higher chance driven by shorter pay-back times,” says Marcel Reinhardt, Global Head of Supply Chain Financing.

For more information about this partnership please contact Marcel Reinhardt (reinhardt@miebach.com). 

About DLL

DLL is a global asset finance company for equipment and technology with a managed portfolio of more than EUR 35 billion. Founded in 1969 and headquartered in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, DLL provides financial solutions to the Materials Handling, Intralogistics, Transportation, Industrial, Construction, Agriculture, Food, HealthcareClean Technology, Office Equipment and Technology industries in more than 25 countries.  DLL partners with equipment manufacturers, integrators, consultancy agencies, real estate companies and equipment users to enable businesses to more easily access equipment, technology and software.
DLL is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rabobank Group.
www.dllgroup.com

The German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act, which became effective on January 1, 2023, is currently stirring up controversy. Supporters see the regulation primarily as a necessary instrument to motivate companies to act more sustainably and make improvements in terms of human rights, working conditions, fair pay, etc. Others argue that the legislation will not bring about any noticeable changes in society and will also lead to high bureaucratic hurdles for companies.

What do German companies think of the new legislation and are they sufficiently prepared for it? To address these questions, Miebach Consulting, in collaboration with GS1 Germany, conducted a study with nearly 500 participants in the summer of 2022 to determine the attitude of German businesses toward the upcoming regulations, as well as what measures have already been taken or are planned.

In general, the study participants' expectations of the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act can be described as positive, although not everyone is yet willing to pay the price for sustainability. Almost half of the participants stated that the legislation will have a positive impact on the environment and society or can contribute to fair competition. On the other hand, 41% of companies focus on the increasing administrative burden and higher costs, especially since the specific requirements of the law are unclear to many companies and responsible employees.

In contrast to highly regulated industries, transparency in the supply chain in particular could become a challenge for companies from less regulated industries. While there is often still sufficient transparency for Tier 1 suppliers, data on human rights- or environment-related obligations, such as records of weekly working hours, appropriate minimum wages, but also the handling of environmentally harmful substances and products, are often not available for Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers.

“Despite the possible additional costs and efforts, regulation via the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act is, in our view, an important instrument to motivate companies to be more sustainable. While more than 30% have already introduced sustainability-related measures due to customer requirements, regulations are the second most important driver for companies to start sustainability initiatives with 25%” - says Anastasiia Omelchuk, Consultant, Miebach Consulting GmbH.

In particular, many companies cite the (upcoming) legislation in Germany and even stricter regulations at the European level as the main reason for introducing a sustainability strategy. 18% name their employees as the most important driver for sustainability. 

Over 60% of participating companies say they are optimistic about their preparation measures for the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act and are not making any major changes within their current supply chains or with suppliers. According to the study participants, 43% of the companies are already working on their action plan as well as measures in preparation for the law coming into force. For example, one of these actions is to work with current suppliers to ensure they are compliant with the new legislation.

Collaboration between supply chain partners is a particularly important measure with regard to the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act. However, despite numerous examples of effective sustainability collaboration, this option is still often neglected. For example, approximately 40% of study participants indicate that they primarily pursue collaboration between internal departments to promote sustainability. The data on collaboration with tier-1 suppliers (25%) and consulting firms (15%) show a positive trend, but the collaboration is still too hesitant in the context of the new law’s requirements for transparency along the entire supply chain. 

“In addition to cross-company collaboration, standardization in data exchange will play a crucial role for companies in the future to enable transparency and sustainable actions. The digitalization of business processes is an important requirement for this” - says Thomas Krebs, Senior Principal, Miebach Consulting GmbH. 

The study can be requested from Ralf Hoffmann (hoffmann@miebach.com) or by using the form on this page (link).

In cooperation with the Deutsche Verkehrs-Zeitung (DVZ), Miebach Consulting is launching the ninth edition of our outsourcing study for logistics experts from manufacturing, retail, and the service provider sectors and invites them to participate in the online survey until February 28, 2023. 

“This year, we would like to focus on the contributing factors of a successful outsourcing realization phase. In addition, we have included new criteria in the survey that could be relevant for the awarding decision, such as the ESG aspects for addressing sustainable economic activity" - says Dr. Klaus-Peter Jung, Partner, Miebach Consulting.   

The study on outsourcing has been conducted by Miebach Consulting at regular intervals for over 25 years. The aim of the study is to identify the current status, criteria, procedures, and success components of logistics outsourcing as well as long-term developments and changes.  

Participation in the survey takes about 15 minutes. The results will be analyzed completely anonymously and sent to each respondent upon request. 

The following links will take you to the questionnaires geared to specific industry sectors: 

Questionnaire for manufacturing and retail: https://questionpro.eu/t/AB3utBzZB3vYqh

Questionnaire for logistics service providers: https://questionpro.eu/t/AB3utBzZB3vYq1 

If you have any questions, please contact Andrew Marshall (e-mail: marshall@miebach.com). 

Miebach Consulting launches the survey for the newest edition of the Supply Chain Risk Management market study which was first published in 2019. Participation in the online questionnaire (link) is valid until February 15th, 2023.

These days, risks are almost an everyday occurrence; demands for flexible and more resilient supply chains have increased. In addition, there are strict regulations on the horizon that will put companies and their supply chains under pressure in regard to human rights and environmental issues. If the past few years have taught us anything, it is that risk management is indispensable for companies to be able to navigate safely through difficult times.

In the first edition of the 2019 study, disruptions due to complex supply chain structures were named as the main risk drivers.  Aim of the new survey is to evaluate  measures that have proven to be successful over the past 12 months and to highlight the relevance that companies appoint to this topic today.

The results of the study are intended to show medium term trends in the market and provide sound information. Answering the online questionnaire (link) takes about 15 minutes. The results will be evaluated anonymously and sent to each study participant upon request.

For question, please contact Daniel Simon (email: simon@miebach.com) or Tim Wagner (email: wagnert@miebach.com).

ULaaDS (Urban Logistics as an on-Demand Service) is an EU-funded project that started two years ago with the aim of making certain European cities more sustainable by relocating logistics activities and reconfiguring the flow of goods at different scales. This project is developed through a consortium that is composed of 24 entities related to various professional activities and of which Miebach Consulting is part as a logistics consulting representative.

The project is structured around seven urban logistics business models and schemes, piloted in Bremen, Groningen and Mechelen and replicated in other satellite cities (Alba Iulia, Bergen, Edinburgh and Rome). To date, several of these pilots have already been launched.

After a long period of remote communication due to the pandemic, two on-site visits to the cities of Groningen and Mechelen have been organized in recent months to see the different pilots in operation and to learn in detail about their SUMP (Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan) concepts. Workshops were also held to analyze the different challenges faced during the implementation of the pilot tests, to present the conclusions and results obtained so far and to determine the next steps to be taken. Finally, the satellite cities that are part of the project consortium also had the opportunity to present solutions implemented in their area and exchange information with the rest of the project partners.

Bremen

Two pilots have been initiated in this city:

• Last mile containerization: this initiative aims to eliminate the use of delivery vans for the last mile. It consists of delivering packages to three microhubs located at different points in the city and from there deliveries to the customer with cargo bikes, which would normally be made with a van. These bicycles are containerized, so they can pick up pallet-sized containers and deliver them directly. This reduces handling time at the microhubs.
• Replacing private vehicles with cargo bikes: the second pilot aims at "private micro-logistics" to make it easier for citizens to use cargo bikes to move or transport goods, avoiding the use of their private vehicles. Cargo bikes can be reserved and rented free of charge at participating host and partner stations, and they can be used for 24 hours.

Groningen

This city in the Netherlands, which wants to turn its historic center into a zero-emission zone for logistics transport by 2025, has been the site of two ULaaDS pilot tests:

• Shared clean vehicles: in collaboration with the Groningen City Club business consortium and a car rental company, business owners in the historic city center are offered zero-emission vehicles for rent at no additional cost: electric vans, various models of cargo bikes and a city carver (hybrid between motorcycle and car, see picture). This fleet of vehicles is at disposal to deliver goods or for reverse logistics to the stores or premises. The pilot is being launched and will run for six months. Through the reservation system and GPS data, the duration and times of use will be analyzed and, through surveys with users, their level of satisfaction and reason for use will be evaluated. Extrapolation of this data will show whether this solution can change the methodology of goods deliveries in the city center.
• Multimodal Hub: The second pilot consists of the creation of a hub located on the outskirts of the city, which integrates parcel lockers or lockers for parcel collection, Park & Ride areas (car parking and connection point with public transport) and bike sharing stations. The services offered can be expanded with luggage storage areas, cafeterias, etc. The parcel lockers will be operational very soon, once the final security and surveillance issues have been resolved.

Mechelen

This Belgian city, which aims to reduce its logistics emissions in the city to zero by 2030, hosts two of the ULaaDS pilots:

• Cargo-Hitching: this is the first autonomous vehicle that circulates in a public space combining the transport of passengers and goods. This vehicle can carry up to eight people and includes six compartments of different sizes where the packages to be delivered are placed. Despite being a pilot test of short duration (2 months, and the first one only to ensure the safe transport of passengers), the response from users has been positive. In total 300 people have used the service as transportation and 26 reservations have been made for the parcel compartments. The solution can work as a combined and collaborative business model between public transport and parcel service, especially in more remote areas.
• Collaborative platform to organize the first mile with cargo bikes: this pilot has not yet been realized due to the complexity deriving from the collaboration between the different parties involved (small and medium companies and 3PL).

However, the ULaaDS consortium believes that this is already yielding two valuable conclusions: that sharing economy concepts are not yet mature enough to be implemented in real life, and that collaboration between direct competitors in urban logistics is difficult because they fear losing customers to each other.

Next Steps

The project team will focus on data collection to conduct both quantitative and qualitative evaluations of each of the pilot tests. Through surveys and data recording, their effects on logistics and traffic efficiency, space utilization, environmental and economic impact will be analyzed. These analyses are very important for assessing the continuity and viability of the initiatives.

On November 17, 1982 Miebach Consulting opened its office in Barcelona. This was the first office in Spain and also the first outside Germany for this supply chain engineering and consulting company, which was founded by Dr. Joachim Miebach in Frankfurt nine years earlier.

Since then, Miebach España ─which currently also has a second office in Madrid─ has worked for numerous companies from all industrial sectors, developing national and international projects of different types and continuously adapting to technological and market changes.

The establishment of Miebach in Spain was the catalyst for the group towards expansion into Latin America: the opening in Barcelona was followed by Buenos Aires (1994), Santiago de Chile (1996), São Paulo (1996), Mexico City (2000), Madrid (2000), Guatemala City, (2002), Bogota (2007) and Lima (2010). Miebach Spain has also played an important role in the group's European strategy, which has always been a priority for the company.

During the first decades of Miebach's operations in Spain, the company's services were very focused on engineering projects and warehouse design, evolving to be grouped around five core competencies: engineering and implementation, supply chain transformation, operational excellence, digital supply chain and sustainable supply chain and logistics.

"I have been working in this company for just over 30 years, and while technology has changed a lot in this time, our approach to designing and implementing solutions, our relationship with customers, and the internal relationship with our people and our group have not undergone major changes,” Antonio Rodriguez, Managing Director of Miebach Spain, remarked. He continued, “This is part of the Miebach culture, understood and appreciated by those who have worked with us. For the future, we hope to continue to have the confidence of the market and, especially, of the people who are part of it.”

Miebach Consulting enters Forbes ranking for the "World's Best Management Consulting Firms 2022" in the categories "Industrial Goods & Services", "Procurement & Supply Chain Management" and "Travel, Transport & Logistics". 

"During these volatile times, we are particularly proud and grateful for our customers' trust in our expertise to drive innovative projects and implement them successfully. Amongst our traditional logistics and supply chain solutions, sustainability and digitalization have become an integral part of our solutions DNA.”, says Jorge Motjé, CEO Miebach Logistik Holding 

“We’re excited to be recognized by Forbes among the world’s best consulting firms 2022.” adds Jürgen Hess, CEO of Miebach Logistik Holding. “Being ranked in this prestigious list is a testament to both the outstanding work of our employees as well as their continuous strive for innovative, sustainable and deployable solutions for our customers in the realm of logistics and supply chain. Their work creates the capabilities to address the challenges of today and tomorrow. 

The ranking is divided into 13 sectors—from aerospace and defense to financial institutions—and 14 functional areas—including strategy, sustainability and digital transformation.

Link: https://www.forbes.com/lists/worlds-best-management-consulting-firms/

Leading B2B Publication Releases 3rd Annual List of the Top Female Supply Chain Professionals

Supply & Demand Chain Executive, the only publication covering the entire global supply chain, has selected Emilie Laliberté as a recipient of the 2022 Women in Supply Chain award.

The Women in Supply Chain award honors female supply chain leaders and executives whose accomplishments, mentorship and examples set a foundation for women in all levels of a company’s supply chain network. This year’s list includes individuals from software and service providers, consultancies and academia, trucking and transportation firms, professional development agencies, sourcing, and procurement divisions, and more, all who have helped supply chain clients and the supply chain community at large prepare to meet many of today’s—and tomorrow’s—challenges.

“When I launched this award three years ago, I was prepared for an uphill battle. I was envisioning a long road ahead in getting the supply chain industry educated enough as to why it was important to recognize women in the supply chain. But, this award, the winners and those who submitted nominations—both men and women—is a testament that supply chain organizations were already recognizing their female leaders; they just needed a better platform,” says Marina Mayer, Editor-in-Chief of Supply & Demand Chain Executive and Food Logistics. “This year, we received over 280 submissions. Almost 100 of those submissions came from men. I’m so proud of everyone who participated, both men and women. I’m proud to call these women mentors, role models and industry friends. I’m proud to interview them, support them and help promote their journey. And, I hope to see all of this year’s and past years’ winners at our upcoming Women in Supply Chain Forum.”

"I am both humbled and honoured to receive this recognition," remarked Ms. Laliberté. "It has been shown that greater diversity and inclusion results in more holistic and robust solutions, which I think is critical given the challenges facing supply chains today. I am continuously motivated with the work at Miebach to solve complex problems, and I know that without a range of diverse perspectives our work would suffer. I look forward to continuing to mentor and coach other females in the supply chain and consulting space, areas in which women have historically been underrepresented."

Bernard Tremblay, CEO and managing Director of Miebach US and Canada agrees that Ms. Laliberté is a driving force for the ongoing evolution of the industry: 

"Emilie Laliberté has taken her place as a leader in the Supply Chain space thanks to her dedication, perseverance and relentless search for better solutions. Her attitude of constantly improving the status quo and challenging ways of working to find more effective and efficient options have lead her to be seen as a driving force for change and progress. We are privileged to have her as part of our organization, and to work with her towards an ever-evolving world of supply chain excellence."

Check out the September issue of Supply & Demand Chain Executive for the full list of all of the 2022 Women in Supply Chain winners.  

You can read the full list of award winners here: Link

About Supply & Demand Chain Executive

Supply & Demand Chain Executive is the only supply chain publication covering the entire global supply chain, focusing on trucking, warehousing, packaging, procurement, risk management, professional development and more. Supply & Demand Chain Executive and sister publication Food Logistics are also home to L.I.N.K. podcast channel, SCNSummit.com, SupplyChainLearningCenter.com, the Women in Supply Chain Forum and more. Go to www.SDCExec.com to learn more.

Commissioning of the 225 million euro investment is already planned for 2024 - up to 19,000 parcels will then be delivered daily to over 30,000 customers worldwide

"With the start of construction on our state-of-the-art high-performance distribution center for semiconductor electronics and electronic components in Bernburg, Germany, we as a company can ensure that we can serve the growing market needs and implement our growth strategy in Europe. We are investing in the site and will thus create several hundred jobs over the next few years" explains Slobodan Puljarevic, President Avnet EMEA. "We are aware of the responsibility we bear with this investment. Social commitment and responsibility, as well as sustainability, are not just buzzwords for Avnet, we put them into practice."

For example, the new logistics center will primarily be able to dispense with fossil fuels and rely entirely on renewable energies and green electricity. "Among other things, we will install a photovoltaic system on the roof surfaces and plan to implement other sustainable and environmentally friendly measures," adds Roswitha Heiland, Vice President Avnet Logistics EMEA.

As part of today's ceremony, two trees symbolizing sustainability and the company's regional ties were handed over to students from the local "Regenbogen" elementary school and the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences. "These are to be planted on the site after the completion of our distribution center. In the meantime, we are handing them over to the elementary school and university for care. The two trees represent our future social commitment as well as our responsibility as a future employer in the region", comments Slobodan Puljarevic.

With the start of the construction phase, we will now also proceed with the recruitment of the necessary personnel. We were pleasantly surprised by the feedback and unsolicited applications we received after we announced the location in May. The extremely good, fast and productive cooperation with the state, the district, the city and our partners also confirm we made the right decision for this location, and not only because of its central location in Europe and its convenient access to Leipzig-Halle Airport," Heiland continued.

Both Saxony-Anhalt's Minister President, Dr. Reiner Haseloff, and Sven Schulze, the state's Minister of Economics, Tourism, Agriculture and Forestry, praised the speedy implementation of the project. "The settlement of Avnet in Bernburg shows that Saxony-Anhalt is an attractive business location. For our state, this company is another flagship. In our state, investors are welcomed with open arms. The state, local authorities and economic development agencies work closely and effectively together, enabling investment in our future," said the Minister President. "For Saxony-Anhalt, this company is another flagship. When a leading global technology distributor chooses this location, we can be proud. It is a ray of hope in these economically difficult times when such a project is then also implemented on schedule, a great team effort by all the acting players here on site. I have the greatest respect for all of you," added Economics Minister Schulze.

On a site area of approx. 190,000 m², a high-performance distribution center is being built with several logistics hall sections and adjacent social and administrative buildings, as well as corresponding road and path areas and on-site parking spaces for cars (min. 400) and trucks (min. 22). The building height per hall is between approx. 14 and 35 meters (external height). In the first construction phase, a total of 56,000 m² of logistics space, 4,600 m² of office space and a product finishing center (PMC) with an area of approx. 1,100 m² will be created. Possible expansion areas are planned. A total of around 700 jobs are to be created here by 2031. With its convenient location, Bernburg (Saale) offers a fast and effective link to the Leipzig-Halle freight airport.

With the successful start of construction in September 2022, gradual commissioning is planned for 2024. Up to 19,000 parcels are to be delivered from here daily to over 30,000 customers worldwide. The site in Bernburg (Saale) complements the company's two existing European distribution centers in Tongeren, Belgium, and Poing near Munich. According to the company, the investment amounts to over 225 million euros.

Dr. Silvia Ristow, Lord Mayor of the city of Bernburg (Saale), emphasized not only the renewed upgrading of the city of Bernburg (Saale) as a business location but also the company's gratifying efforts towards an environmentally conscious industry: "We have a responsibility to ensure that our city of Bernburg (Saale) is a safe, attractive and healthy place to live and work. Environmental and climate protection affects us all, making sustainable action indispensable today. We are therefore very pleased that the issue is also of great importance to AVNET and that the installation of a photovoltaic roof, the use of renewable energies and green electricity also reflect our development towards a more sustainable industry."

"With the receipt of the first earthworks permit, meaning the official start of construction, we would like to thank everyone involved for their great cooperation so far. Our thanks go to the Ministry of Economics, the IMG, the Investitionsbank, as well as the city of Bernburg (Saale) and the Salzlandkreis for their great support and cooperation. We would also like to thank our partners Körber Supply Chain Automation GmbH, the Max Bögl group, Verdion GmbH and Tricer Management GmbH for their support in the project so far and look forward to continuing this successful partnership in the next construction phase," said Thomas Ludäscher, Senior Vice President & CFO Avnet EMEA. Avnet would also like to thank its partners Miebach Consulting and Logivest GmbH, who, among other things, provided significant support to the Group during the evaluation phase and site selection.

Avnet Inc.:

As a leading global technology distributor and solutions provider, Avnet has served customers’ evolving needs for an entire century. We support customers at each stage of a product’s lifecycle, from idea to design and from prototype to production. Our unique position at the center of the technology value chain enables us to accelerate the design and supply stages of product development so customers can realize revenue faster. Decade after decade, Avnet helps its customers and suppliers around the world realize the transformative possibilities of technology.

As a leading technical distributor In EMEA, Avnet provides a focused customer and supplier strategy by addressing each market segment with a dedicated business unit. The ‘Speedboats’: Avnet Abacus, Avnet Embedded, Avnet Integrated, Avnet Silica and EBV Elektronik combine exceptional engineering and industry knowledge that enables a rapid response to changing customer needs and market opportunities. Customers and partners benefit from the best range of electronic components, technical and design support by experienced engineers, combined with world class logistic and supply chain solutions. www.avnet.com

The Lünendonk® List 2022 for the first time provides a ranking of the 20 leading consulting firms, whose share capital is mainly located in Germany.

After a decline in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the consulting market now shows signs of recovery. Miebach Consulting achieved 35 percent revenue growth in fiscal 2021, whereas the 20 largest management consultancies headquartered in Germany reported an average revenue growth of 16.6 percent and the leading international consulting groups grew by an average of 13.1% in revenue.

Current challenges such as the Ukraine war, rising energy and manufacturing costs, and related inflation have had little impact on the revenue guidance of the leading business consultancies: the German top 20 plan to grow by 15.4 percent in fiscal 2022, and the international consultants by 11.5 percent.

If you wish, you can review the Lünendonk® List 2022 of top 20 consulting companies at this link.

These awards, organized by the Logistics Area of Grupo C de Comunicación ꟷeditor of the magazine Cuadernos de Logísticaꟷ, in collaboration with the company Análisis e Investigación, were created to determine the most relevant brands within 26 categories of products and services related to the Logistics and Handling industries.

On June 29th during an awards gala held in Madrid, the winners were announced and Miebach Consulting received a double award in the "Logistics Engineering and Consulting" category: Highest Quality Brand and Most Innovative Brand.

Unlike other business awards, the winners of the 1st C Awards for Logistics and Handling were determined by the industry professionals themselves, through a survey that took place between March and April 2022 with the participation of 4,400 managers and senior executives.

Jorge Motjé, CEO of Miebach Consulting Group, said: "It is a source of great satisfaction and pride for us that so many people in our sector consider Miebach to be the most innovative and highest quality logistics consulting and engineering company in our country. Recognitions such as this encourage us to continue working day after day to offer the best solutions for our clients and help them meet their objectives."

The 1st C Awards for Logistics and Handling have been sponsored by five leading companies, TVH Iberia, Linde Material Handling Ibérica, Mountpark, GAM and Grupo EULEN, in addition to having received the support of the following professional associations: AECE, CEL, ICIL and UNO.

If you wish, you can review the complete list of award-winning companies at this link.

The rapid growth of e-commerce and the associated increase in shipments is leading to increasing traffic and environmental pollution in cities. The new trend study on the topic of "Urban Logistics" by Miebach Consulting in cooperation with the global real estate advisor JLL and the Research Lab Urban Transport (ReLUT) of the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences shows that companies are rethinking their delivery concepts to cities and want to break new ground.

Urban logistics concepts are in the spotlight

The companies participating in the study want to use new concepts for urban logistics in the future. In the view of the respondents, the main reasons for redesigning urban logistics are customer-oriented aspects such as service improvement, rising customer demands and the increase in flexibility and use of synergy effects necessary for this, as well as the anticipated shortage of delivery capacity. In addition, the need for flexible delivery concepts for pop-up stores is seen.

The aspect of sustainability, which is constantly gaining in importance, also plays a decisive role for the companies in this context. Air and noise pollution caused by delivery traffic are also reasons for new urban concepts.

Urban consolidation centers and micro hubs in demand

A large proportion (approx. 70%) of the companies participating in the survey can imagine using urban logistics concepts such as urban consolidation centers (UCC) and micro hubs in particular in the near future. In addition to these, other concepts such as pick-up stations are seen as a future trend.

From the respondents' point of view, UCCs are primarily considered for the storage of products required at short notice and fast-moving items, as well as for improved transshipment options.

This makes them particularly suitable for reducing traffic congestion in cities due to delivery traffic and reducing the carbon footprint by reducing the distance freight travels through route optimization and the use of e-mobility and white label delivery.

A micro hub is particularly being considered for improved transhipment capability.

Different approaches to solutions for the real estate market

The requirements for logistics real estate in urban areas are multifaceted and often differ from those for conventional logistics real estate. Due to the scarce availability of free space in urban areas, market participants have to open up to new concepts. Here, not only the conversion of existing space offers a good opportunity, but also the development of new real estate concepts.

From a real estate perspective, multimodal logistics platforms and last mile fulfillment centers in particular are considered to be of high or very high importance. Due to the great competition from other types of use such as residential, office, and retail, mixed-use projects in existing and new buildings are also seen as an important solution.

Challenges of urban logistics strategies

Despite the increasing shipment volumes and urban customers as well as some innovative techniques and concepts, the profitability for urban logistics concepts is not always given. The challenges of new urban concepts are mainly in the areas of legal framework, profitability, cooperation between partners and infrastructure & resources.

"To overcome these challenges, the cooperation between the actors should be strengthened and cooperations or partnerships should be formed. A legal assurance and suitable framework conditions set the framework for the implementation. In addition, financial incentives, a cost promotion as well as financing possibilities could represent further success factors” – according to study leader Professor Dr. Bernd Mueller Dauppert, Miebach Consulting GmbH.

The complete results of the report can be requested free of charge under this link or by e-mail to Ralf Hoffmann (hoffmann@miebach.com).

SMB leaders are facing challenges like never before. In order to compete with the larger players in the market, they have to shift tactics, but the fear of high costs and daunting levels of technology often stand in the way of progress. Not only is it possible for SMBs to incorporate AI into their planning processes, it’s also customizable, affordable, and profitable.

Miebach Consulting and Optilogic have shared insights on how this is possible in a webinar: AI Solutions for SMBs - Removing barriers to enabling digitalized decision making for small businesses is now available on-demand. Join Victoria Ma, Digitalization and Innovation Lead for Miebach Consulting North America and John Ames, VP of Business Development with Optilogic to learn how AI solutions are not only realistic on an SMB budget, but what digital decision making can achieve for your business. Jonathan Parks, SVP of Supply Chain for iGPS, shares his company’s experience and some insights on the custom solution developed by Miebach and Optilogic.

View the webinar On-Demand

Miebach Consulting DMCC was revealed as the winner of the Logistics Consultancy of the Year award at the Logistics Middle East Awards 2022 held on Thursday 31 March.

Binzagr Centre
The winning consultancy designed and offered consulting services for Binzagr Centre in Saudi Arabia, a state-of-the-art distribution centre established to cater to current and future demands for the national import supply chain. 

The flexibility to meet existing complex requirements, future customers and growth led to the design of a fully automated distribution centre with more than 100.000 automated pallet locations.

Hakim Ramadam, Senior Principal & Partner, Miebach Consulting DMCC said: “It is the first time we are part of the Logistics Middle East Award and I really appreciate winning this price. Thank you very much!” 

Michael Rasin, General Manager Miebach Consulting DMCC adds: “We as Miebach are committed to the Middle East region, we are here for almost ten years now doing projects. And we expect a highly dynamic market in the next twelve months. We are ready with our local team here, growing a lot, always on the hunt for good talents, and we are supporting our clients in many industries. Thank you so much!”  

The Highly Commended nominee for this category is Blue Ocean Corporation.

Source and picture copywright: logisticsmiddleeast.com 

Construction of a 70.000 m², state-of-the-art, distribution centre for LEVI STRAUSS & CO (LS&Co.) has officially begun on March 30 in Dorsten (North-Rhine-Westphalia). The new LS&Co. distribution centre is inspired by Cradle to Cradle® principles, a design framework inspired by nature, using science-based measures for material health, product circularity, renewable energy and climate, water and soil stewardship, and social fairness. The project is developed in joint collaboration between LS&Co., Delta Development Group, and the city of Dorsten on a former mining site from RAG MONTAN IMMOBILIEN GmbH. The distribution centre is scheduled to start operations in April 2024.

Liz O’ Neill, LS&CO. Executive Vice President & Chief Operations Officer said: “This is a big step for us, a critical piece of our strategy both to keep growing our business in Europe and to become more sustainable across our operations. We are grateful for the partnership of the town of Dorsten and look forward to seeing this vision come to life.” From Dorsten, LS&Co. will supply the European market with up to 55 million articles from a wide range of offerings and will support the company’s omnichannel strategy, making Dorsten a central location in LS&Co’s operations.

Miebach Consulting supports Levi Strauss & Co. from the planning phase to realization with comprehensive consulting services

Since the planning phase of the logistics project, Miebach Consulting supported Levi Strauss & Co. in the PMO, concept validation and tendering for the building and intralogistics. In the now upcoming construction and implementation phase, Miebach is supporting the fashion company as sub-project manager for the building and intralogistics (material handling equipment) and is ensuring a holistic project approach with an overarching program management, which also includes the area of quality assurance for the IT.

“With the new distribution center LEVI STRAUSS & CO will realise state-of-the-art omni-channel capabilities, meet future service requirements and latest sustainable solutions. We look forward to accompanying the implementation of this innovative logistics site and are proud to support LS&Co., a company that consistently relies on sustainable logistics” - says Philipp Schubert, Project Manager, Miebach Consulting GmbH.

The LS&Co. distribution center in Dorsten will be built with sustainability principles embedded in its design, and is certified by the highest standards such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and WELL Health-Safety. According to Torsten Müller, LS&Co. Vice President Distribution & Logistics, Europe, South Asia and MENA: “The innovative Dorsten LS&Co. distribution centre is built and operated based on the principles of recycling, resource conservation, and zero waste, with the aim of making the ecological footprint as positive as possible.”

Regenerative design models human made industry on nature's processes. Therefore, the LS&Co. distribution centre will be built from sustainably sourced concrete, and also feature a geothermal heating and cooling system, vegetated walls, rooftop solar panels and a green roof, bicycle commuter storage, electric vehicle chargers, an on-site park as well as advanced recycling facilities.

About Levi Strauss & Co. 

(LS&Co.) is one of the world's largest brand-name apparel companies and a global leader in jeanswear. The company designs and markets jeans, casual wear and related accessories for men, women and children under the Levi's®, Signature by Levi Strauss & Co.™, Denizen®, Dockers® and Beyond Yoga brands. Its products are sold in more than 110 countries worldwide through a combination of chain retailers, department stores, online sites, and a global footprint of approximately 3,100 retail stores and shop-in-shops. Levi Strauss & Co.'s reported 2021 net revenues were $5.8 billion.

For more information, go to http://levistrauss.com, and for financial news and announcements go to http://investors.levistrauss.com.

Note on Cradle to Cradle®

Cradle to Cradle Design™ is a trademark of MBDC, LLC.

Cradle to Cradle Certified™ is a registered trademark of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.

Miebach Consulting GmbH in Frankfurt am Main and headquarters of Miebach Holding has moved to new office premises within Frankfurt: After more than 30 years, the employees moved this month from Untermainlage 6 to Westhafen Pier, Rotfeder-Ring 7-9. The reason for the move to the new office directly at the Main river is the change in the workplace, accelerated among other things by the pandemic, which is changing the nature of collaboration internally and externally and placing new demands on premises.

Jochen Schühle, CEO Miebach Consulting GmbH says: "The work environment is undergoing rapid and diverse change. We need a place for personal communication and collaboration where we can strengthen our community and foster creativity. With our new office at Westhafen, we are enabling this change process, strengthening our attractiveness as an employer and thus taking a big step into the future."

A total of around 1,500 square meters of office space is distributed into different zones of differentiated work and lounge areas to create a working ecosystem that gives room for conversations, an overarching exchange, the generation of ideas as well as concentrated work, but also offers a place to retreat and relax.

"In an era of hybrid working it's about offering employees the most perfect office environment possible. There are no longer any one-size-fits-all solutions, instead, the focus is on individuality of needs. With the new office, we want to live a modern understanding of work in times of digitalization and sustainability. This includes more flexible working models and better opportunities for digital teamwork which should create additional freedom and an improved work-life balance" - says Dr. Wolfram Süssenguth, COO Miebach Consulting GmbH.

"We are looking forward to now start filling the modern and future-oriented office with life and also to welcome our customers and business partners on site in a central location in Frankfurt!" - Jochen Schühle concludes.

Photo Copyright: Wealthcap

Supply chain consulting firm Miebach Consulting and SAP consultancy Westernacher Consulting expand their collaboration networks and establish a global partnership.

Market changes and challenges such as demand volatility, channel complexity, supply chain risks, rising costs, and sustainability concerns require the use of digital designs and tools to respond quickly to market changes and disruptions.

The combination of Miebach's long experience in supply chain engineering and Westernacher's expertise in SAP technology in general and specifically in digital supply chain forms a holistic approach to technology-enabled customer solutions along the entire value chain.

"The Miebach & Westernacher alliance is based on our customers' need for customized supply chain solutions out of one hand, seamlessly encompassing consulting, engineering, IT services and the development of digital capabilities to meet the challenges of the future" - says Jochen Schühle, CEO Miebach Consulting GmbH about the collaboration. 

"We ideally complement Miebach's supply chain expertise with a focus on implementation with IT systems to best support business processes. Our customers benefit from solutions based on SAP, covering SAP S/4HANA ERP & Finance, Procurement and Industry 4.0, Supply Chain Planning and Warehouse as well as Transportation Management" - explains Benjamin Dewilde, CEO Westernacher Consulting.

"We are looking forward to a promising partnership based on a similar culture, mindset and ambition to create real value for our customers" - said Jochen Schühle and Benjamin Dewilde.

Learn more about the partnership and its benefits for companies in this video: Link 

Supply & Demand Chain Executive, the only publication covering the entire global supply chain, announced the winners of the 2022 Pros to Know award, which recognizes outstanding executives whose accomplishments offer a roadmap for other leaders looking to leverage supply chain for a competitive advantage.

“When I look back at past Pros to Know winners, I see a lot of individuals who accomplished a lot of great achievements. But this year’s winners are reinventing what it means to be a supply chain professional. This year’s winners are intuitive, adaptive, and so super smart, and continue to push the envelope when it comes to everything supply chain-related,” says Marina Mayer, Editor-in-Chief of Supply & Demand Chain Executive and Food Logistics. “We received over 360 nominations this year, the highest number of nominations ever for this award. It’s proof that today’s supply chain professionals are not only doing great things for the supply chain, but are also being supported by their teams, peers and partners.”

Bernard Tremblay, Chief Executive Officer at Miebach Consulting, is one of the winners of this award.

“To be considered as a winner for Supply & Demand Chain Executive Pros to Know Award is an honor and privilege. I see this award as a success for not just for me but for Miebach and our clients around the world,” reflected Bernard. “The global pandemic has tested companies and stretched their supply chains. Miebach Consulting is working with our partners to give clients who weren’t prepared for these challenges support so that they can manage their risk mitigation and reduce their dependency on scarce resources."

Check out the full list of Supply & Demand Chain Executive’s 2022 Pros to Know winners.

About Supply & Demand Chain Executive Magazine

Supply & Demand Chain Executive is the only supply chain publication covering the entire global supply chain, focusing on trucking, warehousing, packaging, procurement, risk management, professional development and more. Supply & Demand Chain Executive and sister publication Food Logistics are also home to L.I.N.K. and L.I.N.K. Educate podcast channels, L.I.N.K. Live, SCN Summit, SupplyChainLearningCenter.com and more. Go to www.SDCExec.com to learn more.

Miebach Consulting and GS1 Germany launch survey in regard to supply chain regulations in the EU

The year 2023 marks the commencement of the new European Supply Chain Due Diligence Act to prevent human rights and environmental law violations in global supply chains. In cooperation with GS1 Germany, Miebach Consulting is conducting a market survey to find out how well German and European companies are prepared for the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act and which concrete measures have already been implemented today.

In June 2021, the German Bundestag passed the so called “Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz”, while the European Parliament is preparing a draft for the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act. The Supply Chain Due Diligence Act will be implemented in all European countries, ordering strict controls of supply networks with a focus on environmental and social aspects (e.g., procurement of controversial materials, fair working conditions, avoidance of child labour).

This is a major challenge for companies as the accountability obligations covered by the draft directive go beyond the companies' own activities, including all inbound suppliers for products and services. As a result, companies are encouraged to screen parties in their value chain to eliminate potential liability risk and ensure mitigation of risks from compliance breaches.

"With the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act, legislation in Germany and soon in all of Europe will create a framework for companies to exercise due diligence in their value networks,” remarked Laura Echternacht, Senior Manager Sustainability at GS1 Germany. “In order to implement the requirements of the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act, companies need transparency in their supply chains: Who is part of the chain and are environmental and social standards being met? Uniform formats and standards are needed to exchange this information effectively. We are looking forward to gain insights from this study on the extent to which companies are already prepared for this and where industry solutions can support implementation."

"There is growing pressure on companies in Europe to make their supply chains more sustainable,” says Thomas Krebs, (Senior Principal) at Miebach Consulting. “What is driving the companies? For one thing, regulations such as the European Union's Due Diligence Act. In addition, consumers are increasingly pushing for 'clean' products., while investors are increasingly assessing companies according to social and environmental risks. How are companies in Europe positioned when it comes to implementing stricter due diligence requirements in their supply chains? The study aims to shed light on the status quo of companies and how they deal with these issues."

"The European Supply Chain Due Diligence Act is an important step towards holding global supply chains accountable to human rights and environmental concerns,” says Anastasiia Omelchuk, consultant at Miebach Consulting. “The challenge is to find the right balance between regulations that efficiently fulfil the main objective and at the same time do not harm businesses. The questionnaire is designed to help us gauge companies' reactions and opinions on the upcoming regulations. We also hope to identify the biggest challenges and the most important areas that companies need to work on."

We would appreciate your participation in our study under the following link.

The data from this survey will be published in aggregated form only. Your information will be analysed anonymously and will remain confidential. If at any time you have questions about the survey or the procedures, please contact Anastasiia Omelchuk (omelchuk@miebach.com). Thank you for your support.

About GS1 Germany

In 1974, a barcode was scanned in a supermarket for the first time. This was the beginning of automated checkout - and the start of the GS1 success story. The machine-readable GS1 barcode with the GTIN included is now the universal standard in the global exchange of goods and is scanned six billion times a day on products. GS1 standards are the global language for efficient and secure business processes, valid across company boundaries and continents. As part of a worldwide network, we work with our customers and partners to develop market-driven and future-oriented solutions that directly contribute to their business success. Today, two million companies from over 20 industries worldwide use this language to uniquely identify products, locations and assets, to capture relevant data and to share it with business partners in the value creation networks. GS1 - The Global Language of Business.
www.gs1.de

As part of a joint venture with Orian Ltd., Miebach Consulting Group is pleased to announce the opening of a new location in Israel, further strengthening our support for logistics operations in the Middle East. Miebach Orian Consulting Ltd. will be governed by a board of directors led by Dr Klaus-Peter Jung and Orian, and the day-to-day business will be managed by Lara Teichert and Sebastian Haage.

“The Israeli market is really interesting for Miebach,” Ms Teichert commented on the venture. “There is limited space availability, and they are currently experiencing a labour shortage, however the Israeli innovative mentality gives us the possibility to find creative solutions for building and automation supported by our global knowledge and experiences in those fields to be ready for future growth.”

Mr. Haage is also enthusiastic about the potential that this initiative offers for the region. “For me, Israel is closely associated with the terms of innovation and high-tech. The logistics market is also changing significantly in this direction, so I am looking forward to supporting this in a leadership role.”

Orian Ltd., exclusive partner of DB Schenker, is a leader in international freight forwarding, customs clearance, and logistics services in Israel. Miebach supported the design and construction of Orian's projects such as the implementation of new automation in Modi'in and new logistic campus which includes a distribution hub, a standard and a deep freeze warehouse in 2021, with the grand opening to take place in the next few months.

“We are proud to open a new branch in Israel together with the world's leading logistics consulting company – Miebach,” remarked Chen Lamdan, CEO of Orian. “With their help, professional knowledge, and guidance, Orian has been able to implement complex automated systems and win large and complex tenders. We believe that in a competitive and innovative growing market like Israel, it is best to have global logistics consulting and knowledge to support Israeli companies.”

“We have successfully supported our Israelian customers since 2018 in multiple projects along the Supply Chain from Network Strategy, Simulation, Logistics Engineering, Logistics IT and organizational topics such as Change Management and Training / Ramp up,” Dr Jung noted when asked about Miebach’s experience in the region. “Although Israel may be a small country in our global footprint, this joint venture with Orian gives us not only the chance to fuel our local business, but also to offer local customers access to our Global Network and Logistics experience in North America, Europe, LATAM and APAC.”

Miebach has presented the results of the latest edition of its Consumer Goods supply chain study, which included the participation of more than 400 companies in 40 countries. The study has shown that the COVID-19 pandemic has forced companies to adapt to a new reality, transforming their long-term strategies and bringing forward actions they had not planned to take in the short term.

For example, 80% of participants said that COVID-19 had prompted them to prioritize and bring forward measures to increase their resilience, and 76% indicated measures to improve their risk management. There are also other aspects that were already relevant before the pandemic and are now even more so, such as digitalization and e-commerce - 74% of the participating companies reported prioritizing the implementation of e-commerce strategies.

Challenges for the future

There is a broad consensus among the survey participants as to what the biggest challenges are, although not all of them are new: costs and customer service are still the most relevant issues. However, the increased role of demand planning and control is very noticeable. This change is a direct consequence of the uncertainty caused by COVID-19 and the bottlenecks in global production. Participants also agree that digitalization, automation and e-commerce strategy are challenging areas but present great opportunities (see figure 1).

Digitalization and process automation

Comparing the results of this edition with the previous one, we can see that there is a significant increase in the number of companies that are committed to technologies related to data collection and management (Big Data Analytics, Control Towers, etc.). Again, we must link this data to the pandemic, which has highlighted the difficulty of managing a long and complex supply chain, as well as retaining staff. In this respect, digitization is a very effective tool, as it reduces risk in decision-making and reduces reliance on the human factor. Data analytics and automation technologies are joined by AI: companies planning to start using it in their processes has increased by 22%.

In terms of automation, the main focus of companies continues to be automating processes in the warehouse area, a well-established trend with proven benefits. If we compare the current automation results with those of two years ago, we can see that there has been an 11% increase in automatic case picking, due to the increasing fragmentation of orders.

Increasingly sustainable

Approximately 66% of participants have planned or intend to plan actions towards a sustainable strategy to reduce their environmental impact. Reduction of packaging material is the initiative that most companies are currently working on and has the highest success rate of implementation (96%), while analysis of the carbon footprint of the supply chain is the most frequently developed activity. This is undoubtedly due to the fact that there are already mandatory emission reduction pacts and agreements in place in most countries, so the business community has had to prioritise this issue. Another relevant trend is towards sustainable supply and production (see figure 2).

In terms of implementation success, the average is 85.5%, a higher rate than for other initiatives not related to sustainability, but where there is still room for improvement. The preference for reducing environmental impacts on production (89% of companies) as opposed to reducing environmental impacts on transport (60% of companies) is also notable. The reality is that companies prioritise those measures related to sustainability that, in addition to being an improvement for the environment, also increase the level of efficiency and/or costs of the company.

The report with the detailed results of the study can be requested free of charge through this link. 

Two webinars on the general conclusions of the study have been organized: one in Spanish, on March 2nd at 4pm, and another in English, on March 3rd at 4pm. Both presentations will be given by Pank Bedaux, partner and global Consumer Goods leader of the Miebach Consulting group and responsible for the study. Xavier Farrés, partner and Business Development Director at Miebach Spain, will moderate the Spanish webinar and Julian Maasmann, Senior Principal and Consumer Goods leader at Miebach Germany, will do it within the English webinar.

The COVID-19 crisis, along with other megatrends such as climate change, resource scarcity or urbanization, has put supply chains around the world under extreme pressure and has placed them at the forefront of many companies' business models. Miebach Consulting has launched an updated edition of its study on the Consumer Goods sector to understand the trends that have emerged in the current context, with the participation of more than 400 companies located in 40 countries.

The study has evidenced that the COVID-19 pandemic has forced companies to adapt to a new reality, having to transform their long-term strategies, advancing actions that they had not planned to carry out in the short term and, in short, modifying some of their priorities in terms of digitalization, sustainability or automation, for example.

During the webinar we will present which aspects of the supply chain are most affected by the pandemic for the Consumer Goods sector, what are the main challenges for companies today, the relevance of digitization or the strategy towards sustainability and how it has changed compared to the previous edition of the study, etc.

• Inscripción al webinar en español, 2 de marzo, 16h
• Registration for the webinar in English, March 3rd at 4pm

The full report of the results of the study can be requested from March the 4th through this link.

The rapid growth of e-commerce and the related increase in shipments is leading to traffic growth and environmental concerns in urban areas. This results in the need for new urban logistic concepts.

The new future-oriented study on urban logistics by JLL, the Research Lab Urban Transport at Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences (ReLUT) and Miebach Consulting takes a closer look at how delivery concepts and cities are changing under the current pressure to act.

"The aim of the study is to identify and investigate new trends from the field of urban logistics. The focus is on the needs of the different players: manufacturers, retailers and logistics service providers, and their challenges to implement future city concepts," - remarked study leader Prof. Dr. Bernd Müller-Dauppert, Miebach Consulting GmbH.

The study also examines how urban developers and planners are addressing the issue. Here, the focus is primarily on measures to promote more environmentally friendly and low-emission delivery methods. It will also look at how urban logistics affects urban design and the modern cityscape.

"We would be delighted if you would also participate in the future study. Thank you for your support!" - Müller-Dauppert said.

Study participants will need about 15 minutes to answer the questions. All information will be strictly confidential and will only be used anonymously as a data basis for the empirical part of the study.

Link to the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.de/r/urban-study-miebach?lang=en

As a thank you, participants will receive a summary of the study results upon request. For this purpose, contact details must be provided at the end of the survey.

For questions or comments on the study, please contact Prof. Dr. Bernd Müller-Dauppert (e-mail: mueller-dauppert@miebach.com).

Orian Ltd., a partner of DB Schenker, is a leader in international freight forwarding, customs clearance, and logistics services in Israel and facing huge growth in their business. One strategic project for Orian as a result of development and growth in the northern region of Israel, is a new logistic campus which includes a distribution hub, a standard and a deep freeze warehouse.

This location is prime due to the proximity to primary roads in the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Israel. There are currently no significant third-party-logistic facilities in the area and none with a deep freeze warehouse. The new campus in Kiryat Ata will provide additional benefit for conventional warehouse clients, as the location for a national hub enables daily distribution capabilities to every corner of Israel.

With this multi-client site Orian will be able to offer the market over 28,000 pallet locations and 65 loading docks that can accommodate various sizes of trucks. First contracts are already signed with different clients.

The highlight of the campus is going to be a fully automated deep freeze warehouse. It has a capacity for more than 12,000 pallet locations in a 40m highbay warehouse. The pallet transport from receiving to the automated highbay storage, order fulfilment and shipping areas is fully automated. Depending on the customer needs, Orian can provide the flexibility in service for storage capacity, order fulfilment and different temperature requirements. The high degree of automation addresses the labor bottleneck that has become a key driver for further automation in Israel and allows operations 24/7.

Miebach Consulting supports Orian from strategic planning to implementation

Miebach Consulting has supported this strategic project starting from the first design and will continue until the grand opening in 2022. Additionally, Orian has partnered with Miebach for further joint projects which are already ongoing, from concept design through awarding and implementation. Automation will play a key role in these projects as well as new logistic technologies.

Tim Hartwig, project manager, Miebach Consulting remarked, "Despite the long lasting difficulties, COVID restrictions did not impact the project execution, beginning with concept design, tendering and now detail engineering. It was great to see that regardless of the complexity of multiple partners and countries involved in the project, we have established a familiar environment with a great team chemistry in order to execute this landmark project for Orian."

Yael Kowalski, project manager, ORIAN said:
"Orian is a 3PL company, therefore the main objective of the project was to maximize the business potential from the given area and as quickly as possible, this is the reason for three buildings with a different purpose on the site. Thanks to the support of the Miebach team from every angle of the project, engineering, commercial and project management, I can say with confidence that apart from realizing the potential of the site, it will be able to provide massive logistical throughputs over the years."

The construction of all three buildings is already in progress. The ambient warehouse and Hub are already well underway, and ground has recently been broken for the Deep Freeze warehouse.

The Bavarian State Opera in Munich is expanding its decoration warehouse in order to consolidate the entire stage decoration at one location in the future. Miebach Consulting is responsible for the detailed planning and realization of the special high-bay warehouse in Poing near Munich. The overall management of the project with an investment of 24 million euros is in the hands of the Rosenheim State Building Authority. Go-live of the extension will be in mid-2023.

Initial situation: high logistics effort due to decentralized storage

The Bavarian State Opera is a repertory house with approximately 75 opera and 35 ballet productions; around 40 different operas and 15 ballets are performed each year. The individual productions have a load volume of about 6 to 20 trucks and must be transported according to the order of assembly and disassembly with a tight schedule.

The volume of stage sets has increased considerably in the last 10 to 15 years, so that additional external storage facilities had to be rented. The sets are currently stored in Poing, as well as in four other warehouse locations in the Munich area.

Having the décor elements so widely distributed makes the already enormous logistics effort for the State Opera even greater. "We are glad to keep all the decorations in one warehouse in the future. This will significantly improve our logistics processes," says Karsten Matterne, technical director.

Automated process from truck delivery - Photovoltaic system covers power requirements

"The spectacular foreground cannot function without a sophisticated background" said Bernd Sibler, Bavarian Minister of State for Science and the Arts, in his speech at the groundbreaking ceremony for the extension on July 02.

And this requires tailor-made and efficient logistics: a coordinated, automated system is needed to store the stage decorations, which are placed in custom-made containers. The containers are up to 10m long and weigh up to 6 tons with the stage decoration, and are delivered by special trucks of the Bavarian State Opera and conveyed on rollers to the associated shipping area of the hall. From there, a stacker crane takes over the automated storage of the containers in the levels of the high-bay warehouse.

"The design of the extension with a third aisle and the five levels makes the best possible use of the capacities. The storage of decorations is made fit for the future!" - says Carsten Dickes, project manager, Miebach Consulting GmbH.

In order to make optimum use of the available space, the building is being constructed in silo design. The racking system forms the load-bearing structure of the building and thus also the framework for the facade and the roof. The interior is divided into five levels and a basement with a special freight elevator, so that more than 440 of the large containers can be stored in future.

A photovoltaic system will be installed on the roof of the extension building, which will cover the company's own electricity requirements with an output of 40,000 kilowatt hours per year.

Sonae Arauco, one of the world's leading producers of wood-based panels, contacted Miebach Consulting to develop a "digital twin" to assess and study material flow alternatives and planning policies for its factory in Linares (Jaén). This project is part of the process of digital transformation and technological innovation in which the company has been immersed for years, and which has earned it several awards, including the "Best Digital Transformation Enterprise". Sonae Arauco's roadmap towards Industry 4.0 has led the company to consider state-of-the-art solutions that allow it to simulate its complex planning and production processes in detail. Sonae Arauco's production involves large industrial assets and highly complex processes that make it difficult to operate optimally in the various environments that the company's production plants have to deal with. In this context, Sonae Arauco approached Miebach Consulting to jointly address the creation of a "digital twin" for its Linares plant, which would allow it to study planning scenarios and changes in the control logic of the manufacturing processes in order to strategically evaluate them before implementing them in the processes, control logic, and layouts of the plant.

The Miebach Consulting project

This project was carried out following the Agile methodology, combining Sonae Arauco's sector knowledge with Miebach Consulting's experience and resources, as well as the latest technological tools available in the market. It was developed in three phases:

• Mapping of the current situation: the internal material flows were analyzed, documenting all planning processes and control logic of the factory and developing the simulation of the real situation at the moment.
• Improvement workshops to jointly detect improvement points (quick-wins and long-term improvements).
• Design of the optimal solution: the "digital twin" model was developed with all the improvements proposed, both for plant planning and flow control logic, by means of complex state-of-the-art algorithms.

The "digital twin" developed together with Miebach Consulting has allowed Sonae Arauco to assess and quantify strategic changes, both in planning processes and in material flow processes. Thus, the company now has an advanced digitalization tool that allows accelerating continuous improvement processes in a much more efficient way and assessing in a much more reliable way the global impact that any change in the factory would have.

About Sonae Arauco

Sonae Arauco is one of the world's leading producers of wood-based solutions. Based in Spain - where it has industrial operations in Cuéllar, Linares and Valladolid - the company is truly committed to corporate sustainability and to the creation of economic, environmental and social value in the regions where it operates. It currently has 3,000 employees of 25 nationalities and 23 industrial and commercial units in 9 countries.

The German fashion and lifestyle company s.Oliver Group is investing in its logistics as a competitive factor with the construction of a new service center in Dettelbach (Germany), which will improve the delivery service, among others. Commissioning is planned for March 2024.

Miebach Consulting supports s.Oliver Group in this strategic project and is responsible for the detailed planning and realization of the logistics center, including the oversight of the construction of the building, tenant fit-out, intralogistics, IT (WMS and WCS implementation) and ramp-up management. In the implementation phase Miebach will utilize state-of-the-art simulation and emulation techniques, which, among other things, significantly reduce the effort and duration of the test phases.

"To satisfy our customers in the best possible way and gain further market share, well-organized logistics is a key success factor. Here, short routes, efficient processes and the latest technologies are needed to be fit for the future. With the new concept, we are meeting these requirements and at the same time setting the course for further growth as part of our internationalization and e-commerce strategy" said Oliver Hein, Chief Operating Officer of the s.Oliver Group.

Flexible logistics solution meets omnichannel requirements

"The s.Oliver Service Center is being built with a focus on omnichannel," stated Ole Grasedyck, Principal, Miebach Consulting and PMO in the service center project. "The digital transformation, changing customer wishes and, last but not least, the corona-related e-commerce acceleration require high-performance and, at the same time, extremely agile logistics in order to be able to handle changing demand volumes and order sizes quickly and efficiently across channels. The logistics center was designed accordingly."

The entire logistics processes of the B2C business will be handled by the service center in the future, including the supply of e-commerce customers, VAS activities, and subsequent returns processes. For the B2B sector, the entire reorder process as well as the supply of self-operated areas including floor-ready merchandise will be integrated into the service center.

As part of the concept planning, the optimal automation level for s.Oliver was chosen from various alternatives. Manual storage for hanging and flat goods is linked to the upstream and downstream processes via automated transports. An automatic buffer for returns enables prompt availability for goods resale, and a pocket sorter system consolidates orders according to customer specifications and evenly supplies the packing workstations.

As a result of the planned concept, this will not only ensure delivery capability, but also realize an increased level of delivery service through same-day shipping for orders placed by 3 p.m.

Holistic project and change management as essential building blocks for success

Dennis Prandl, overall project manager and Director Global Logistics Service Center s.Oliver Group, remarked: "The relevance of the project to the company's success and the tight timeline for implementation require a strong large-scale project organization with a large number of internal and external stakeholders and interface partners. The holistic consulting services from planning to realization as well as the comprehensive experience in intralogistics projects convinced us to choose Miebach Consulting as our consulting partner."

Accordingly, Miebach supports s.Oliver Group with its supply chain engineering expertise at all levels, with extensive experience in comparable large-scale projects in the fashion industry, and a holistic project management approach with PMO and change management organization.

In order to keep pace with its ever-growing business within the European market, Levi Strauss & Co, with European headquarters in Brussels, is building a distribution center in Dorsten, Germany, that is aligned with strict sustainability guidelines, including the "cradle-to-cradle" approach. "This is the result of an aligned, and strongly integrated cooperation between the involved parties", stated Marc Meuleman, Managing Director Benelux for Miebach Consulting. "Understanding the customer's needs and values, combined with our expertise, has jointly brought us to this result in which all requirements are fulfilled, including the integration of well-designed ergomic and sustainable solutions."

Torsten Mueller, Project Lead, Levi Strauss & Co. Europe and Graham Truter, Senior Project Manager, Levi Strauss & Co. Europe said: "We selected Miebach as our partner through this journey based on their experience in such large-scale projects and their offering of consultancy as well as practical engineering."

The distribution center, which will be built on an area of almost 155,000 m², will distribute up to 55 million articles per year of Levi's products from the end of 2023. This will include fashion, accessories and footwear, which will be available to wholesale, retail, digital, e-com and marketplace.

Miebach Consulting supports Levi Strauss & Co. from the planning phase to realization with comprehensive consulting services

Since the planning phase of the logistics project, Miebach Consulting supported Levi Strauss & Co. in the PMO, concept validation and tendering for the building and intralogistics. In the upcoming implementation phase, Miebach is supporting the fashion company as sub-project manager for the building and intralogistics and is ensuring a holistic project approach with an overarching cross-sectional approach, which also includes the area of quality assurance for the IT.

Planned solution meets future market requirements and sets new standards in sustainability

In terms of sustainability, the building sets new standards. The new logistics center will be the first logistics facility in Germany to comply with the "cradle-to-cradle" sustainability approach. This describes a circular construction method based on the principles of recycling, resource conservation and waste reduction, with the aim of keeping the ecological footprint as small as possible.

In addition, the building will receive LEED as well as WELL certification. The latter represents the first and only certification system specifically focused on the health and well-being of building occupants.

The technical solution will enable Levi Strauss & Co. to continue to grow and is optimally designed to meet future market requirements.

"The distribution center will include an automated goods-to-person solution, an automated small parts warehouse and a shuttle system to meet omni-channel capabilities, fast returns processing, flexible adaptation to changing order structures and all future service requirements to the market" - says Philipp Schubert, Project Manager, Miebach Consulting GmbH.

Laying of the foundation stone for the major project is planned for fall 2021, go-live of the facility will be at the end of 2023.

About Levi Strauss & Co.:

Levi Strauss & Co. is one of the world's largest brand-name apparel companies and a global leader in jeanswear. The company designs and markets jeans, casual wear and related accessories for men, women and children under the Levi's®, Dockers®, Signature by Levi Strauss & Co.™, and Denizen® brands. Its products are sold in more than 110 countries worldwide through a combination of chain retailers, department stores, online sites, and a global footprint of approximately 3,000 retail stores and shop-in-shops. Levi Strauss & Co. net sales were $5.6 billion in fiscal year 2018. More information at https://www.levistrauss.com.

25 years ago Miebach Consulting made an important decision to start operations in Brazil. At that time, the company had identified the importance of being present in Latin America and, shortly after opening the office in Buenos Aires, started to implement our unit in Brazil. It was the beginning of a great expansion movement in the American continent, which continued with the opening of our units in several other countries, from Chile to Mexico.

The challenge in Brazil was huge: to present innovative solutions and bring our international experience in optimization and automation to a vast market and not fully familiar with the concepts of modern logistics. We started by carrying out projects for our global clients with facilities in the country and, over time, we developed a very important regional and local client portfolio for the group.

We grew along with the market, incorporating disciplines to the Miebach scope of business that until then were not so significant, such as, to consider the complexity of the tax composition in network design studies, as well as specific tax benefits in certain cases. More than that, new variables have become part of the technical environment, like all political instability and unique characteristics of the Latin world, hardly comparable to European standards.

Nowadays, with more than 300 projects carried out in Brazil for more than 220 customers in the most diverse segments of the industry, we understand that our challenges are still wide. We are becoming more and more global, but at the same time even more local and regional. We offer more advanced and digital services, but we are increasingly expertise in the most traditional concepts and technologies.

Allied to our strategic partners, we are able to offer end-to-end solutions, from the definition of the strategy to approach the market, to the real estate aspects of the implementation, going through all the logistics disciplines, taxes implications and systemic and digital aspects.

Finally, our success was only possible through the trust of our customers in the technical capacity of our team. We thank everyone who has made our vision into a reality. Our way of giving back is to be always ahead of the logistics challenges, bringing solutions and logistics excellence to guarantee the success of our customers.

On 6 April, the sports company PUMA opened operations in its new highly automated logistics center in Geiselwind to speed up deliveries to wholesale customers, end consumers as well as to their own stores, and thus achieves a clear competitive advantage. Miebach Consulting supported PUMA in the tendering and awarding process following the initial concept review with simulation. Furthermore, Miebach Consulting aided in the realization phase as co-project manager for the sub-projects of intralogistics, testing, and real estate.

The adjustment of the logistics structure was necessary in order to best meet the changing market requirements for fulfillment in online marketplaces, direct deliveries, and achieving faster throughput times. The new European distribution center, which is part of PUMA's logistics modernization strategy, supports the company's overall growth targets.

Despite COVID-19 constraints, the highly automated logistics center was completed without delays and within budget. With innovative goods-to-person order picking workstations, a high-performance shuttle system with more than 700,000 bin locations, as well as around 22 kilometers of connecting conveyor technology and a total storage and handling area of 63,000m², the new location represents the flagship facility within the PUMA logistics network.

From April 2021 onwards, PUMA will supply the German, Austrian, and Swiss wholesalers with goods from the logistics center, followed by the supply of the brick and mortar business and e-commerce. In total, up to 74 million sporting goods items will be shipped annually to the company's own shops, end customers, and resellers.

By integrating the new logistics center into the supply chain network, PUMA will be able to optimize the productivity of the overall supply chain. In addition, the logistics space has the potential to be expanded in the future, giving the fashion and lifestyle company a high degree of flexibility to respond to challenging market demands and requirements.

Maximilian Molkenthin Senior Head of Logistics, PUMA says: "The new logistics centre ensures our excellent multi-channel capability and high delivery speed. From the end customer order with the smallest order item to the extensive wholesale order in the B2B sector, we can respond to our customers' wishes as quickly as possible."

"Corona is accelerating the e-commerce growth which requires high performance in logistics. The new logistics center excellently fulfills this requirement and meets the customers' expectations for high service and fast delivery. The high-performance facility enables an order-to-delivery process of only two hours and thus sets new standards in customer delivery" - says Michael Greschke, Head of Industry Fashion & Lifestyle, Miebach Consulting.

The logistics center in Geiselwind also establishes new standards in sustainability. The building is supplied with green electricity and a photovoltaic system. Rainwater is recycled via a utilisation system and honey bees will be kept on the 14,000 m² green roof in the future. The building was also designed to meet the LEED Gold standard, which is awarded to particularly sustainable construction projects.

About PUMA

PUMA is one of the world's leading Sports Brands, designing, developing, selling and marketing footwear, apparel and accessories. For 70 years, PUMA has relentlessly pushed sport and culture forward by creating fast products for the world's fastest athletes. The company distributes its products in more than 120 countries, employs more than 14,000 people worldwide, and is headquartered in Herzogenaurach/Germany. Further information: https://about.puma.com/

Miebach Consulting has launched an update of its international survey regarding the most relevant challenges and trends for the supply chain for the consumer goods industries. The previous edition was focused on digitalization, IoT, robotics and big data, and today Miebach wants to assess the situation for this sector after the impact of the global crisis generated by COVID-19.

Supply chains around the globe have been put under extreme pressure over the past year due to the global health and economic crisis and as a result of the pandemic and other megatrends such as climate change, resource scarcity, urbanization and e-commerce, have found themselves at the forefront of many companies' business models.

According to Pank Bedaux, Partner & global expert for the consumer goods industry at Miebach Consulting, "Undoubtedly, COVID-19 has forced companies to rethink and redesign their supply chains. But are these changes here to stay or are they temporary? With this study we would like to show the relevant trigger points for companies due to present and future changes in the market and point out which concepts could be enabler towards an agile, resilient, but still efficient and more transparent and sustainable supply chain today and in future. Your participation in this initiative is very much appreciated.”

To gain a holistic and significant industry overview, logistics and supply chain managers in consumer goods companies are invited to take part in this survey. Completion will take less than 10 minutes.

Link to the survey: https://2021-fmcg-trend-report-miebach.questionpro.eu

The study results with the latest consumer goods supply chain insights will be shared with the participants that request it at the end of the survey.

Miebach Consulting is pleased to announce that Bill Kincaid, who previously worked for LLamasoft as Vice President for Customer Success, has joined the company to lead the continued growth of the Supply Chain Transformation Business Unit. Nick Banich, who formerly lead this position, will be taking the new role of Chief Revenue Officer for the operations in the United States and Canada effective immediately.

“This change is an exciting moment for both the North American and Miebach global organization,” said Bernard Tremblay, Chief Executive Officer for Miebach Consulting North America.  “I am delighted to have Bill coming in to take charge of the Supply Chain Transformation business unit. He is a highly respected professional in the Supply Chain Design space who was paramount on delivering success for LLamasoft’s most complex customers and projects. His impressive career over the past 3 decades includes a diverse mix of leadership roles in industry, in consulting, and in technology that will ensure our work continues to provide our clients with well-founded solutions.”

“Nick has done a great job expanding Miebach’s capability in the Transformation space and I am looking forward to him being able to focus on our client’s success and expanding our services across the entire organization,” Bernard continued.

As the head of the Supply Chain Transformation business unit, Bill will be responsible for the project delivery and professional development associated with Miebach’s most strategic services. He will continue to drive forward Miebach’s leading position in the supply chain design and planning space, while working to continue to evolve Miebach’s services to embrace the digital decision-making age. This includes a growing managed services practice that is embracing the rise of BPaaS (Business Process as a Service).

“I am excited to be joining Miebach’s Supply Chain Transformation team and supporting the growth and innovation to deepen the practice,” Bill remarked. “My goal is to leverage the dynamic team that Nick has led, bring in my diverse experience, and deliver what our customers need. The expanded service offering we are planning will position our practice to be the holistic advisor for Supply Chain Transformation.”

Bill Kincaid has built his 35 year career focused within Supply Chain, of which the past 9 were at Miebach’s alliance partner, LLamasoft. Prior to this, Bill worked at a 3rd party logistics company, MIQ Logistics as their Director of Solutions and Business Development. This was preceded by launching CBREs internal supply chain consulting group as the VP and Managing Director of the practice. Prior to CBRE, he was a Director of Distribution for Scholastic Inc., Senior Manager of Logistics Engineering at Ryder, and a Senior Manager of Logistics at AJM Packaging. Before these roles, Bill was a manager at E&Y in their supply chain practice and held a variety of roles for over a decade at UPS.

Nick Banich Promoted to Chief Revenue Officer for North America

As Chief Revenue Officer, Nick will oversee all aspects of customer success, alliances, sales, and marketing within the United States and Canada. A critical piece of his focus will be on working alongside customers to fully understand how Miebach’s diverse and growing portfolio of services can align with the challenges facing supply chain leaders. A key factor to this growth is the increasing portfolio of alliances to the Miebach Group, and Nick will be driving those relationships forward to maximize the value they bring to customers.

A committed executive with a passion for innovation, Nick has been a paramount driver of Miebach’s growth in North America for the past decade. Under his leadership, the Supply Chain Transformation group has developed its industry recognized expertise in production footprinting, distribution network design, and supply chain planning. His impact was not only felt within North America, but his work on key global customers has led to growth across Miebach’s 25 offices around the world.

Alliances are an important part of the Miebach portfolio to offer the full reach and depth that complex initiatives require. Nick was the one who cemented the start of the LLamasoft relationship in North America in 2013, worked to scale is globally since then, and will continue to grow the relationship with Coupa. Additionally, he has quickly leveraged the new JLL strategic alliance to drive additional value to legacy Miebach and JLL clients on joint pursuits.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to lead the talent dense group of individuals that are a part of the Supply Chain Transformation delivery team,” Nick reflected before going on. “This new role represents an exciting opportunity not just for me, but our organization, and most importantly our clients. Given the ever-increasing rate businesses’ need to evolve, the rising use cases for digitalization, and the increasing complexity of transformational programs - it has become imperative that we can provide the full range of Miebach services and geographic reach to each of our clients. Thus, I look forward to working with our client’s and deepening the relationship as all of us in the industry being readying for the post-pandemic world.

Alliance mutually strengthens supply chain offering and end-to-end real estate solutions for clients

German-based international supply chain consulting and material flow engineering firm Miebach Consulting and global real estate professional services firm JLL announce that they have entered into a strategic business alliance. The alliance will integrate both firms' real estate, technology, sustainability supply chain and material flow expertise to deliver end-to-end strategy and execution services for clients in the logistics and production sector.

JLL is a leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. It is a Fortune 500 company with annual revenue of $18.0 billion, operations in over 80 countries with a global workforce of over 92,000 and 800 supply chain and logistics specialists.”

JLL and Miebach will deliver a holistic supply chain solution including the real estate financial element, offering customers and the market a joint value proposition helping them face the supply chain operational and financial challenges that have been exacerbated by Covid-19 pandemic. The alliance will also leverage technology to enable a data-driven decision-making process to pinpoint the right locations within the network and drive more flexible, efficient and customer-oriented supply chains. Companies will benefit from deeper insights of how factors such as automation, digitalization, building specification and global network optimization will shape the warehouse of the future.

The alliance comes at a time of heightened demand for supply chain services by businesses across the globe. Despite the reopening of many physical stores, the continued boom of e-commerce is putting supply chain management in the spotlight and accelerating the demand for logistics space globally.

Guy Gueirard, Head of JLL Supply Chain & Logistics Services, EMEA, added: "The link between supply chains and real estate is now more important than ever. The adoption of e-commerce accelerated by the disruption of brick-and-mortar retail at the height of the pandemic has strained global supply-chain networks. It has also highlighted the criticality of logistics and resilient supply chains for key sectors around the world.

This alliance is an important step forward in reinforcing our supply chain growth strategy, which will enable to offer clients more responsive, technology driven, flexible and sustainable solutions. Clients will benefit from the unique combination of Miebach's supply chain consulting and engineering experience and our established real estate expertise. We look forward to working together with Miebach as we develop and service a mutual client base in the future."

Jürgen Hess, CEO of Miebach Consulting, commented: "As omni-channel retail, e-commerce, automation and other drivers become stronger features in a fundamentally changing supply, production, distribution, and storage landscape, the ability to design and implement effective and dynamic supply chain networks that include adaptable real estate and facilities within flexible occupational portfolios, and which explore a range of financial options, will be an imperative for our clients.

The business alliance is centered around offering clients single source, end-to-end advice to enable them to accelerate business growth. Our clients operating internationally will benefit from an alliance that combines international scope with local knowledge."

Hear from our experts: https://youtu.be/DggRQoaizG4.

More information you will find on the JLL & Miebach alliance page.

About JLL

JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. JLL shapes the future of real estate for a better world by using the most advanced technology to create rewarding opportunities, amazing spaces and sustainable real estate solutions for our clients, our people and our communities. JLL is a Fortune 500 company with annual revenue of $18.0 billion, operations in over 80 countries and a global workforce of over 92,000 as of September 30, 2020. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit https://www.us.jll.com.

On January the 13th, the winners of the CEL Awards for Logistics Excellence were announced and MANGO was awarded for developing a global supply chain in the fashion industry. MANGO has counted on the collaboration of Miebach Consulting for this development, specifically in the automation project of its logistics platform in Lliçà d'Amunt from the beginning and throughout the different phases of the project.

The prizes awarded by the Centro Español de Logística for the last 30 years recognize the greatest achievements of companies in the supply chain in Spain, regardless of the sector in which they operate, and constitute the highest recognition in the logistics field in our country. This year, exceptionally, the awards ceremony was held in a virtual format, bringing together the professionals of the Supply Chain around the most relevant and innovative projects related to logistics and the supply chain.

José Estrada, the Managing Director of CEL, was responsible for announcing that the CEL Award in the Company category went to MANGO. For his part, Antonio Pascual, Supply Chain Director of the fashion company, praised the vision, initiative and effort of the large number of professionals who form part of the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit that characterizes and forms part of Mango's DNA, stressing that this project has enabled the company to transform its logistics, improve its service to customers and move towards a more sustainable management model.

Summary of Miebach Consulting's services for MANGO

MANGO's logistics center, which covers an area of 190,000 square metres, incorporates the latest automation technologies for both folded and hanging garments, and is capable of managing 75,000 units per hour. From the center, the company supplies more than 2,100 points of sale around the world.

The hanging garment installation is one of the most automated in Europe, having an automated storage and picking system. On the other hand, the folded garment installation contains different innovative elements, among them an automatic box storage. Additionally, the order preparation system has automatic garment sorters and a man-picking system.

The facility also has a new warehouse management system which, linked to MANGO's corporate system, governs the entire facility in coordination with the automated systems.

MANGO was supported by Miebach Consulting, from the initial design to the commissioning of the facility, which was developed in stages, in a progressive manner. Miebach Consulting's services covered the definition of the automation requirements, the selection of the logistics integrators for both the automations and the Warehouse Management System, and the management of the implementation, including the detail projects, monitoring of the assembly and tests until its commissioning.

About MANGO

MANGO was founded in 1984 and is now one of the world's leading fashion groups. With its origins and headquarters in Barcelona, it has an extensive network of more than 800,000 m2 in more than 110 countries. From its Design Centre "El Hangar" in Palau-Solità i Plegamans, over 18,000 garments and accessories are designed every year in accordance with the trends of the season. The company closed 2017 with sales of 2,194 million euros. More information at www.mango.com.

Even though the corona pandemic has pushed many future topics and plans into the background, companies are working on initiatives for greater sustainability. The results of the study suggest that a successful turnaround towards sustainability can be achieved if consumers first rethink and transform this new way of thinking into action and demand. 

Nevertheless, according to Thorsten Gensmer, Director, Miebach Consulting GmbH, companies should not sit back: "Those who think ahead now and lay the foundation for sustainable business activities can profit greatly from the newly developing market. Collective actions with a complete cradle-to-cradle approach are necessary for greater climate protection goals in the supply chain. The high level of planned initiatives shows that this can already be worthwhile now!

These are the results of the current sustainability study by Miebach Consulting. In mid-2020, the international supply chain consultancy examined which strategies and measures companies are taking to make supply chains sustainable - and to what extent sustainability and corporate goals can be combined.

277 companies took part in the global online study, including an unusually high proportion of managing directors (18%), which illustrates the importance and strategic significance of the topic.

The motivation for sustainability is tied to the idea of efficiency and cost reduction

With regard to the most recent and the next planned initiative, the majority of respondents cited an improvement in efficiency with an average of 14%, or a cost reduction with an average of 15% as motivation. This is followed by topics such as CO2 reduction (7%), green packaging or the reduction of plastics in general (7%). Sustainable measures based on ecological or social motivation, such as employee health and safety (1%) or environmental protection (1%), are rarely mentioned.

Sustainability in supply chain management is gaining in importance

The surveyed companies have implemented an average of 16 sustainability initiatives in their companies. For the future, however, the surveyed companies plan to almost double (+97%) the number of sustainable initiatives already implemented within the next few years. This suggests that sustainability in supply chain management will gain in importance.

High resource input and complexity discourage

In general, sustainable initiatives are considered less attractive if they require a high level of resource input, such as the development of reverse logistics, which is rated at just 4.2 out of 10 points. Even already complex topics, such as network planning, which is rated 4.6, are perceived as less important. Therefore, resource-saving and relatively simple measures are generally preferred.

The free report on the results of the Miebach study "Sustainable Supply Chain Management" is available and can be requested under this link.

The ULaaDS (Urban Logistics as an on-Demand Service) project, financed by the European Commission and launched in early September, proposes a new approach for more innovative solutions in urban logistics. It aims to develop sustainable and livable cities by relocating logistics activities and reconfiguring the flow of goods at different scales, allowing local people and businesses to easily use alternative methods of purchase and delivery.

The consortium responsible for this project is composed of 24 partners of different nature: municipal entities, research centers, start-ups, logistics operators, and professional associations. Miebach Consulting is participating as a consulting company.

The objective of ULaaDS is to demonstrate and evaluate a comprehensive combination of innovative logistics solutions (vehicles, equipment, and infrastructure), new frameworks for horizontal collaboration (driven by the collaborative economy) and tactical urban planning interventions as catalysts for systemic change in the infrastructure of urban and peri-urban services.

Five new urban logistics business models and schemes will be developed, with the following preliminary ideas having been defined for the time being: last mile in cargo bicycles carrying pallet-sized containers, use of the infrastructure and public transport network for the distribution of goods, and the use of urban goods distribution platforms. The pilots will be carried out in three cities: Bremen (Germany), Mechelen (Belgium), Groningen (Netherlands)  but the project will be replicated in four other satellite cities: Alba Iulia (Romania), Bergen (Norway), Edinburgh (Scotland) and Rome (Italy).

The role of Miebach Consulting is to analyze the results of the pilots and to elaborate the business case in order to make these sustainable and flexible distribution solutions an attractive alternative in terms of cost, service, and time requirements for companies and logistics operators.

This project financed by the European Commission will provide a new basis to support the re-planning of urban logistics, aligning industrial, commercial, and governmental needs. This will create favorable conditions for the private sector to adopt sustainable principles dedicated to urban logistics, while increasing the adaptive capacity of cities to respond to changing needs. The results of the project will lead to open decision support tools and systems.

More information about the project: Pank Bedaux (bedaux@miebach.com)

About ULaaDS:
https://civitas.eu/projects/ulaads

Leading B2B Publication Releases Annual List of the Supply Chain's Top Female Professionals

Supply & Demand Chain Executive, the only magazine in the supply chain industry covering the entire global supply chain that focuses on ROI, professional development and change management, celebrates its 20-Year Anniversary with the introduction of a new award designed specifically for women leaders in the supply chain industry.

The Women in Supply Chain award honors female supply chain leaders and executives whose accomplishments, mentorship and examples set a foundation for women in all levels of a company's supply chain network.

"We received over 200 entries for this new award, entries that were submitted from a combination of men and women. This proves that our industry needed an award like this, especially in conjunction with Supply & Demand Chain Executive's 20-year anniversary," says Marina Mayer, editor-in-chief of Supply & Demand Chain Executive and Food Logistics. "According to Gartner's 2020 Women in Supply Chain Survey, 17% of chief supply chain officers are now women - a 6% increase compared to 2019. This award resembles females supporting other female leaders; men supporting their female counterparts. It resembles the future. It represents growth, evolution, and community. And that future shows that it's a great time to be a part of the supply chain industry. So congratulations to these top female leaders. I look forward to seeing what else you do to grow the supply chain industry."

Victoria Ma, Manager and Global Lead of the LLamasoft Center of Excellence at Miebach Consulting, is one of the winners of this award.

"I am honored and humbled to be named one of Supply & Demand Chain Executive's Women in Supply Chain," remarked Ms. Ma. "The diverse and inclusive nature of Miebach Consulting and the clients we work with are a major contributing factor in my success and professional growth. I strongly believe that having women of cultural minorities in the industry is an advantage for supply chains. We bring new and creative perspectives to the industry's hardest challenges."

Nick Banich, partner at Miebach Consulting, commented, “The level of trust our clients place in Victoria, her teams, and her recommendations speaks to her expertise, commitment, and drive. The supply chain industry as well as the consulting industry as a whole are vastly under-represented when it comes to female leaders, and we will all benefit with more individuals such as Victoria are not only participating in our organizations, but driving them forward.” 

Check out the September issue of Supply & Demand Chain Executive for the full list of all of the 2020 Women in Supply Chain winners: https://digital.acbusinessmedia.com/SDC/2020/19150_092420/index.html

About Supply & Demand Chain Executive

Supply & Demand Chain Executive is the executive's user manual for successful supply and demand chain transformation, utilizing hard-hitting analysis, viewpoints and unbiased case studies to steer executives and supply management professionals through the complicated, yet critical, world of supply and demand chain enablement to gain competitive advantage. Go to www.SDCExec.com.

On September 1, 2020, the technical museum "Swiss Museum of Transport" in Lucerne officially opened the main exhibition "Experience Logistics!" The museum has been transformed into a logistics world to give the public a playful introduction to the diverse tasks of logistics and professional fields. Miebach Consulting was involved in the conception of the exhibition from the beginning of the first idea, accompanied the implementation and is partner of the project.

Logistics is much more than the truck on the road!

The "Swiss Museum of Transport" is an internationally renowned technical museum for transport and mobility and the most popular museum in Switzerland. In the Experience Logistics! exhibition, visitors can experience the world of goods traffic, the supply chain networks, and transport systems hands-on. In the outdoor area of the museum, a large-format high-bay warehouse can be viewed, while in the indoor area the theme island "Logistics" can be discovered in a small format. An automatic small parts warehouse, an interactive media wall with the "Supply Game", on which the path of chocolate from the cultivation of cacao to the supermarket shelf is shown, and an animated miniature model, virtual reality journeys, as well as scanning and picking stations provide insightful experiences in the different tasks and fields of logistics activities.

The exhibition was realized in cooperation with the Swiss Logistics Foundation and various logistics associations and companies.

Dr. Beat Meier, Director, Miebach Consulting said:

"Logistics plays a major role in the economy, but it is still not very well known and is often perceived from a narrow perspective. The exhibition is intended to give, especially for a younger audience, a playful introduction to the diversity of logistics and to show the exciting different fields of purchasing, production logistics, control, scheduling, supply chain management and much more. We hope that the exhibition will attract more attention to logistics and contributes to improving its image".

The main exhibition "Experience Logistics!" in the Swiss Museum of Transport, Lidostrasse 5 in CH-6006 Lucerne, is currently open and is available to visitors until late summer 2022, including the outdoor area. The new logistics theme island (indoor area) in the Strassenhalle will remain in operation at least until 2025. Further information: www.verkehrshaus.ch

Customer needs and market requirements are changing more than ever and are putting companies under pressure to act. Traditional business models must be abandoned and replaced by more suitable concepts. On increasingly digital channels, the challenge is to successfully reach one's target groups, to create purchasing needs and to meet these needs. The corona crisis is intensifying the pressure for change. With declining profitability and efficiency, corporate existences are at stake in almost all industries.

All these aspects have an impact on the available storage capacity. These must be expanded or reduced. "Rightsizing" through new real estate could be a solution, but it ties up capital and cannot be implemented quickly.

Alternatives to rightsizing through new construction are downgrading or upgrading of the existing plant, such as in the following example scenarios:

• The warehouse has reached its capacity limit, but there are currently no funds for investments.
• New investment is not ready in time to provide necessary capacity.
• The cost savings of automation are not exhausted, there are still many manual processes, poor control of the plant, etc.
• Revenue is decreasing and may offer the opportunity to reduce shifts and floor space; automation need to support shorter working hours and less floor space.
• IT system world is old and inflexible and the maintenance end of WMS or PLCs is reached - new processes and easy automation cannot be implemented.
• Profitability forces to save 15% of costs by increasing productivity.
• Logistics areas are to be transferred to production.

Retrofit and tuning of automation

Retrofitting and tuning of the existing logistics center or the existing automation is a cost-optimal and efficient alternative to new construction. The optimization includes processes & existing IT solutions, space, warehouse technology and people & organization.

For the logistic optimization with a retrofit/tuning the following questions should be answered:

• What additional throughput can we achieve?
• What are fast improvements to get additional capacity?
• Which systems and technologies need to be replaced to ensure the availability of the overall system?
• How can new solutions and the IT landscape be integrated?
• How can we increase warehouse efficiency with Quick Wins?
• How is the implementation carried out during operation?

Possible options for a retrofit/tuning plan could be selective investments in hardware (replacement of components) or software. But is fixing isolated problems enough to improve your bottom line?

Successful optimization begins with a holistic view of processes, IT solutions, technologies and people & organization. Miebach uses simulation to faster and better examine capacities and obstacles, weaknesses and potentials of these cost and value drivers. Our simulation and data analysis tools support you in determining the optimal adaptation of your existing system and its effects on the overall network.

Miebach Consulting supervises the entire retrofit process from design phase to go-live. For the exchange of the IT control system and the adaptation of the SAP system Miebach coordinates with Westernacher, a global business and SAP consulting company which is internationally leading in business processes and technology innovations. 

Would you like to learn more about how we can help you to adapt your warehouse to changing requirements with an efficient and cost-effective Retrofit & Tuning? Contact us today.

In cooperation with the logistics newspaper “Deutsche Verkehrs-Zeitung” (DVZ) Miebach Consulting conducted the eighth edition of an outsourcing study for logistics experts from industry, trade and service providers. The top focus of this year's survey has been the topic personnel. More than 360 shippers and 170 logistics service providers from Europe, Central and South America took part in the study.

Central results of the success factors and trends in logistics outsourcing 2020 are:

Employee recruitment and qualification are confirmed as success factors. 97 % of German logistics service providers consider employee recruitment, qualification and retention to be the decisive success factors, another 87 % expect that the concept of employee recruitment in the context of an award decision will gain in importance and only 17 % follow the statement that employee recruitment and qualification will lose in importance for logistics service providers due to higher automation and digitalization.

The assessment of both German and international shippers regarding the outsourcing suitability of various logistics functions is clear: outsourcing continues to be dominated by classic transport and warehousing services. This is also confirmed by the assessment of logistics service providers. The clear dominance of classic transport and warehousing processes is also reflected in the question of which functions companies plan to outsource in the future. While around two-thirds say that they have already outsourced transport completely and that there is therefore less future potential, the greatest outsourcing potential is found in the area of warehousing and order picking.

For the first time, the importance of the selection criteria between storage and transport services differs and regional differences in the importance of the individual criteria are also increasing.
A slight increase in insourcing is also evident. 24 % of shippers respond that they are planning insourcing for the future - in addition to classic warehouse processes, now also in returns processing and transport planning.

The future of outsourcing is viewed much more critically in Germany than 3 years ago. Among both shippers and service providers, the proportion of those who expect a further increase in outsourcing has fallen significantly - in favour of those who expect a stable proportion.

"Future growth in outsourcing will take place primarily outside Germany. This is a development that we have been observing for some time. For example, the total outsourcing volume in Germany has tended to grow in terms of price and volume in recent years, while genuine new business in logistics outsourcing is becoming increasingly rare. " - says Dr. Klaus-Peter Jung, Miebach Consulting.

The complete study report can be requested from Ralf Hoffmann (hoffmann@miebach.com).

Discana is a global logistics company specializing in the beverage sector, with 30 years of experience handling and finishing services, reverse logistics, logistics and quality. The company, who serves as logistics operator for Heineken, recently required the services of Miebach Consulting to provide greater visibility into the operation of its Warehouse Management System.

Discana and Miebach Consulting had collaborated previously for an audit of the operations and infrastructures of the company, from which the recommendation for the implementation of a Warehouse Management System (WMS) arose, as well as in the process of tendering, design and support of its implementation.

The implementation of the WMS allowed Discana to improve the overall efficiency of operations, digitize management, and improve data quality, ensuring total traceability and improving service quality. They decided that operations required greater visibility, so they asked Miebach to develop a Business Intelligence platform that would perform a continuous analysis of operational KPI's and provide intuitive, graphical and "user-friendly" analytical data.

The project was developed in four stages: definition of indicators and dashboards, development of the data model (connection with the WMS database), development of the dashboards, and implementation of the solution, which included a training session of Qlik Sense, the software used by Miebach for the development of the platform.

According to Borja Segura, General Manager of Discana: "The project developed by Miebach has allowed us to make visible the historical data collected by the WMS, giving us value and facilitating short-term resource planning."

SHOP APOTHEKE EUROPE, one of the leading online pharmacies in Continental Europe, is meeting the development of the order volume, which has been growing steadily for years, by moving into a new office and logistics center in Sevenum near Venlo (Netherlands). This will speed up all processes involved in the shipment of over-the-counter and prescription medications as well as beauty products, and will further optimize customer service.

"The new central warehouse is the final element in completing our logistics project. We have set the goal of creating the best possible shopping experience for our customers in terms of product range, quality and speed of delivery, and also to increase efficiency," explains Theresa Holler, Chief Pharmacist and Chief Operating Officer of SHOP APOTHEKE EUROPE.

At the ground-breaking ceremony in June last year, Stefan Feltens, CEO of SHOP APOTHEKE EUROPE, said: "Our goal is to continue to grow significantly faster than our competitors and to serve our markets from Venlo. With the new logistics center, we will be able to increase the shipping volume from currently 12 million to more than 35 million parcels within a few years".

Miebach Consulting was already assigned with the concept, detailed planning and tendering in 2018/2019 and has also been supporting SHOP APOTHEKE EUROPE since the beginning of the year in the realization of the central warehouse, which will become the new central hub of the European distribution network.

Together with SHOP APOTHEKE EUROPE Miebach Consulting realizes an efficient integral process with high dynamics and modular scalability. With the innovative character of this jointly developed picking and dispatch solution, SHOP APOTHEKE EUROPE is well positioned for future requirements. Automated storage and picking areas as well as innovative partial elements lead to flexibility and high throughput in the largely multi-storey logistics area of 40,000 square meters.

Approximately 950 employees currently work at the Venlo site, while around 200 employees work at the Cologne city site, from where they manage the company's e-commerce activities, among others.

The investment sum amounts to 50-60 million euros for intralogistics and IT alone. The first deliveries to customers are scheduled for the end of 2020.

Can Digital Transformation, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things and Robotics be the answer to some of the main Supply Chain challenges? How relevant are these technologies in the short, medium and long term?

In the last Miebach Pharma Study of 2016, topics such as supply chain visibility, improving prediction accuracy, track & trace and serialization requirements were identified as the most important challenges for the future. None of the participants at that time commented on the digital challenges and the profound changes in this area. In 2020, the topic of digital disruption is now the focus of decision-makers in the Pharma supply chain. 540 professionals have been participating in the survey, representing Europe, Middle East, Asia-Pacific, USA-Canada and Latin America.

Digital transformation is a management task

Approximately 60% of the participants consider Digital Transformation as a top management priority, while 80% expect to realize the benefits of digital initiatives within the next five years.

The most important short-term measures most frequently mentioned in the study are cooperation with partners in the supply chain, big data/machine learning, robotics and automation.

The key challenges for the pharmaceutical supply chain are not only driven by digital developments - the pressure to reduce costs in the supply chain is growing and is recognized by the study participants as the most important challenge. However, apart from the top focus on cost reduction, some of the key drivers have not changed much over the last eight years (Miebach Pharma Studies 2012, 2016, 2020) and have always been in the range of 80-95% in the responses, which are end-to-end supply chain visibility, improving forecast accuracy and optimizing the distribution network.

Other topics have decreased significantly in importance during this period, mainly due to the successful implementation of track and trace as well as protective measures against counterfeit drugs, especially through the implementation of serialization requirements.

Impact of new Technologies

New technologies have a strong influence on the transformation process of supply chains. Pharmaceutical and life science companies expect to implement the following technologies in the short term: Real-time process monitoring, manufacturing execution system (MES), robotics & automation, predictive maintenance, big data. However, many companies still lack the user-friendly tools and full management support to fully exploit the potential of these technologies.

"End-to-end supply chain visibility is seen by all as the ultimate goal of a mature and efficient supply chain. Digital transformation will certainly help in this regard, but first all parties involved have to be fully integrated. The ability to track components and products from manufacturer to destination is probably one of the most desired outcomes of digital transformation" - according to Martin Eckert, Head of Global Pharma & Life Sciences, Miebach Consulting.

The complete report on the results of the Miebach Pharma & Life Science Study 2020 can be requested from Ralf Hoffmann, Miebach Consulting (e-mail: hoffmann@miebach.com).

Furthermore, Miebach Consulting offers a webinar series on the results of the study. Interested parties can get more information and register for the webinars free of charge under this link. 

Barry Callebaut, the world's largest manufacturer of cocoa and chocolate products, intends to centralize its global logistics activities in Lokeren, Belgium in a 60,000 m² facility. The plans for the new distribution center for Barry Callebaut have already been recognized with the Foreign Investment Trophy, as the best foreign investment in Flanders. The Belgium real estate investor WDP will develop this unique, logistics warehouse site together with a strong network of partners, including Miebach Consulting.

Miebach Consulting supported Barry Callebaut from strategy to implementation: first with a feasibility and make-or-buy study in order to evaluate the best option for the company's centralization plans, followed by developing the design of the new distribution center, supporting the tender phase and investor selection. Now Miebach is supporting the implementation phase. Completion is planned for the summer of 2021.

The new logistics complex will be fully on par with Barry Callebaut's ambitious "Forever Chocolate" sustainability strategy - it will be built with the highest standards for sustainable developments, it will be energy-neutral and consist of the latest logistics technology including a completely automated high bay warehouse with 40 meters in height.

By centralizing the storage of all packaged chocolate, the efficiency of the flow of goods will be optimized. The new warehouse will be fully equipped with, amongst others, solar panels, geothermal energy, charging stations for electric vehicles and facilities for cyclists. In addition, it will also have a direct connection to the port of Antwerp for global distribution.

Masha Vis-Mertens, VP Operations and Supply Chain Organization at Barry Callebaut, says, "this award recognizes the hard work put in by the entire project team and the unique partnership we have with our partners, WDP and the city of Lokeren. The warehouse will allow us to make our operations more efficient and improve our service. From the distribution center in Lokeren we will be able to stock our packaged products and have them shipped across the world. In other words, it is our window to the future and through it, we will continue to share our passion and expertise for Belgian chocolate with the rest of the world."

Marc Meuleman, Managing Director of Miebach Consulting Benelux adds, "Excellence in Logistics is a competitive advantage and an enabler for realizing strategic targets. For this, the new distribution center will be one key ingredient and is designed to meet the requirements for additional volume growth. All processes are set-up to perfectly match the demands of Barry Callebaut's customers, enabling high service levels and highest efficiency and quality in worldwide delivery".

Have a look at the construction progress of Barry Callebaut’s biggest chocolate warehouse in the world end of 2020 in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1D94t5W-byw&feature=emb_logo.

The extent of the COVID-19 pandemic on the logistics and supply chain was probably something that few companies had taken into account in their crisis plans. Supporting companies in managing exceptional situations is part of our DNA as a consulting firm. We provide support when you have to deal with strong fluctuations in demand (e.g.: retail, FMCG, pharmaceutical companies), but also when short-term measures to reduce costs or process adjustments are required. For this purpose, we have provided a brief overview of some thought leadership papers, case studies and ideas that will give you initial guidance and point out suitable measures. 

Relevant case studies with COVID-19-like effects on the supply chain:

• Analysis of supply chain interruptions: In anticipation of a sudden shortage of labour, Miebach modelled numerous production and warehousing strategies to deal with the slowdown or standstill of normal operations: Mitigation of Potential Disruptions to Ensure Operational Continuity
  
  
• Stock analysis & safety stock simulation: In response to a natural disaster and for fear of a possible pandemic, Miebach simulated several events to determine the ideal safety and strategic safety stock for a pharmaceutical manufacturer: Inventory optimization maximizes product availability while reducing stocks


• Better use of automation with updated demand/order profiles: A sudden change in the order profile and demand meant that this company was no longer optimally positioned with its automation technology for current requirement profiles: Optimization after implementation  

How Miebach can support you in times of crisis:

• Data Analytics: Use our data specialists to provide your internal teams with more power and a thought leadership role when internal capacities cannot keep up with the increased demand due to COVID-19 - especially for teams with existing, but now outdated network design, inventory or transport models
• LLamasoft COVID-19 Response Center: Specialized application to analyze the impact of the pandemic and support recovery efforts
• Crisis DC implementation support: we are able to support the establishment of new warehouse locations in the network and the stabilization of your operations to quickly respond to the need for additional capacity and services in the distribution and procurement network.
• Realignment of automated warehouse sites: One of the disadvantages of automating warehouse sites is the obvious lack of flexibility when faced with the world upside down. We support you in making the best possible use of existing systems and technologies and adapting them at short notice to meet the current situation and new requirements.
• Crisis management support: our Operational Excellence teams specialize in managing change and working with site management to "firefight", stabilize operations and overcome incalculable challenges.

Contact for your industry:   

Business Development Automotive & Industry
Michael Wegerer
Business Development Manager Automotive & Industry
Tel: +49 89 244421028
E-Mail: wegerer@miebach.com
LinkedIn

Business Development Fashion & Retail
Timo Willberger
Business Development Manager
Tel: +49 69 27399239
Mobil: +49 172 6174937
E-Mail: willberger@miebach.com
LinkedIn

Business Development Chemical/Pharma & Life Sciences/FMCG
Heiko Hitzhuber
Business Development Manager
Tel: +49 69 27399290
Mobil: +49 172 6636128
E-Mail: hitzhuber@miebach.com
LinkedIn

Baggage & Postal
Andreas Stoermer
Head of Industry Bagage & Postal
Tel: +49 30 89383266
Mobil: +49 172 3816319
E-Mail: stoermer@miebach.com

Chemical & Logistics Service Providers
Dr. Klaus-Peter Jung
Head of Industry Chemical & 3PL
Tel: +49 69 27399292
Mobil: +49 172 6660152
E-Mail: jung@miebach.com
LinkedIn

Fashion
Michael Greschke
Head of Industry Fashion
Tel: +49 30 89383220
Mobil: +49 172 8315026
E-Mail: greschke@miebach.com
LinkedIn

FMCG
Julian Maasmann
Head of Industry FMCG
Tel +49 69 2739920
Mobil: +49 162 2156795
E-Mail: maasmann@miebach.com
LinkedIn

Pharma & Life Sciences
Achim Sponheimer
Head of Industry Pharma & Life Sciences
Tel: +49 69 27399280
Mobil: +49 172 6636127
E-Mail: sponheimer@miebach.com
LinkedIn

Retail
Andreas Hartwig
Head of Industry Retail
Tel: +49 30 89383238
Mobil: +49 173 6512067
E-Mail: hartwig@miebach.com
LinkedIn

The corona virus has reached Germany - with consequences for the population and the economy. In order to protect people from infection with the corona virus and to prevent the further spread of the pandemic, many major events and trade fairs have already been postponed or cancelled - such as the most important international logistics trade fair LogiMAT. Miebach Consulting is also taking measures and offering a series of webinars as a digital alternative to the personal exchange of information. 

Miebach webinars: Meet the expert online 

"For us, the health of our employees, customers and business partners is our top priority and therefore we would like to invite you to our webinars instead of meeting at a trade fair - without any health risk and accessible to everyone" - says Jochen Schühle, CEO Miebach Consulting Germany.

Miebach Consulting offers a webinar series on current logistics and supply chain topics from 10 - 12 March 2020. The webinars will take place live, with the opportunity to ask questions and discuss individual aspects at any time, via webcam, audio or chat functionality.

"Personal contact is immensely important in our consulting business. Even discussions and information services via digital channels cannot replace this. However, with the webinars we want to make it possible to exchange information with logistics experts at short notice and on a secure basis" - according to Schühle. 

The exclusive Miebach "Meet the expert online" webinar topics include

• Supply Chain Financing 
• Supply Chain Planning and S&OP 
• Digitalization in the supply chain and logistics 
• Digital Twin
• Tesla goes Brandburg
• Supply Chain Risk Management
• Robotics

Merck is a science and technology company that operates across Healthcare, Life Science and Performance Materials with more than 350 years of experience. The organization has more than 56,000 employees in 66 countries. For reasons of strategic market growth, Merck has decided to move its outsourced operation to an in-house facility in Toluca, Mexico.

Based on Merck's objectives, Miebach designed and planned the construction of an extension to the existing warehouse of the Life Science division with the goal of ensuring both internal flow and optimal distribution of its products until 2025. An additional objective of Merck was the development of an implementation program which did not impact the existing business operation during the entire construction process.

With these objectives, Miebach, together with Merck's operations management, developed the new layout of the facilities based on future distribution needs, improved material flows, and restrictions in the handling of hazardous materials. Also, a transition plan was developed that would allow the optimal realization of the preliminary adaptations of the new facility before the transfer and start of Merck's operation.

Miebach supported Merck also in the execution of the implementation plan, supervising the development of the supplier’s activities responsible for the construction of the warehouse, the installation of a firefighting system in accordance with the hazardous materials and NFPA standards, the construction for cold storage, and a ventilation system specific to the operation; all this in accordance with the quality, safety, and global standards demanded by the business. Miebach's task as a facilitator between Merck and the different suppliers allowed the establishment of effective communication channels that facilitated the development and completion of the required work.

The corona virus has reached Germany. The health of our employees, customers and business partners is our top priority, therefore we have decided to cancel the participation of Miebach Consulting at LogiMAT. It is not an easy decision to make, but we believe it is the right one under the current circumstances. However, we are looking forward to offering you alternatives to personal meetings at LogiMAT with our webinar series "Meet the expert online", which will be held parallel to the fair from 10 - 12 March! Further information will follow shortly.

The logistics and supply chain consulting company Miebach Consulting has a new managing director: Since February 1, 2020, Jochen Schühle is CEO of Miebach Consulting GmbH. Prior to that, he was Managing Director of the Miebach offices in the United States and Canada for nine years. Together with Dr. Wolfram Süssenguth (COO) he is now responsible for the management of Miebach Consulting Germany.

With Jochen Schühle the Miebach offices in the USA and Canada have grown significantly and the Miebach brand has been successfully established on the North American market. In Germany, Miebach Consulting aims to continue their growth course and to enhance the market position with services in the areas of digitalization, supply chain transformation and change management, among others.

"What makes Miebach's growth possible is our drive to get things done: we respond quickly and flexibly to our customers, develop innovative concepts with high added value and translate these into realizable business cases and sustainable solutions. I am looking forward to further strengthening the positive business development and corporate philosophy of Miebach Consulting together with my colleague Dr. Wolfram Süssenguth and the entire Miebach team" - said Jochen Schühle, CEO Miebach Consulting Germany.

Jürgen Hess, the previous managing director of the German Miebach company, will move to 100% in the holding management as of April 1, 2020. He has already performed this role on a pro rata basis since 2003. Under Jürgen Hess' 18 years of management, Miebach Consulting was able to more than double their turnover in Germany and expand their holistic consulting approach with supply chain consulting and engineering in Germany. 

"By focusing more strongly on my position as Managing Director of the Holding, I can better support our global locations and their development. My goal is to solidify the Miebach Consulting Group as a leading consulting company for logistics and supply chain. As a globally operating company, we can generate competitive advantages for our clients worldwide through thought leadership, high quality standards and innovation" says Jürgen Hess, CEO Miebach Consulting Group.

Since the beginning of this year, Bernard Tremblay, who was previously a member of the management board and head of the Canadian Miebach office in Montreal, has been in charge of the US and Canadian offices as managing director.

Miebach Consulting, one of the world's leading consulting firms for supply chain management and intralogistics, will participate in LogiMAT from 10-12 March 2020 in Stuttgart and invites visitors to a personal exchange at the Miebach stand in Hall 3, No. B09.

Miebach Consulting sees the digitization of logistics and the utilization of its potential as a key factor for the company's success: "Our customers are aware of the importance of digitization and have already completed or are planning transformation projects for digitization,” says Jürgen Hess, Chairman of the Management Board, Miebach Consulting GmbH. “The goal is clear: Logistics and the supply chain should be interlinked, inventory structures and processes optimized, and data flows seamlessly integrated in order to exceed customer expectations in terms of speed, transparency and service. The answer to the volatile market environment and the technological revolution does not mean wait and see, but proactively shaping the supply chain and logistics for the future and using new technologies as enablers for transformation and optimization."

Miebach Consulting supports the adaptation of the supply chain and logistics to the changing market and customer requirements with services tailored to the respective requirements. These are among others:

Cost savings through logistics optimization: In day-to-day consulting, two main drivers are the goal of logistics optimization projects: Cost savings and service improvement. As a rule, the optimum solution is found between these two requirements. It is worthwhile to look at both the internal / your own logistics as well as the supply chain outside your own warehouse in order to increase the efficiency of operational processes and increase the overall performance of the company.

Digitalization in the supply chain: The traditional goals of supply chains - punctual, complete and cost-effective delivery - are no longer sufficient and must be complemented by speed, transparency and traceability required by customers. Industry 4.0, process digitization, real-time visibility and digital planning systems are essential cornerstones of the digital supply chain. 

Digital twin - Simulation Intralogistics: With the help of simulation, supply chains, networks, inventories and business processes can be visualized, planned and optimized down to individual locations. With their digital twin, companies gain transparency of their current costs and processes and can check future scenarios risk-free with their business model and strategy. 

For further information on the above-mentioned solutions and beyond, please visit our booth in Hall 3, No. B09. We look forward to meeting you.

We would also like to invite you to join us for the presentation about the results of the Supply Chain Risk Study by Prof. Dr. Bernd Müller-Dauppert, Member of the Executive Board, Miebach Consulting. The lecture will take place on 11 March 2020, 01:45 PM in Hall 4, Forum C. 

Miebach Logistik Holding GmbH, parent company of the international logistics and supply chain consultancy Miebach Consulting, is taking over 100% of the share capital of suisseplan Ingenieure AG Logistik with immediate effect. The consulting and planning company suisseplan Ingenieure AG Logistik, founded in Zurich, is specialized in baggage handling and sorting systems for airport logistics.

Combining competencies

In cooperation with the newly acquired subsidiary suisseplan Ingenieure AG Logistik, Miebach is expanding the operative business in Europe and is strengthening its portfolio by consolidating the complementary range of services and core competences of both companies. The former chairman of the management board of suisseplan Ingenieure AG Logistik, Mr. Gerhard Beck, and Mr. Rainer Schulz, managing director of Miebach Consulting Switzerland, will share the management board.

Rainer Schulz states about the strategic acquisition: "The integration of suisseplan Ingenieure AG Logistik into the Miebach Consulting Group creates many positive elements: It enables us to combine industry expertise in airport logistics with our expertise of the entire logistics environment. With the help of our competent team of material flow simulation experts and supply chain consultants, our customers are able to receive this range of services from a single source."

"We welcome Miebach Consulting Group as a new shareholder. Thus, we are setting the course for positioning suisseplan Ingenieure AG Logistik as a valuable and qualified business partner in the future. For our customers, the new partnership is a continuous development of our services. We can thereby rely on the know-how and international consulting experience of Miebach Consulting," comments Managing Director Gerhard Beck.

Suisseplan Ingenieure AG Logistik – a miebach consulting Company

Since 2011, suisseplan Ingenieure AG Logistik, based in Zurich and Munich, has been supporting customers with the planning, implementation and monitoring of professional baggage handling and sorting systems. With numerous successful projects, the company has been established on the European market and will remain a brand under its name. The addition "a miebach consulting company" symbolizes the company’s new business realignment.

Miebach Consulting has launched an international survey in order to evaluate the most relevant challenges and trends for supply chain organizations within the pharma & life sciences industry. Challenges in regulatory requirements, pressure on revenues from the public health sector, personalized medicines and treatments, combined with the megatrend of digital transformation and the internet of things are putting pressure on supply chains today.

"The objective of this fourth edition of the study series is to show relevant supply chain potentials for companies due to present and future changes in the worldwide market. We want to point out which concepts could be an enabler towards an agile, responsive, but still efficient and controllable supply chain today and in future. Your participation in this initiative is very much appreciated" - says Martin Eckert, Partner & Global Expert Pharma Industry, Miebach Consulting.

To gain a holistic and significant industry overview, logistics and supply chain managers in pharma & life sciences companies are invited to take part in this survey. Completion will take about 12 minutes.

Link to the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.de/r/MC-Pharma-Study

The study results with the latest pharma & life sciences supply chain insights will be shared with the participants. The survey is open until January 15, 2020. The study results will be published in April 2020.

Distribuidora Nissan (DINISSAN) is a leading company in the automotive sector and exclusive marketer of the brands Nissan, John Deere Industrial and ZNA in Colombia. At the same time, it offers spare parts sales and after-sales service, for which it has its own distribution network and unique service points at a national level.

As with most companies in the spare parts sector, its product portfolio has grown considerably in recent years, causing a saturation of the current logistics distribution center. Faced with this situation, DINISSAN contacted Miebach Consulting to optimize present and future distribution operations.

In a first phase, DINISSAN, with the support of Miebach Consulting Colombia, developed a study to evaluate the best operating scheme and define the optimal location of the Distribution Center considering two options: maintain the current location and redesign it or diversify the distribution in several centers located in different cities throughout the country to improve the logistics costs and service levels.

With the help of LLamasoft's Supply Chain Guru tool, Miebach Consulting Colombia performed an analysis of the location of CDLs in different cities to define the best distribution option throughout the country, considering operating costs, primary transportation (sea and import), transfers and local distribution.

The result was a network that would consist of two CDLs, one in Bogotá and another in Barranquilla. Over the next 3 years this solution would generate a reduction of the logistical costs between 12% and 15% by reducing the scope of inventories in less than 2 months, improving the distribution flows, modifying the number of backorders, and lowering the cost of breakdowns.

If you would like more information on the project, please contact Paola A. Orejuela V (see contact information below). 

About DINISSAN
Distribuidora Nissan S.A. with the representation of the brand since 1963, is a world class company that is part of the 100 largest companies in the country, offering comprehensive sales and after-sales solutions for all its products through its own distribution network and unique service points nationwide.

The lingerie and underwear manufacturer Triumph International has won the Austrian Logistics Prize for its renewed and expanded distribution center at the Wiener Neustadt location in Austria. Miebach Consulting congratulates its customer on this award.

With the transformation of the formerly production-oriented location Wiener Neustadt into a Europe-wide logistics hub, logistics becomes Triumph's core competence and supports the company in achieving its goal of becoming "global service leader 2020".

The logistics prize was awarded by the Logistics Association VNL as part of its annual Austrian Logistics Day at the end of June 2019. According to the VNL, the decisive factors for awarding the prize to Triumph International were above all the successful transformation in a short period of time and the redesign of Omnichannel logistics.

The rebuilt and expanded 40,000 square meter site serves as one of two Europe-wide distribution centers and supplies the Western European markets with products from the Triumph Group - and this across all channels: the company's own outlets, retailers and etailers are supplied. The modernization took three years and was done without interrupting operations.

"We are proud and happy to have received this year's Logistics Award for our completely modernized distribution center. It proves that our hard work has paid off," said Oliver Rossmann, Head of the Logistics Center and Member of the Board of Triumph Austria.

"Congratulations to Triumph International on this success. As Triumph's partner, we are delighted to have contributed to the success of this project as part of the concept planning" - says Michael Greschke, Member of the Management Board and head of the fashion market segment at Miebach Consulting.

REWE Group is strengthening its competitiveness in the e-commerce business with its new Food Fulfillment Center (FFC) 2.0 in Cologne, which has been in operation since the summer of last year. Miebach Consulting supported REWE in the strategic and conceptual planning, tendering and awarding of contracts and accompanied the implementation phase as an independent expert. On the occasion of the one-year anniversary the partners have concluded that the initial phase has been positive.

With the semi-automated Food Fulfillment Center 2.0, REWE has reached an important milestone in its integrated digitalization strategy.

"We are very pleased with the start-up phase of this unique FFC in continental Europe. Using automated shuttle technology, the products from several different cooling zones arrive at the picking station. This significantly increases our picking performance compared to purely manual centers. All in all, the trend-setting technology and process optimization of intralogistics will strengthen our efficiency in the e-com area as well as our services to our customers through higher availability of goods and the possibility of adding new assortments" - says Wolf-Axel Schulze, Head of Automated Fulfillment Center at REWE Digital.

Frank Sonnefeld, Project Manager at Miebach Consulting GmbH, says: "The first continental European warehouse in the e-food sector with a high degree of automation convinces with its efficiency, customer orientation and delivery quality. A short throughput time enables REWE Digital to process large volumes of regular and same-day orders in a highly efficient manner.

On a surface area equivalent to 2.5 soccer fields, shuttle systems and manual areas, six different temperature zones, 38 specially developed goods exit gates for efficient loading and temperature control of the delivery vehicles, fresh counters for sausage and cheese, meat and soon also bakery products form the core elements of the new facility. The REWE Food Fulfillment Center 2.0 has a certified end-to-end cooling concept from goods receipt to delivery to the customer's door, and meets the highest technical building requirements as well as the DGNB sustainability "Gold" standard. In regular operation, the assortment of the Food Fulfillment Center 2.0 includes more than 20,000 articles. As a milestone in the industry, the new location meets all the requirements for e-commerce and is flexibly designed so that future changes can also be considered through adjustments and expansions.
 

The SupplyChainBrain Publication has maintained the tradition of celebrating top supply chain partners for the past 17 years.  Their Top 100 Great Supply Chain Partner listing for 2019 has once again been a competitive field of nominations, showing that there are many companies who are appreciative of their suppliers’ services and solutions.

"For seventeen years running, SupplyChainBrain has published our much-anticipated list of 100 Great Supply Chain Partners — a select group of companies whose customers recognize them for providing outstanding solutions and services.” Brad Berger, Publisher

Nominations for the award take place over a six-month period, and supply chain professionals must qualify their selections with information on vendors and service providers whose solutions have made significant impacts on their company’s efficiency, customer service, and overall supply chain performance.

“We don’t take such customer recognition for granted, and work hard every day to provide best value to our customers,” remarked Jochen Schuehle, CEO of Miebach USA and Canada. “Receiving this award is fantastic news and we feel challenged even more to continuously improve our efforts.” 

The full list of 100 Great Supply Chain Partners can be found at: https://www.supplychainbrain.com/articles/30068-building-success-100-great-supply-chain-partners-of-2019

Semark, the leading food distribution group in Cantabria (Spain), which manages the supermarkets “Lupa”, “Top Cash”, “Tifer” and “Telco”, is building a distribution platform that will have several warehouses and will be supported by the latest technological installations. Semark has counted on the collaboration with Miebach Consulting throughout the whole process, from the definition of a master plan for its logistic structure, to the design of the warehouse, which will be inaugurated next September. 

The Semark logistics center will have a 37,000 m2 warehouse which will be used for dry products (20,000 m2) and refrigerated products (17,000 m2). At a later stage, a second warehouse will be built for frozen products and an automated picking system will be implemented, as well as other company premises.

Semark has invested €40 million in this platform, which will create 350 jobs and supply 171 points of sale in the north of Spain (which, at the time of the opening of the new facility, will be 174). In addition to having state-of-the-art technology, the center is designed to be sustainable and respectful of the environment, with solar panels for the production of sanitary hot water, heat recovery systems, recharging of electric vehicles using renewable energies and the use of digital energy management equipment.

Close collaboration between Semark and Miebach Consulting

Semark has had the support of Miebach Consulting, whose services included the analysis of the current logistics network, the definition of the optimal structure for the future, the feasibility study of a new center and its design.

According to Fidel Gomez, Logistics Director at Semark, "the new facility is a key part of our growth plan and the modernisation of the company's logistics. The support of Miebach's consultants has been a key factor for the success of the project".

Miquel Viella, Director of Engineering at Miebach Consulting, adds: "The success of the work developed by Miebach and Semark is mainly due to the close collaboration between the two companies. Over the last few years, we have jointly carried out several projects, all focused on generating efficiencies and establishing good practices in the area of the supply chain.

About Semark

Semark AC Group, S.A. is a Spanish owned food distribution company. It started its activity in 1982 in Santander (Cantabria), where its head office is located. Semark AC Group currently has 171 sales outlets located in Cantabria, Castilla y León and La Rioja. It has two logistics centers located in Santander and Palencia. Supermercados Lupa, Semark's main brand, closed 2018 with a turnover of 535 M€, representing an increase of 7.9% over the previous year. The Cantabrian company has also considerably strengthened its workforce, with more than 4,000 employees at the end of 2018 (1,000 more than the previous year).

This year at LLamaCon in Chicago, LLamasoft recognized a handful of partners for their dedication to delivering value and innovation to clients. “As LLamasoft continues to grow we will increasingly rely on our talented partner ecosystem to deliver innovative, high-quality offerings,” remarked Paul Applegate, Vice President of Alliances at LLamasoft.

He continued, “Miebach Consulting has demonstrated their ability to go above and beyond in their willingness not only invest in LLamasoft’s next generation solutions but also in helping their clients maximize the value of their LLamasoft investment.”

"It’s an honor to be given this recognition,” said Nick Banich, Partner and Lead for the LLamasoft Partner Alliance. “We as a global organization invest a lot of time and energy into LLamasoft.  Not only do we use the product on our traditional consulting engagements, but we are quite active in teaching customers of LLamasoft how to apply the product to their supply chain and transforming their organization and culture to successfully deploy the tool and maximize their investment in the product.  I believe the majority of companies have only begun to unlock the myriad of use cases with the product, and we are excited for future collaborations with LLamasoft, our customers, and theirs." 

Other recipients of the award, given to LLamasoft partners around the world, include 7D Analytics, KORUS Consulting, and Bain. More about the LLamaCon Conference and Partner Awards can be found at www.llamasoft.com/blog

Despite the media hype, the implementation of new technologies, like Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Blockchain is rarely successful for FMCG companies in the short-term. Instead, traditional concepts like sales and operations planning and track & trace are becoming more relevant due to their high rate of successful implementation. However, Big Data has proven added value, but most companies still exploit only a fraction of the potential of data-driven support tools.

These are findings from the global FMCG study with more than 360 global participants conducted by Miebach Consulting in collaboration with GS1 Germany in the first quarter of 2019.

Solutions for 2020 in an ever-changing business context

With new logistics and supply chain innovations surfacing almost daily, the study tries to filter the noise and detect which innovations are developing into the standards of 2020. The results indicate that successful early adopters are pushing innovators and supply chain managers of consumer goods companies to challenge the status quo by shifting boundaries to stay ahead of competition.

There is a general feeling among FMCG companies that the business context is shifting: 55 percent of the companies surveyed experience strong to very strong triggers for change. The majority of companies see customer centricity as the key factor for their supply chain management success over the next two years. Collaboration is another very important lever for the future, 60 percent consider collaboration as the relevant trigger with a strong or very strong leverage towards digitization.

"The majority of future technologies require a certain degree of willingness to collaborate. Thus, the willingness to share information, especially in value chain networks, will be a central challenge in the upcoming years" - says Dirk Freda, Head of Competence Center Supply Chain Management, GS1 Germany.

Fuelling logistic performances with KPIs as trigger points for change

With Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) being a leading instrument to steer the performance and development of a company, the survey compared the current and the targeted short-term supply chain performance. The responses clearly indicate that companies expect to considerably improve their KPIs by 2020, with more than half (51 percent) of them expecting to make at least a one-step improvement within the next 2 years.

"FMCG companies are striving to drastically increase their KPIs in order to secure their competitiveness in the age of digital change. It becomes clear that neither traditional supply chain automation nor innovative solutions alone are enough. The combination of both approaches is necessary" - says Pank Bedaux, Global Lead Industry Practice Consumer Goods, Miebach Consulting

Responding to competitive pressure with high customer service levels and increasing Automation

According to the study participants, customer service levels tend to standardize at the range of 96 to 99 percent OTIF. However, only about 25 percent of companies already achieve this level of service while 10 percent of companies must make a significant leap from currently 90-93 percent to reach their targeted KPI by 2020.

The results also show a tendency towards increasing automation - with hardly any company reversing towards more manual solutions.

Alex Waterinckx, Lead of the Industry Practice Consumer Goods Germany, Miebach Consulting states: "We see a growing interest for automated case picking in the market which is confirmed by the survey. Layer picking, especially, is a technology with increasing interest, as retail customers demand less full pallets and therefore require more picking."

The shift towards multi-and omnichannel solutions

Traditional roles in the end-to-end consumer goods supply chain have been blurring over the last years. E-delivery, supply chain orchestration, supply chain segmentation and adapting the footprint to an E-com network are gaining relevance and have already been successfully implemented in 78-100 percent of all projects.

"Multi- and omnichannel warehouse solutions are becoming more common than dedicated channel warehouses, allowing operational synergies on staff as well as on shared use of working capital invested" - says Alex Waterinckx.

The complete study can be requested by Ralf Hoffmann at hoffmann@miebach.com or at GS1 Germany Michaela Freynhagen at michaela.freynhagen@gs1.de.

On April 10th, 2019, SKF has inaugurated a brand-new goods-to-person picking installation at their Distribution Centre in Airasca, Italy. Miebach Consulting supported the leading global technology provider in the planning and commissioning of the highly efficient material flow solution.

"The goods-to-person picking system, which we developed together with Miebach, is part of our logistics strategy to fulfill customer orders with increasing efficiency and effectiveness, while improving at the same time working conditions to a maximum, as far as ergonomics and safety are concerned" - said Silvio Gallione, General Manager SKF Logistics & Demand Chain Italy.

The system consists of four goods-to-person picking stations, fed by eight high-performance stacker cranes, replacing the original ones in the automated high bay warehouse, and a floor-mounted monorail equipped with 11 carriers. The installation allows flexible picking into SKF Group Standard Pallets (GSP) or into cartons for smaller orders.

"The new process increases picking productivity and considerably reduces vehicular traffic on the warehouse floor. These are decisive performance capabilities to best meet the high demands of SKF's business customers" - says Alberto Alberici, Managing Director Miebach Consulting France and responsible for business development in Italy.

In parallel to the Italian operation, SKF Logistics & Demand Chain is currently implementing at its German Distribution Centre in Schweinfurt another goods-to-person process characterized by innovative automated guided narrow aisle trucks and a floor-mounted monorail system.

With the implementation of the goods-to-person picking strategy in the pallet areas, SKF Logistics & Demand Chain has entered a new level of efficiency in customer order execution.
SKF Logistics & Demand Chain and Miebach Consulting have been successfully cooperating worldwide for more than 40 years.

A video about the renovation of the distribution center in Airasca can be found here. 

More information about SKF: https://www.skf.com/group/our-company/index.html

The European Distribution Center in Kitzingen, Germany, which was inaugurated at the end of June 2018, is currently in the ramp-up phase. From this location the Schaeffler Group is shipping products from the industrial division to the European market as well as to the Americas, Greater China, and Asia/Pacific regions.

Miebach Consulting was responsible for the planning of the material flow technology and of the construction of the new central warehouse and supported Schaeffler in the tendering and awarding as well as in the realization..

"The central warehouse in Kitzingen completes our project for logistics optimization in the industrial sector. With the completion of the ramp-up phase, we want to bring logistics activities in the industrial sector to maximum efficiency and significantly improve delivery performance. We currently have around 60% of the integration volume. ", said Matthias Gossenz, Vice President Corporate Logistics - Warehouse Planning & Control of Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co.KG.

On the occasion of the approaching completion of the project and as a thank you, Miebach Consulting gave the Schaeffler Group an architectural model of their new European distribution center "EDZ Mitte" in Kitzingen on April 17, 2019.

"With this model, we would like to congratulate the Schaeffler Group on its implementation project to support its corporate performance through Supply Chain Excellence. Every visitor to the DC can now get a compact overview of the innovative holistic concept of the installed logistics system, which is ideally customized to the requirements of the B2B customers," says Jürgen Hess, Chairman of the Management Board, Miebach Consulting.

Schaeffler's standard products can be delivered to customers in Europe within 24 to 48 hours after receipt of order. It is also possible to accept and dispatch a customer order up to two hours before the delivery truck's departure. In addition, Schaeffler meets special customer requirements such as shipping the goods in containers or the customer's own packaging. Exceptional sorting processes are possible as well as the marking with recipient-specific labels.

This was solved by a high-performance system consisting of a high-bay warehouse, an automated small parts warehouse and workplaces of various functions, which implement the principle goods-to-person. Here, the employees receive the goods to be processed automatically and sequenced to their workplace. Likewise, finished goods are automatically conveyed from the workplace.

Photo in front of the architectural model with (from left to right) Dieter Stakemeier, Hoffmann & Stakemeier Ingenieure, Christian Bauersfeld, Miebach Consulting, Silke Hart, Schaeffler Group, Werner Klein, freelance logistics consultant, Dr. Jörg Zellerhoff, Schaeffler Group, Frank Weigl, Miebach Consulting, Matthias Gossenz, Schaeffler Group

Miebach Consulting is further strengthening its market position in France with Alberto Alberici, the new managing director of Miebach Consulting France SAS in Paris. Together with Philippe Lavoué, Associate Manager, they are responsible for business development and project implementation in the French market.

Alberto Alberici brings to the French organization a vast experience in engineering of logistics facilities as well as developing strategic projects related to the transformation of the supply chain.

Since opening of the office in Paris in 2017, the company has experienced a considerable growth of supply chain projects carried out for different companies in France, such as bioMérieux, Bridor, Clarins.

"Miebach Consulting supports local and global clients in optimizing their supply chain to generate competitive advantages and long-term success. The stakes are high, and proximity is paramount to ensure the success of our customers. In the spirit of our international development, our presence in France is fundamental " - said Alberto Alberici.

Graduated from the Politecnico of Milan in Mechanical Engineering, Alberto Alberici began his career with the Miebach Consulting Group in 1999 in Zug, Switzerland, where he was able to deploy his expertise in Europe, the Middle East and the Far East, for clients such as SKF, Würth, Danone, Barilla, Philip Morris, L'Oréal, etc.

Miebach Consulting has received the award "Best Logistics Brand 2019" in the category "Logistics Consultants and Consulting". This is the result of a reader and expert vote in Germany conducted by the logistics magazine "Logistik heute" and the German Logistics Association "BVL". The award ceremony took place on 10 April 2019 during an Award Night in Berlin.

Jürgen Hess, Chairman of the Management Board, Miebach Consulting GmbH, says:
"Many thanks to all participants for receiving this award, which we also see as a driver for continuous development. Our core brand value, Supply Chain Excellence through the combination of consulting and engineering know-how, expresses our commitment of delivering innovation and added value for our customers".

This year's reader and expert voting took place for the third time since 2016 and is aimed at demonstrating the high significance of the brand in the logistics industry. 

The brands that achieved the highest turnover in Germany and are relevant for the market in this country were chosen. The eleven categories cover the major areas of logistics - from real estate logistics developers and logistics consultants to industrial trucks, containers, IT for transport management, airports, trucks, CEP and logistics services on the road, at sea or in the air.

"Logistik heute" readers and more than 11,000 BVL members were invited to participate in the survey. 812 participants took part in this survey.

Further information about the survey and the results in the other categories can be found on the Logistik-heute-website (only in German).

Héctor Quiñones, previously Project Director of Miebach Consulting Mexico, is the new Managing Director of the company, replacing Jorge Ribas, who continues being part of the management team.

“With this change in management we seek to further strengthen our successful presence in Mexico, which started over two decades ago, and continue to support the optimization and efficiency of logistics and supply chains of companies in the country” – says Héctor Quiñones, managing director Miebach Consulting Mexico.

Héctor Quiñones is an industrial engineer and holds several certificates and diplomas in Mexico and abroad, as well as a Master in Finance at Tecnológico de Monterrey. He also has extensive supply chain experience, having held diverse managerial positions in multinational companies, where he has been logistics director and supply chain director. 

More information about Miebach Consulting can be found on the location page. 

The fashion chain MANGO has relied on the collaboration of Miebach Consulting since project beginning for its large logistics complex in Lliçà d'Amunt (Barcelona) and throughout the different phases of the project.

The MANGO logistics center, which has a total surface area of 280,000 square meters, incorporates the latest automation technologies for both folded and hanging garments, and is capable of managing 75,000 units per hour. The company supplies more than 2,100 points of sale around the world from the center.

The hanging garment installation is one of the most automated in Europe, with an automated storage and picking system. For its part, the folded garment installation contains several innovative elements. One of the most noteworthy is an automatic tote warehouse. In addition, the order preparation system has automatic garment sorters and a system for goods to man Picking. 

The facility also has a new warehouse management system which, linked to MANGO's corporate system, governs the entire installation in coordination with the automated Systems.

Miebach Consulting Services

MANGO has had the support of Miebach Consulting from the initial design to the commissioning of the installation, which has been progressively developed in stages. Miebach Consulting's services have covered the design of the solution, the selection of logistics integrators for both the automation and the Warehouse Management System, and the direction of the implementation, including the preparation of detailed projects, monitoring of the assembly and testing until its implementation.
According to Antonio Pascual, MANGO's Supply Chain Director, "The new installation represents a step forward in the modernization of the company's logistics and the support of the consultants has been a key factor for the success of the project".

About MANGO

MANGO was founded in 1984 and today is one of the world's leading fashion groups. With its origins and headquarters in Barcelona, it has an extensive network of more than 800,000 m² in more than 110 countries. From its Design Centre "El Hangar" in Palau-solità i Plegamans, more than 18,000 garments and accessories are designed each year in accordance with the trends of the season. The company closed 2017 with sales of 2,194 million euros. More information at www.mango.com.

When it comes to digitalization, everybody's approach to master the challenges of this mega trend is different. While some follow a more offensive approach in this territory, others may consider themselves as the observer in order to get a clear vision of what digitalization actually implies.

If questions like "Where do I start my digitalization process?", "Which measurements are necessary?", "Which anchor points help me transfer my digital vision into reality? concern you, we would be glad to discuss this and other topics at LogiMAT. This international trade fair for intralogistics and process management solutions takes place at the new Stuttgart exhibition center (Germany) from 19 to 21 February.

Miebach Consulting, one of the leading international consultancies for supply chain management, will participate in this event with a booth in Hall 3, No. B09. We invite you to meet our experts at the booth and to discuss suitable logistics solutions for the digitalization challenges of your company.

"The introduction of new technology in the field of logistics and production should primarily enable companies to act more time-, cost- and resource efficient as well as to ensure agility to respond to new and upcoming trends. Whether the implementation of digital technologies is successful or not is greatly dependent on the quality of existing processes within the organization. Therefore, we follow our guideline: intelligent processes first, digitalization second" says Jürgen Hess, CEO of the Miebach Consulting Group.

A logistics assessment including an analysis of digital technology in use helps identifying fields of improvement and can create an action plan by means of a "business case".

For your free ticket voucher for the LogiMAT 2019 and if you would like to schedule an appointment, please get in touch with Ralf Hoffmann (hoffmann@miebach.com).

In order to ensure its high level of service, the high-tech company Gira Giersiepen has built a new development, production and logistics center at its site in Radevormwald, Germany. Miebach Consulting was responsible for the planning of the logistics center and also accompanied the building technology specialist during the realization. State-of-the-art simulation and emulation techniques were used, which significantly reduced the effort and duration of the test phases.

"This project is an important milestone for our international competitiveness and future viability" - said Dirk Giersiepen, managing partner of Gira Giersiepen at the opening ceremony. The supply of production and the distribution to customers are now closely interlinked at one location. "Everything is on one level with an ideal flow of goods, connected by very efficient order picking and warehouse logistics," says Giersiepen.

With the new 30,000 square meter facility, the electrical industry company is creating the foundation for further growth. "Shorter distances, intelligent processes and improved process efficiency will lead to a significant increase in productivity," says Andreas Dürwald, Plant Manager Gira Giersiepen. "The plant secures our high service level standards. Orders for customer-specific articles are also delivered within 24 hours, if received by 11 a.m. they are delivered even on the same day".

In order to achieve this service level, the efficiency of the system plays a decisive role. "The new logistics center consists of a high retrieval capacity as well as a high component availability for supplying the pre- and final assemblies. In addition, efficient goods-to-person picking and dispatch preparation enable fast and stable processes towards distribution. - says Dr. Wolfram Süssenguth, Managing Director of Miebach Consulting Germany, about the solution.

Highlights of the solution are:

• Innovative combined technologies for production supply and disposal
• Automatic pallet and totes warehouses with person-to-goods picking of slow-moving items and integrated handover system for fast movers
• Optimized pick & pack process with case calculation
• Pull logistics
• Optimized modular production layout
• Processes completely controlled with SAP-EWM

SupplyChainBrain, one of the most comprehensive supply chain management information resources in the industry, has once again listed Miebach Consulting among the top 100 Great Supply Chain Partners of 2018.

The annual list is the result of an online submission process by which supply chain professionals from a variety of industries nominate vendors and service providers whose technology, logistics, transportation or consulting solutions have improved their company's efficiency, customer service and overall supply chain performance. The most compelling nomination for Miebach’s inclusion on the 2018 list read, “Their willingness to exceed service-level expectations is remarkable.”

“For sixteen years running, SupplyChainBrain has published our much-anticipated list of 100 Great Supply Chain Partners — a select group of companies whose customers recognize them for providing outstanding solutions and services. 

Our six-month online poll of supply chain professionals requires a qualified response, asking them to nominate vendors and service providers whose solutions have made a significant impact on their company’s efficiency, customer service and overall supply chain performance. 

This year’s field of nominees was competitive and inspiring – coming from all sectors of supply chain management. Your company should be proud to be named amongst the 100 Great!

Miebach Consulting appears in the 2018 October issue of SupplyChainBrain magazine as an honored member of this year’s 100 Great Supply Chain Partners.”

~ Brad Berger, Publisher, SupplyChainBrain

SupplyChainBrain receives thousands of qualified responses nominating several hundred companies. The final list includes the 100 companies that received the most nominations. In the case of ties, the nominations with the most detailed justification were selected.  The list is published in the October 2018 issue.

“It is of course wonderful to receive accolades, especially those initiated by a client recommendation," said the CEO of Miebach USA and Canada, Jochen Schuehle. "However, the real reward is knowing that our hard work is recognized and appreciated, and that we are making a measurable positive impact on the supply chains of those who have nominated us.” 

In November, Dr. Joachim Miebach, founder and president of the Miebach Consulting Group, and Jorge Motjé, CEO of the company, will start the conference tour "Traffic growth in megacities. The future of e-commerce and package distribution: between collapse and pollution" in several Latin American capitals.

In the first part, the presentation will analyze the current situation of the main megacities of Latin America (in terms of number of inhabitants, extension, number of vehicles, situation of transport networks, investments in infrastructure, levels of pollution by CO2 and other substances, etc.), and will extrapolate trends for the next 10 years. The second block will focus on how to prevent the collapse and reduce pollution levels in megacities, exposing several innovative solutions that can be applied to improve this situation. The third part will explain what the expected growths of electronic commerce are, what their consequences are and what possible solutions applicable to the urban distribution of goods exist. 

Places and dates

If you are interested in attending the Miebach conference in any of the cities listed below, please remember to contact your local office to make a prior booking, as places are limited:

MEXICO CITY, 6 November 2018, 8am-11am
For more information and to reserve a place, please contact Consuelo Martínez de Miebach Consulting México. E-mail: martinezs@miebach.com

CITY OF GUATEMALA, November 7, 2018, from 7h to 11h
For more information and to reserve a place, please contact Pablo Delgado of Miebach Consulting CAC. E-mail: delgadop@miebach.com (cell: 00502-5998-2788)

BOGOTÁ, November 8, 2018, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
For more information and to reserve a place, please contact Dayana Rojas of Miebach Consulting Colombia. E-mail: dayana.rojas@miebach.com 

LIMA, November 13, 2018, from 8:30h to 10:30h
For more information and to reserve a place, please contact Anyi Guanilo of Miebach Consulting Peru. E-mail: guanilo@miebach.com

SANTIAGO DE CHILE, November 14, 2018, from 08:30h to 11:30h
For more information and to reserve a place, please contact Daniela de la Cuadra of Miebach Consulting Chile. E-mail: santiago@miebach.com

BUENOS AIRES, November 16, 2018, from 8:30h to 14h
For more information and to reserve a place, please contact María Eugenia Pitocco of Miebach Consulting Argentina. E-mail: pitocco@miebach.com

The Saica Group provides sustainable solutions to its customers, offering circularity models for the manufacture of recycled paper and packaging.

The Saica Natur division, through its product portfolio (Value, Efficiency, Zero and Circular), provides environmental services focused on reducing waste and maximizing the value of waste with the greatest cost efficiency, with the ultimate goal of achieving Zero Waste. In addition, it prioritizes the introduction of recycled material as a raw material in the production process, thus implementing circular models for its customers in line with the Europe 2020 Strategy, which promotes intelligent, sustainable and inclusive growth of European economies for the next decade.

Based on its spirit of continuous improvement, the company has found itself faced with the need to increase the transparency and traceability of its extensive transport network, dedicated to managing materials of different types throughout Spain. In this context, Saica contacted Miebach Consulting for the development of a transport optimization project. 

Miebach Consulting carried out a first design phase during which it defined the processes and identified the tools, and then led the training process of the platform (definition of interfaces between systems, detailed functional specification and comprehensive validation of the system). The final result is a complete digital integration project with those responsible for transport, highlighting the following measures:

• Geolocation of the fleet in real time.
• Integration with carriers through mobile terminals, allowing visibility of services in real time and providing the necessary flexibility to re-plan services and adapt to customer needs.
• Implementation of the digital manifest, including a document management module for immediate access to any manifest, part or incident.
• Traceability of the routes to know all the milestones and to be able to improve the resource planning processes.
• Constant evaluation of unified service KPIs for all carriers, customers and suppliers. 

The transportation optimization project developed by Miebach Consulting will allow Saica Natur greater traceability and visibility of the transportation, gaining in flexibility and increasing its level of customer service.

ABOUT SAICA GROUP 

Grupo Saica is the leading European manufacturer of recycled paper for corrugated cardboard, with an annual production of 3.3 million tonnes of paper. With more than 10,000 employees and a presence in Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Turkey, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, the Saica Group has four business lines: the manufacture of recycled paper for corrugated cardboard (Paper), the recovery of recyclable materials (Natur), corrugated cardboard packaging (Pack) and flexible packaging (Flex). The consolidated turnover of the group is 2,727 million euros (31.12.2017).

The Schaeffler Group has inaugurated its new European distribution center “EDZ Mitte” in Kitzingen, Germany. The center is used to ship products from Schaeffler’s industrial division to the European market and to the regions. Miebach Consulting was responsible for the planning of the material flow technology and of the construction of the new central warehouse and supported Schaeffler in the tendering and awarding as well as in the realization.

The global automotive and industrial supplier’s aim is to increase the market supply, the reliability and the performance of the deliveries with the help of the European distribution network and thus further increase customer satisfaction. For example, Schaeffler's standard products can be delivered to customers in Europe within 24 to 48 hours after receipt of order. It is also possible to accept and dispatch a customer order up to two hours before the delivery truck’s departure. In addition, Schaeffler meets special customer requirements such as shipping the goods in containers or the customer's own packaging. Exceptional sorting processes are possible as well as the marking with recipient-specific labels.

This was solved by a high-performance system consisting of a high-bay warehouse, an automated small parts warehouse and workplaces of various functions, which implement the principle goods-to-person. Here, the employees receive the goods to be processed automatically and sequenced to their workplace. Likewise, finished goods are automatically conveyed from the workplace.

"Due to the product specifications in terms of weight, it was necessary to find a technical material flow solution that would meet the ergonomic demands of handling the products. As a solution, heavy as well as light articles from different sources, both containers and pallets, are processed in sequence at the workstations. Ergonomically, the employees receive the best possible support through adapted unloading heights and lifting aids such as grippers and suction cups "- says Michael Körbitz, Principal, Miebach Consulting.

In addition to the technical concept, project management also played an important role in the success of the project: "The construction of the entire facility took place in a very ambitious time-frame and required a close connection both within and between the main sections construction, material handling and IT departments. The result is impressive and was visible to all participants at the opening"- says Christian Bauersfeld, Principal, Miebach Consulting.

In October 2016, the groundbreaking ceremony for the “EDZ Mitte” took place on the 148,000 square meter site in the conneKT technology park in Kitzingen. The development comprises a 38.5-meter-high high-bay warehouse with space for 28,000 euro pallets or 56,000 Düsseldorfer pallets and an automatic container warehouse with almost 95,000 storage spaces. The loading aids are transported by an electric floor conveyor system including the latest conveyor technology with a length of more than 2,000 meters. Up to 85 trucks can be loaded and unloaded daily on 20 ramps. With a base area of ​​around 17,000 square meters, the logistics area in the partially two-story warehouse has a floor space of around 25,000 square meters.

An insight into the new distribution center can be found here:

www.youtube.com/watch

The international plastics processor company Ensinger invests in extending their production and logistics facilities at its German producing site in Cham (Germany), which was put into operation ten years ago. The new building plans are the second construction project in the branch factory.

Miebach Consulting supported Ensinger's expansion project by designing the site masterplan as well as the material flow processes and assisted Ensinger in tendering and awarding the material handling equipment. Furthermore, Miebach conducted in the beginning of the project an as-is analysis and developed the future scenario for the site, including a detailed analysis of the development in different product segments.

"With the enhanced manufacturing and highly centralized logistics processes, Ensinger strengthens their manufacturing location in Cham, increases the efficiency of their logistics processes and floor space and develops a great growth perspective while having limited space available" - says Miebach project manager Dr. Frank Hohenstein. In logistics an improved space utilization by approx. 30% in the next ten years is expected and crucial for further growth in manufacturing.

The costs for the new buildings and all infrastructure measures will amount to around 40 million euros in total. "All divisions at the Cham plant will benefit from these investments, as will the corporate group. By expanding production capacities, Ensinger is creating the right conditions for long-term growth at the site", says Andreas Alsfasser; as Technical Director at Ensinger he is coordinating the construction projects. Based on current plans, the final work at the site should be completed by summer 2019.

Supply and Demand Chain Executive Magazine has released their 18^th Annual List of Pros to Know, and Miebach is proud to share that Jochen Schuehle, Managing Director of Miebach USA, is included among these esteemed supply chain professionals.

It is essential that supply chain leaders today are able to quickly respond to changes and adapt to changing global economies. Since 2000, SDCE has singled out and recognized these leaders as their Pros to Know.  This year, more than 400 nominees were carefully reviewed to identify the finest leaders in the field of supply chain.

“Our Pros to Know list is one of the most valuable for supply management practitioners and executives because it provides a benchmark for what your colleagues and peers are accomplishing,” remarked SDCE editor John Yuva in his executive memo. “Look to our Pros as a source of inspiration and motivation as you embark on new endeavors.”

To read more, please visit: https://www.sdcexec.com/magazine/44683

Binzagr Company is one of the leading, well-reputed distribution companies in Saudi Arabia for a wide range of consumer goods and brands, such as Unilever, Carlsberg and TIGI. Their new Distribution Center is designed to meet the future growth, strengthen their ability to provide premium customer service and to guarantee the quality of their products. Miebach Consulting was responsible for the concept and detailed plan of the logistics center, and will now support the implementation phase as General Planner.

With the new state-of-the-art facility Binzagr will be able to improve the performance of their distribution network by enhancing the speed, flexibility of movements and transportation of their products in the Middle East and Northern Africa region. The site will be located in the King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) taking advantage of the effectiveness of the port infrastructure and the new regulations for the special economic development zones. The project is fully aligned with the Kingdoms' 2030 Vision and will be an integral part of this existing initiative.

The complexity as well as the sheer size of the project drove Binzagr Company to look for a solid supply chain consulting and engineering partner. The proven technical capabilities of Miebach Consulting as well as the development of the company's presence in the Middle East area were essential elements in the selection process.

Miebach Consulting's first step in 2015 was to determine the concept for the Distribution Center. The best solution proved to be a highly automated system including layer picking robots to implement efficient intralogistics processes and obtain substantial financial benefits. In 2016 and 2017 the detail planning phase took place, including the preparation of technical specifications and documents for the selection of the necessary contractors, followed by the assessment of the proposals and the recommendation to Binzagr Company for the final selection. As General Planner, Miebach Consulting managed among others the selection of architecture and civil engineering companies as well as all specialist firms necessary to the project. Furthermore, Miebach conducted a simulation of the facility during design planning and post tendering to verify the performance of the selected suppliers.

In 2018 to 2019 the testing and commissioning of the Distribution Center will be carried out.

"Through this project and with the support of Miebach Consulting we are expecting to triple productivity while employing the same number of staff and reduce the processing time for each product by at least 10 days. These advantages can be generated both due to the new DC and through the efficiency provided by KAEC's port," says Abdullah Binzagr, CEO and chairman of Binzagr Group.

Randy Brown, Sr. Vice President of WareHouse & Logistics for Binzagr Company, adds: "Binzagr and the appointed general contractor are fully committed to the design developed by Miebach for this landmark project securing Binzagr's leading position in the market for the future. Implementation is currently going full steam ahead."

The project includes:

• The development of the ~300.000 m² site including a low bay warehouse equipped with more than 70 loading docks for the receipt and dispatch of roughly 3.000 pallets per day

• Two automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS), protected with Oxygen Reduced atmosphere to prevent fires and connected to a high speed, high throughput rail guided vehicle system

• Fully automated preparation of layer stratified pallets through a layer picking robot and semi-automated preparation of completely mixed pallets through automated sequencing and manual picking

• Additional spaces for Added Value Services on a mezzanine floor as well as a comprehensive administration and management office area

A video about the Distribution Center can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/zQiPxF4IRlI

About Binzagr

Binzagr Company, a part of the reputed and long established Binzagr Group, is amongst the largest and leading Distributors in Saudi Arabia. The company distributes over 1,500 SKUs spread across 28 categories, comprising 55 leading brands, e.g. Unilever, Carlsberg, Hershey, Heinz and SunTop. The Distribution business forms the foundation of Binzagr Company, and one that traces the company's history from trading on the ancient spice route between Europe and East, since the year 1881. Today, it is among the leading and well reputed Distribution companies in Saudi Arabia, specializing in the distribution and logistics of a wide range of Consumer Products, spanning Food and Drink, Personal & Beauty Care, Home Care and Automotive Tires. More information is available on the company's website.

The Food Logistics Magazine has listed Bernard Tremblay, Director of Miebach Canada, as one of their 2018 Champions: Rock Stars of the Supply Chain for his work with FMCG clients.

The award recognizes 55 influential professionals throughout North America whose hard work, vision, and leadership are driving the global food and beverage supply chain forward.

"It's an honor to be listed among these individuals," remarked Mr. Tremblay. "With the multitude of changes to the landscape and trends within the FMCG and retail industries, having not only a responsive supply chain but a proactive approach to logistics will be the key differentiator." 

To read the March issue of Food Logistics Magazine, please visit: https://www.foodlogistics.com/magazine/44689

Picking Farma is a specialized 3PL that manages distribution for various renowned pharmaceutical companies. The company has four warehouses, located in Parets del Vallès, Santa Perpètua de Mogoda and Polinyà, which have a total area of ​​41,700 m2 and a storage capacity of approximately 70,000 pallets, 3,000 of them at a controlled temperature of + 02ºC to + 08ºC.

Miebach Consulting has designed the picking system for the company's newest distribution center located in Polinyà, which has a total area of ​​12,900 m2 and a preparation capacity of 40,000 order lines per day. It is one of the more technologically advanced medications supply logistics centers in Southern Europe.

The project developed by Miebach Consulting includes technological innovations with a high degree of automation that ensure an optimum service quality and complete traceability in order preparation. Additionally, the innovations make it easier for Picking Farma to personalize the specific verification and packaging requirements of each of its customers.

More information about Picking Farma: www.pickingfarma.com

Rossmann maintains their leading position in the drugstore market in Eastern Europe, especially in Poland where it is number 1. The renewed expansion of their logistics and distribution center in Lodz, Poland, is further proof of this leadership.

The expansion project was planned by Rossmann's logistics department in cooperation with logistics planners from the Miebach Consulting office in Katowice, who received further support from the simulation team of Miebach Germany. The project consisted of a nine-aisle high-bay warehouse for the direct handling of drugstore market-specific roller containers. It functions as a dynamic buffer with an integrated conveyor system to the goods-out area for subsequent routing and delivery.

Within the high-bay warehouse which is linked to goods receipt and commissioning, the supply is covered by an extensive pallet floor conveyor, consisting of 40 vehicles for a double roller container handling each.

A dynamic shuttle mini-load system buffers the picked order containers with a sequenced retrieval, followed by a fully-automated loading process into the roller containers in the buffer of the high-bay goods-out area for the final route planning.

The general contractor commissioned for this project, Aberle GmbH located in Leingarten, also provided the Aberle PMS software for a new, continuous IT level consisting of a material flow and warehouse management computer as well as a new system visualization.

With this ambitious project, Rossmann solidifies its market leadership in Eastern Europe.

Würth Spain, part of the Würth Group, a world leader in the supply of mounting materials, requested the services of Miebach Consulting for the expansion of its distribution center located in Agoncillo, La Rioja,, which will centralize all order preparation activities in Spain.

The project, initiated in July 2015, has consisted in the transformation of an existing facility, designed 15 years earlier as a regional distribution center. The redesign has taken into account the current requirements of business, resulting from the process of centralization of activities in Spain, as well as the forecast of future enlargements, in accordance with the strategic plan for Würth’s long term growth. The extension designed by Miebach includes the gradual incorporation of cutting-edge technology in the process of picking, verification and final packaging of the orders.

Specifically, the project included the construction of a new building for the receipt and dispatch of goods, as well as an automatic warehouse with capacity for more than 15,000 pallets, including an area for full case picking. Additionally, the existing order preparation line has been significantly remodeled, increasing its production capacity and including the automation for processes of verification and sealing the orders.

The project developed by Miebach Consulting has also included the transformation of the Master Plan of the Distribution Center, with new facility access for both staff and inbound trucks, as well as new parking areas on the property.

This expansion of the Agoncillo facility will allow Würth to manage the expected growth in the upcoming years with a significant improvement of customer service.

If you’d like to read more about Würth Spain, you can visit their website at http://www.wurth.es/empresa

A well-known manufacturer of active outdoor apparel, with a distribution center in North America was nearing the end of its lease. Faced with multiple concerns about their ability to meet their 5-year planning horizon goals, they requested assistance from Miebach Consulting to evaluate the existing facility, propose changes to operational procedures based on business needs, and provide a recommendation for renewing the lease or selecting a new location. Due to the impending expiration, Miebach and the client needed to work quickly to find answers.

Three primary concerns were identified as the core of the transformation:

Increasing staging areas for both inbound and outbound – This is a frequent issue in warehouses, and insufficient space for staging can cause a domino-effect of inefficiency that impacts all areas of the facility. 

Eliminating storage of mixed load units – Mixed pallets caused a great deal of difficulty in a facility of this size. A new strategy needed to be identified that is space-efficient yet more accessible.

Improving picking efficiency – Multi-order picking strategies had traditionally worked because it was feasible in a smaller warehouse and picking was only for retail or wholesale orders. The growth of e-commerce orders in recent years, however, made this strategy extremely inefficient in the larger space that was now required.

After a thorough evaluation, Miebach had outlined a solution that would relieve all of these pressure points.  Due to the time constraints, it was recommended that the client use a phased approach to implement the changes. 

First, they moved to a new facility that allowed them to customize the space and layout to accommodate growth and future improvements.  Because of the upcoming peak season, the decision was made to move the operations as-is and wait to implement equipment and procedural changes during a valley in productivity, but to make the switch from mixed pallet to single carton storage immediately. This approach also allowed the client to spread out the necessary investment for the overall project.

Once the peak season had passed, the layout and procedural changes were initiated.  The space was reconfigured to optimize flows, and automation was added in the outbound area with a sorter.  Finally, the transition from multi-order picking to batch picking was implemented, which not only increased the picking efficiency, but also eliminated redundant quality check processes.

To date, the client has achieved multiple results from the transformation, most notably:

•  Increased ability to prepare and manage peaks and e-commerce events
• Improved labor performance with enhanced warehouse arrangement and workflows
•  Increased internal quality control standards for time and accuracy

The results from the changes made to the facility and operations strategy have exceeded the client’s projections and expectations. They’ve increased efficiency and flexibility in all order fulfillment areas – for retail stores, for wholesale partners, and for e-commerce clients.

For further information about this project, please contact Bastian Himmeroeder at himmeroeder@miebach.com

SupplyChainBrain, one of the most comprehensive supply chain management information resources in the industry, has listed Miebach Consulting among the top 100 Great Supply Chain Partners of 2017.

SupplyChainBrain's annual list is the result of an online poll in which supply chain professionals from a variety of industries were asked to nominate vendors and service providers whose technology, logistics, transportation or consulting solutions have improved their company's efficiency, customer service and overall supply chain performance.

“For 15 years running, SupplyChainBrain has published our much-anticipated list of 100 Great Supply Chain Partners — a select group of companies whose customers recognize them for providing outstanding solutions and services.

Our six-month online poll of supply chain professionals requires a qualified response, asking them to nominate vendors and service providers whose solutions have made a significant impact on their company’s efficiency, customer service and overall supply chain performance. 

This year’s field of nominees was abundant and very strong, hailing from all aspects of supply chain management. Your company should be proud to be named amongst the 100 Great!"

~ Brad Berger, Publisher, SupplyChainBrain

SupplyChainBrain receives thousands of qualified responses nominating several hundred companies. The final list includes the 100 companies that received the most nominations. In the case of ties, the nominations with the most detailed justification were selected.  The list is published in the July/August 2017 issue.

"We are very proud to have received such recognition from our clients.  It is a reflection of our commitment to excellence in our engagements," remarked Jochen Schuehle, CEO of Miebach USA and Canada. 

"To have received such accolades from our clients is very gratifying.  We work very hard to ensure their success in their respective industries, and for them to in turn promote our success is indeed the ultimate in recognition.” 

The company responsible for the national postal service of Switzerland, Swiss Post, is setting the course for the future regarding their package processing, investing in the construction of three new regional parcel centers in the cantons of Valais, Ticino and Graubünden. The company is responding to the strong growth in e-commerce and increasing customer demands, especially the expectations regarding the deliveries of purchases as soon as possible.

Miebach Consulting has supported the Swiss Post in strategy development and will also be part of the realization team for the new regional logistics centers.

"The three new regional package centers will meet the most important challenges in a dynamic and evolving package market - acceleration of the processing times as well as an improvement of the services offered. By reducing lead times along the process chain the order processing time window can also be expanded and thus, in the entire network more quantity can be processed." - said Rainer Schulz, CEO Miebach Consulting Switzerland about the project.

The parcel market is growing strongly

In 2016, Swiss Post delivered nearly 122 million parcels, which corresponds to a growth of about 6 % compared with 2015. The main driver of this is the increase of the e-commerce, which at the same time has provoked another increase: the online customers want their packages delivered on the same day they have ordered. This means an increase of the priority packets demands - in 2016, the share of same day delivery surpassed 50 percent for the first time, while 15 years ago it was only 20 percent.

Titus Butler, head of the package center in Frauenfeld and project manager for the project at the Swiss Post says: "We expect continued strong growth in e-commerce. To meet the expected demand also after 2020 completely, we set the course for the future for package processing with the construction of the new regional package centers."

For more information about the project please contact Rainer Schulz (schulz@miebach.com).

More information about Swiss Post are available on their website.

In today's globalized world of business, the ever-increasing requirements of customers regarding products and services has led to a new trend - nearshoring, which allows the companies to respond to customer needs with shorter delivery times and greater flexibility. Miebach Consulting has conducted an international study on this topic to determine how supply chains are affected by current and future shoring strategies, to evaluate the factors for shoring decisions and to show what shoring trends companies expect in the future.

One of the main conclusions of the study is that an increasing amount of companies (51 % of the participants) are producing in closer proximity to their markets instead of moving the production abroad. The study also shows that this percentage is going to increase even more, since 26 % of the participating companies believe that nearshoring is a trend that is going to have a very high or high relevance in a near future, above the offshoring and the onshoring or local production (22 % and 17 %, respectively). See figure 1.

Asked more in detail about which localization strategy they would choose and where they would like to implement it in the future, respondents pointed out that in Europe the preferred strategy will be nearshoring (69%), in America Onshoring will strengthen (43%), while offshoring is still a major trend in Asian countries (67%). See figure 2.

"Modern production processes ensure a stronger focus on customers and can be a competitive advantage given the right location strategy. This is where Near- and Onshoring become more important for companies. Especially the population within the major economic regions can benefit from job creation due to production in proximity to markets." - Prof. Dr. Bernd Müller-Dauppert, Member of the Management Board, Miebach Consulting GmbH.

The study participants expect an increase in supply chain complexity due to Near- and Onshoring trends. The process of choosing an optimal shoring strategy and subsequently selecting the ideal location therefore requires an integrated consideration of both supply chain and production networks.

In all, 127 companies from various sectors took part in the study. Around 1/3 of participants are from North and South America and 2/3 are from Europe.

The complete study brochure can be obtained for free from Miebach Consulting, Ralf Hoffmann (hoffmann@miebach.com).

Geberit has significantly expanded the existing logistics center in Pfullendorf, South Germany and the extension building just began operations. In order to drive the centralization further forward, Geberit invested 40 million Euro in the capacity expansion. A concept for storing tubes with a length of up to 6 meters as well as new automated work areas and workplace types were also implemented. Miebach Consulting supported the project as general planner during the concept planning, implementation and go-live phases.

Due to these site extensions the Geberit group is able to supply their customers in a highly efficient and reliable way. The flexible logistics system and in-depth logistics know-how allow for quick reactions to the ever-changing logistics challenges. Thus the logistics center is now consistent with the company's growth course.

"Six years ago Miebach Consulting began supporting us during the planning and implementation phase of our central warehouse. They convinced us again with exceptionally good expertise, efficient interdisciplinary interface, and project management in the extension project. Thanks to the good collaboration of all parties the project was implemented successfully within time and budget limits", says Ralf Braun, Head of Logistics - Geberit Logistik GmbH.

Hendrik Weiß, project manager on the part of Miebach Consulting, adds: "The success of the extension building depended on a high level of communication and coordination between the different trades and the logistics areas for pallets, containers and long goods. As general planner we functioned as central contact within the project and managed to minimize the project risk as well as to achieve an optimal overall solution".

Focus on efficiency
Regarding the flows of goods, the logistics center is located in an ideal spot for supplying their customers in a most efficient way from both economic and ecological point of view. For this purpose, the goods are being pooled in the production plants and transported to Pfullendorf in trucks. There, automated and coordinated processes are responsible for consolidating the deliveries of goods and supplying the customers reliably on time. All processes were optimized and adjusted to the needs of customers, suppliers and Geberit plants as well as to internal workflows.

Long goods newly sent from Pfullendorf
The expansion of the logistics center also allows for dispatching all products of Geberit Mapress piping systems from Pfullendorf. A whole new concept for storing, commissioning and dispatching has been developed. The overall concept also includes an automated small parts warehouse, a new high-bay warehouse, a process surface area with fully automated workplaces and the extension of the dispatching area. Thus the logistics infrastructure is located on a total area of 60.000 square meters.

A video from Geberit about the expanded logistics center in Pfullendorf can be found here: https://youtu.be/bzqFJXsl9KM

For more information and image material please go to www.geberit.de/logistik

Further information can be obtained from:
Geberit AG
Schachenstrasse 77, CH-8645 Jona
Roman Sidler, Corporate Communications
Tel. +41 (0)55 221 69 47

About Geberit
The globally operating Geberit Group is a European leader in the field of sanitary products. Geberit operates as an integrated group with a very strong local presence in most European countries, providing unique added value when it comes to sanitary technology and bathroom ceramics. The production network encompasses 33 production facilities, of which 6 are located overseas. The Group is headquartered in Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland. With around 12,000 employees in more than 40 countries, Geberit generates net sales of CHF 2.8 billion in 2016. The Geberit shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange; since 2012, the Geberit share has been included in the SMI (Swiss Market Index).

Miebach Consulting is pleased to have been included in Gartner's Market Guide for Supply Chain Strategy and Operations Consulting.

The Market Guide for Supply Chain Strategy and Operations Consulting offers a source for senior supply chain executives to obtain research needed to select their consulting partner for successful mission critical initiatives. The 2017 report was written by Michael Dominy, Kamala Raman and Greg Aimi.

While the report covers many aspects of supply chain that are of concern to executives, Miebach is included in the category of supply chain operations consulting, a subgroup of general business operations consulting. Gartner defines this as "transformation advisory services for all business operations in an organization across all industries. These include process re-engineering, improvement, optimization, and standardization aligned with business strategy."

Jochen Schuehle, Managing Director and President of Miebach US remarked, "We are delighted to have been included with the companies Gartner has evaluated as part of this report. Miebach is proud to have provided value for our clients over the last four decades."

"When it comes to supply chain focused consulting firms," said Jorge Motje, CEO of the global Miebach Consulting Group, "few companies can match our global reach and industry and service span."

Market Guide for Supply Chain Strategy and Operations Consulting, 09 February 2017 

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Schaeffler is modernizing the logistics of its industry division, optimizing processes and increasing delivery capability in order to supply their customers even faster and more reliably. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new central warehouse in Kitzingen symbolizes the achievement of the next milestone. Miebach Consulting supported the logistics and construction planning and will also provide support during the implementation phase.

In order to be able to supply their customers faster and more reliably Schaeffler is building a new logistics center in Kitzingen. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on the 5th October in ConneKT-Park and was carried out by representatives from Schaeffler and the involved companies Max Bögl/Mauss Bau (ARGE) and SSI Schäfer as well as Stefan Güntner, the mayor of Kitzingen.

Oliver Jung, Director of Production, Logistics and Purchasing at Schaeffler, stated, "We chose Kitzingen as the new site for our central warehouse due to the good location factors. We're currently picking up momentum."

The first customer deliveries will probably start mid-2018. Around 200 people will be employed in the new central warehouse. The total sum of investments is about 120 million euros.

"The new central warehouse in Kitzingen is the final component of our logistics project in the industry division. Our goal is to modernize the logistics activities particularly in the industry section, to optimize existing processes and to increase our delivery performance", said project manager Gregor Luft.

"During the conception of the new distribution center we focused on ergonomic and efficient workplaces as well as modular expandability", reported Miebach Consulting project controller Christian Bauersfeld.

Headquarters of European warehouse network

The new Schaeffler central warehouse will be the headquarters location of Schaeffler's European warehouse network. So far, there are already two central warehouses in the European Distribution Center (EDC) network: one located in Arlandastad (Sweden), to serve Northern Europe, the other one located in Carisio, Italy, to distribute to South Europe. The DC in Sweden opened in March 2015 whereas the DC in Italy was put into operation in May 2016. Both warehouses have been supplying their customers faster and more reliably ever since.

The new distribution center in Kitzingen has a floor space of 15.000 square meters, part of which is built on a mezzanine, offering an overall storage space of 22.000 square meters. The high-bay warehouse with a height of 38 meters and 28.000 pallet bays and the automated tote warehouse with 93.000 container spaces are connected with the combined Pick & Pack workplaces via an in-floor conveyor system. Schaeffler's standard products will be ready for delivery within 24 to 48 hours after receipt of order. Customer orders can be dispatched up to two hours before the departure of trucks.

The next steps

Earth works and civil engineering will take place during the upcoming months and a roofing ceremony is planned for May 2017. The official opening is scheduled for the end of 2017.