Completed ERP projects
ABAS Software AG
Manufacturer for medical devices drives global business with abas Business SoftwareManufacturer for medical devices drives global business with abas Business Software
Customers
Weinmann GmbH
Completion
15.01.2003
Country
Germany
Branch
- Health Care
Description
Task description
German manufacturer Weinmann, specialized in devices for medical care, was named in the course of the initiative „Germany - Land of Ideas“ in 2007 and awarded the Industrial Excellence Award „Top Factory“ in 2008. The company from Hamburg has ambitious plans for growth - these are supported by abas ERP, a flexible standard business software. It enables the midsize company to plan, coordinate and control its worldwide activities. In 2003, abas Business Software (ERP, PPC, MRP, eBusiness) managed to get ahead 20 competitors and was successfully implemented within a short time.
Land of ideas
What are businesses and people like that make Germany so valuable and successful? Who are these hidden champions that drive the German economy? One example can be found in Hamburg, a traditional company which started small but had a lot of vision and motivation now operates successfully worldwide. To assist companies like Weinmann and to make them known to the public, the German government and the German economy started the initiative „Germany - Land of Ideas“, under the patronage of Federal President Horst Köhler. At the end of 2007, Weinmann was awarded this price as „Distinguished location in the land of ideas“ thanks to its long-term growth innitiative „InnoChamp“.
In 2008, another price followed: the Industrial Excellence Award „Top Factory“. This competition, which took place fo the 12th time in Germany, evaluates all categories deciding about the quality of a factory. The business model as well as strategic realization and control of the value added chain and customer integration were analyzed. The history of Weinmann dates back to 1874, when Gottlieb Weinmann started producing precision instruments for oxygen devices in the town of Ludwigshafen. Now, Weinmann concentrates on the areas Homecare, Emergency and Diagnostics. The familyowned company offers diagnostic, therapeutic and life-saving devices and systems in these areas. Today, 500 employees belong to the company which made a turnover of 70 million Euro in 2007 and continuously increases on a global level. Weinmann is represented in over 50 countries and has subsidiaries in France, Switzerland, Thailand, China, Russia, Australia and New Zealand.
Setting the right direction for the future
Direction for an international course was already set in the 90s. About two years ago the company started its innitiative „InnoChamp“, which is to ensure lasting growth for Weinmann. About five years ago the company already had to start dealing with its company IT. „Until 2003, we were using the ERP software Comet which was no longer developed and no longer fulfilled our requirements. Using Comet, we needed a lot of effort to manage the millenium change,“ remembers Wolfgang Reher, Head of IT, who has been working at Weinmann for 20 years. However, this was not the only reason why we went into the market in 2003. „According to our understanding, IT is to drive innovation and not act as an inhibitor,“ Reher emphasizes who is responsible for 13 IT employees.
Changing to a new ERP system was very carefully planned. In the planning phase they were supported by a consultancy to find process weaknesses, define requirements and preselect ERP providers. „For us it was very important to optimize processes before introducing the new system and to coordinate the process model with the new ERP software,“ Reher adds. In Switzerland, the Weinmann subsidiary had already gained first practical experiences with the modern ERP system Navision. „One option would have been to adopt this solution for the entire company. However, the solution didn‘t work to our fullest satisfaction so that our search started from scratch.“
ERP: a living entity
Daily business at Weinmann means change - all employees have to be able to cope with challenges and changes. The same needs to be found in the ERP system. Two further subsidiaries were established during the implementation phase and now constitute further
clients.
Cooperations with customers show the following: Weinmann basically works with suppliers, which are reliable and provide high quality. Volume of production and production depth can be kept small. Therefore, the flow of goods needs to be organized well. „Sales orders which reach us until eleven, should leave our warehouse the same day,“ the Head of IT emphasizes. Adherence to delivery dates is important since often sensitive medical products
are concerned.
Optimization of internal and external logistics played an important role. Purchased parts should be ordered on short notice and processed quickly or sent to customers, without impairing readiness to deliver. The modern high rack warehouse with paternoster system is baffling - at first glance shelves are not sorted according to products but are in a tumble.
”This is intended,” Reher adds with a smile. „We are using the ‚chaotic warehousing‘ principle, this means, products or stock units do not have a fixed warehouse allocation. This enables an easy and perfect utilization of storage space, provided that all goods have been accurately recorded and managed in abas ERP.“ abas ERP warehouse management ensures high transparency and fast material flow. Any warehouse and warehouse location can be created and managed by the user in the system. Several different products can be stored in one location. Storage locations can be found easily by using a search word. Single quantities and total quantities can be accessed using selection bars. A route optimizing withdrawal process is specified, so that warehouse workers can process all items of a purchase order in an optimal sequence. Unnecessary ways in the high rack warehouse can so be avoided.
Interacting with eBusiness
Started in 2008, Weinmann has also used the many possibilities provided by abas eB. Customers can log into the system and call up all information on sales orders, price lists, repairs, training and qualifications. Customers can view repair orders, call up cost estimates and authorize them online at any time.
abas eB also simplifies working in cooperation with vendors: there is a plan chart, purchase order suggestions and outstanding deliveries function available for them. Avendor can, for example, call up his current order quantities online and schedule them into his processes. The complete process runs automatically and is therefore significantly simple for both sides.
ERP fine tuning
17 clients are currently set up in abas ERP on the central server for subsidiaries and groups of companies. Weinmann employees are using about 180 licenses. All German locations are connected to the computer center in Hamburg and work remotely on the ERP server. Application and data servers are operated in-house for locations overseas. All required information, such as codes, are transferred to the abas client in Hamburg. An automated data exchange function is used in abas ERP. A constant exchange takes place for product master files. New products will automatically be set up by the system and are aligned with all data sets. With a product master file of 20,000 items and 9,000 listed products, this automatism avoids errors and double entries in data maintenance. Several clients were set up for overseas subsidiaries. To facilitate this procedure, the IT department designed a „standard client“ with basic functionalities for Weinmann, which then can be easily and quickly adjusted by the respecitve subsidiary. Cooperations with overseas subsidiaries are handled by abas ERP in many aspects: this includes group accounting, financial accounting, fixed asset accounting and corridor controlling. Availability of over 25 languages - in operation and as output languages - is as much of a plus point for internationally operating companies as the processing of different currencies.
New projects
When dealing with ERP software one knows that a system is never „done“. Companies are constantly changing and a software has to adjust to these changes. At Weinmann, incoming sales orders are now to be organized using an EDI interface. Sales orders can then be passed from the client to the center, areas such as purchasing or warehousing will be informed respectively. A repair and information system for service personnel is also being prepared. These can then remotely access ERP data from all around the world. At Weinmann, abas ERP is also to be expanded into a knowledge management system. There is no lack of new ideas at „InnoChamp“. „In the future, abas ERP will form the basis for realizing many innovations. We will create the perfect requirements to ensure our international growth,“ Reher emphasizes.
About Weinmann
Weinmann concentrates on the product categories Homecare, Emergency and Diagnostics. The family-owned company from Hamburg offers diagnostic, therapeutic and life-saving devices and systems in these areas. Founded in 1874 by Gottlieb Weinmann in Ludwigshafen, Weinmann was at first dealing with products regarding precision instruments for oxygen devices. The medical technology product range was massively extended after the takeover by Karl and Vera Feldhahn and when Dr. Joachim Griefahn joined the company at the end of the 1960s.Innovations such as the first aid kit Quick-O2-Med, the ULMER KOFFER for treatment of emergency patients and MEDUMAT ventilators focus on emergency medicine. In 1977, the company moved to Hamburg-Stelling, where company headquarters are still located today.By the end of the 1980s Weinmann expanded its business by the Homecare segment. Weinmann is the first German manufacturer producing a CPAP device for sleep apnea treatment. At the beginning of the 1990s, Karl and Vera Feldhahn‘s son, Dr. Karl-Andreas Feldhahn joins the company. Together with Marc-Oliver Griefahn, who took over from his father Dr. Joachim Griefahn in 2004, he manages the continuously growing company. The group of companies now has important strategic partners such as MCC - Measure, Check & Control (Karlsruhe) and Corscience (Erlangen). Today, the company has about 500 employees and is constantly growing. In 2006, Weinmann established its production, logistics and service center in Henstedt- Ulzburg, close to Hamburg. Worldwide, the company is represented in over 55 countries and has subsidiaries in France, Switzerland, Thailand, China, Russia, Australia and New Zealand.
.gif){kind=logo}