Transparency and Savings in Supply Chains

Logistics Designer at Siegwerk and ZF Friedrichshafen

In search of potential savings, particularly in a strained economy, many companies look inward. Supply chain organization is an important factor. LOCOM's software package Logistics Designer effectively supports planning logistics networks, formulating calls for bids and controlling incoming tenders. Printing ink manufacturer Siegwerk and automotive parts supplier ZF Friedrichshafen have chosen Logistics Designer.

Alternating quantities, dropping capacities, changes in how suppliers and customers are organized and ever increasing price pressures mean logistics must take action. The challenges are different for each individual company. But the aims are clearly the same for all: Transparency in commodity flows and price architectures and the detection of potentials for optimization. Revising calls for bids is currently one of the most important tasks among companies. Simultaneously developing more appropriate supply chain strategies is the way to secure long-term success.

Siegwerk Druckfarben AG plans to use Logistics Designer to optimize and control distribution logistics and support the tendering process. One of the leading printing ink manufacturers, Siegwerk has 3,900 employees and customers all over the world – and this means a complex international distribution network. Logistics Designer extracts several hundred thousand data records from various operating systems to form the foundation for future planning. This software works across locations, used by Siegwerk employees in both Germany and France in joint projects.

ZF Friedrichshafen, one of the world's largest automotive parts suppliers in drive engineering and chassis technology has also discovered Logistics Designer as a powerful tool to support planning and the tendering process. The software will mirror both inbound and outbound logistics at about 60 production sites in Europe and suggest options for new transport schemes and consolidation opportunities. Mathematical methods of optimization and the comparison of different scenarios further support the selection of the best price and service solutions.