ERP solution keeps cheesemaker lean

Züger, a Swiss supplier of mozzarella and other cream cheese specialities, began using an end-to-end software solution from industry IT and software company CSB-System to keep packaging and processing at its factory as lean as possible. This has enabled the company to efficiently plan and optimize workflows and information throughout all operations. It has also led to a 50% time saving in order picking.

Züger processes milk from 400 vendors for about 700 different unique products. There are 2,500 packaging components, seven production departments, and three high-bay storages. CSB’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) software is able to optimally control all processes in administration and resource management. All data from milk acceptance, production, and inventory management to picking and shipping is entered directly in the ERP system for further processing.

“Today, we have CSB as a turnkey solution,” says Christof Züger, CEO. “This means we have only one system for financial accounting, human resources, procurement, inventory, sales, and quality management.”

For its internal logistics, Züger uses a combination of high-bay storage and mobile picking. Items are stored in a first-in first-out sequence to ensure goods can be delivered as fresh as possible. The system links every pallet with the sell-by date and lot number, and also controls the automatic stock removal of pallets as replenishment for picking.

Customer orders are transmitted directly to the touch panels of the electric forklifts via a wireless connection. The screen shows in which area of the picking zone the pallet with the ordered product is located. The picker scans the pallet label, removes the item and confirms the picked quantity at the scanner. When a pallet is empty, the system automatically requisitions a new pallet from the high-bay storage.

“This ensures permanent replenishment of the picking zone so that customer orders can be processed in a quick and efficient manner,” Züger says. “Compared to the past, we have been able to save around 50% of the time here. At the same time, our paperless packing methods have minimized error rates.”

In terms of planning, the introduction of CSB Coverage Planning is able to provide availability of materials and capacities, and efficiently drive internal processes so that all orders can be delivered on the requested date and at minimal cost. Important data from procurement, production, inventory and sales is available in real time, and the availability of materials and capacity is monitored permanently, meaning inventory capital commitment is also reduced.

Equally important, in the event of any returns, CSB-Document Steering provides a standardized procedure that enables the company to quickly identify the reason for the return and respond accordingly.

Züger is continuing to drive its digitalization even further, both at its Swiss plant in Oberbüren, and with the upgrading of its German operations to CSB. Further CSB solutions to be introduced at Oberbüren include a maintenance module that facilitates early maintenance and repair of machinery, and hands-free terminals in goods receiving so that data is transferred to the EPR system even faster.