Henri Benthack Optimizes Truck Arrival Times with initions

The northern German building materials dealer Henri Benthack GmbH & Co. KG has now supplemented the transport control center Opheo, introduced 10 years ago by the software developer initions, with an arrival monitor that displays the return times of trucks at its own locations down to the minute. The arrival monitor operates based on the position data reported by Opheo from the trucks.

(Hamburg) The Hamburg-based building materials dealer Benthack optimizes order picking – the arrival monitor shows the next incoming trucks down to the minute – loading can be specifically prepared – minimized idle times – quick implementation at all locations. With this information, warehouse staff can prepare the reloading for subsequent tours in advance, pick orders specifically, and minimize vehicle idle times. Currently, four of the six Benthack locations are already working with the new solution. The remaining two branches are expected to follow within the next six months.

At Henri Benthack, the arrival monitor is primarily installed in the warehouse area. Employees there can easily see, even without prior knowledge of Opheo, which vehicle returns to the location at what time. “The arrival monitor has drastically reduced our drivers’ waiting times. There is more time to process the subsequent tour, and the space situation at the ramp has significantly improved,” summarizes Dennis Kniebel, IT project manager at Henri Benthack, the advantages of the solution.

More Space in the Staging Area

Another effect of the arrival monitor is the gained space in the staging area, as only the building materials immediately intended for the next loading are now placed there. In the past, order pickers often lacked guidance on the priority with which the planned orders for the day should be handled. “Due to the significant advantages of the arrival monitor, this investment will pay off within a few weeks,” states Managing Director Carsten Mandrys.

The high transparency is the result of the comprehensive digitization of all processes between order entry and delivery. At Henri Benthack, delivery orders from the ERP system are transferred to the transport control center Opheo and compiled into optimized tours in the dispatcher’s cockpit. These, in turn, prioritize the orders in the connected warehouse management system ProLogistik and specify the picking order. Via mobile communication, the tours are sent to the Samsung tablets mounted in the trucks and processed by the driver.

Integrated Truck Navigation

Throughout the year, the last 8 of the total 30 vehicles in the Benthack fleet will be equipped with the tablets and the telematics app Opheo Mobile installed on them. Drivers receive order data and delivery addresses via Opheo and can be guided to the next destination using the integrated truck navigation. Each achieved shipment status is documented at the push of a button and transmitted to the headquarters along with the current position data. With this information, Opheo can calculate the arrival time at the customer, the expected end of the tour, and the return time of each driver for each shipment.

Henri Benthack initially introduced Opheo in 2011 only at its headquarters in Hamburg. After the pilot location, the branches in Hamburg-Lurup, Neumünster, and Grevesmühlen followed successively. “The onboarding of the new locations went surprisingly smoothly and quickly,” reports Dennis Kniebel, who is therefore also optimistic about the software implementation in Lübeck and Syke. The project is expected to be completed by October. “Then our ten dispatchers will also be able to represent each other across locations without having to leave their usual workplace,” plans Kniebel. In this context, absences due to illness, vacation, or similar can be better compensated without higher personnel costs.

Warehouse Range with 8,500 Products

Henri Benthack GmbH & Co. KG is a traditional Hamburg-based building materials dealer with over 300 employees. Founded in 1930, the company operates its own truck fleet with over 30 vehicles and offers a warehouse range of 8,500 products. Based in six locations in Hamburg, Lübeck, Grevesmühlen, Neumünster, and Syke, the company is active in four northern German federal states.

The initions AG is a successfully growing software and consulting company based in Hamburg, specializing in intelligent, innovative IT solutions. The focus is on transport management and business intelligence. The transport management system Opheo developed by initions is an intelligent software for transport management, route optimization, telematics, and ETA forecasting.

Photo: © Benthack