Ostendorf Plastics Digitizes Logistics Processes with e.bootis

Gebr. Ostendorf Kunststoffe, one of the leading manufacturers of wastewater pipe systems in Germany, digitizes its logistics processes with e.bootis-ERP^II. The company from Vechta operates five plants at three locations in Germany and produces at five additional locations abroad, preparing orders with over 35,000 items for delivery every day.

(Essen/Vechta) The software-related challenge is to align all plants – which function both as delivery locations and transshipment points – with its own fleet, external freight forwarders, and the loading of overseas containers. Additionally, there are very heterogeneous products with various dimensions and loading requirements that necessitate seamless communication between the ERP software and the third-party systems used for warehouse management, load space optimization, and route planning. Thanks to the e.bootis-ERP^II OpenEngine, central control and processing of incoming and outgoing data streams in real-time is achieved, allowing even large and spontaneous orders to be implemented quickly and cost-effectively.

The e.bootis-ERP^II Suite supports Gebr. Ostendorf in optimizing and digitizing all business processes and serves as a data and command center for optimal interaction of the logistics software used. The basis of each order is the item structure, which is defined in e.bootis-ERP^II through various item packages, such as individual parts, delivery units, and packaging units. Based on this and depending on the respective quantity of items, the software splits all order items directly upon entry into sub-items and forwards them as the basis for the carton and pallet logic to the ORTEC load planning. e.bootis-ERP^II ensures differentiated control based on a script-based rule set, which includes, for example, the types of trucks to be used for a customer or delivery address, the method of unloading, the transport units to be used for cartoning and palletizing, as well as criteria for how items may be packed together. At the same time, all items are planned across orders concerning delivery and picking plants, with e.bootis taking into account customer-specific requests, the shipping method, available picking and loading capacities, and many other parameters not only structurally but also dispositionally.

Cross-Order Shipments

As a result, Ostendorf Plastics benefits from cross-order shipments, which are subsequently summarized into an efficient tour in ORTEC and assigned to the cost-optimal freight forwarder via e.bootis-ERP^II – based on heuristic methods and considering the vehicles available on the loading day. The planned packaging structure of the tours then serves as the basis for the picking release to the warehouse management system of proLogistik, where the items are strategically organized according to item packages. This process occurs independently of the type of goods outgoing, as e.bootis-ERP^II supports all processes at Ostendorf Plastics, including the variable selection of the necessary parcel service provider (KPE), the appropriate freight forwarder, or the company’s own fleet.

More Efficiency Through Individual Dashboards

Furthermore, Ostendorf Plastics also utilizes the e.bootis dashboards, enabling the company to achieve significant progress in flexibility and efficiency in order and order processing. Authorized employees have all relevant data at their fingertips and can, for example, view inventory in corresponding lists – divided by warehouse, storage area, and storage location – in a clear manner.

Photo: © Timo Lutz