Collaboration between Logistikbude and Emons Battery

Every lost hazardous goods container costs real money: For the transport of lithium-ion batteries, Emons Battery uses special containers that can cost several tens of thousands of euros. To avoid losses, the Cologne-based company has brought Logistikbude GmbH on board as a partner.

(Dortmund/Cologne) With the digital platform for container management, Emons Battery always keeps track of its high-quality load carriers – and has eliminated material loss from its supply chain. At the same time, customers also benefit, as Logistikbude enables precise daily rentals, saving costs.

Since 1928, Emons has offered a variety of logistics and transport services. With its newest business area, Emons Battery, the international logistics company is now venturing into a new field of logistics: battery logistics. The division, established at the end of 2023, benefits from the powerful network and decades of experience of its parent company and offers ecological transport and disposal services for lithium-ion batteries and lead batteries – internationally and throughout the entire lifecycle of a battery.

Access to Safe Hazardous Goods Transport

Batteries are classified as hazardous goods and must be transported in approved, fireproof containers, among other things, according to ADR regulations (European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road). The special aspect of handling batteries is that the person who puts them into circulation, i.e., sells or ships them, is responsible for their transport and compliance with safety regulations. However, the expensive special containers and proper battery disposal pose significant challenges for many companies. Enrico Hermanny, Head of the Emons Battery Division, explains: “The costs for special containers can amount to several tens of thousands of euros, depending on the application. For many companies, these costs are difficult to bear.”

This is where Emons Battery comes in: The company offers its customers a complete package for battery transport. If, for example, a defective battery needs to be disposed of, Emons Battery provides the corresponding safety container, organizes the transport, and ensures smooth delivery to the disposal site – whether it’s a car battery or a battery for e-bikes. “In many cases, the container can already be with the customer within 24 hours,” adds Hermanny.

Maximum safety and a reliable process are the focus. “For Emons, handling batteries plays a central role in our sustainability strategy,” adds Hermanny. “With our new business area, we make the safe transport and recycling of batteries more accessible and thus contribute to more sustainable processes.”
Container Pooling with Logistikbude: Digital Transparency Prevents High Loss Costs

Already at the founding of the new business area, Emons relied on Logistikbude as an experienced partner for digital container management. The software solution makes the status of all special containers transparently visible and enables automated management. “We needed a system that would allow us to know at any time where our containers are,” explains Nico Möllers, Project Manager Recycling and Waste Management at Emons. “That’s why we implemented Logistikbude – preventively, so that losses do not occur in the first place.”

At the start of the collaboration with the ‘Bude’ at the end of last year, ten containers were initially equipped with QR codes. During transport, the code is simply scanned using the Logistikbude app. Location, condition, and usage duration are automatically recorded. This creates seamless tracking without additional effort. Meanwhile, Emons Battery digitally manages large quantities of various containers – including 50 newly arrived special containers for the transport of critical batteries according to P911. “What particularly impressed us was the simplicity,” says Möllers. “The software was ready to use immediately, requires no elaborate implementation phase, and meets our requirements perfectly.”

Immediate Use Thanks to Standardized Processes

For Philipp Hüning, Co-Founder and CEO of Logistikbude, this shows the decisive advantage of the self-developed software. “With Logistikbude, we provide customers like Emons Battery with an existing system that can be used immediately thanks to standardized processes and functions. At the same time, we can flexibly adapt the software to individual requirements,” explains Hüning. To date, Emons Battery has not recorded any loss of load carriers thanks to Logistikbude.

The cooperation also allows Emons Battery to stand out from the competition. Thanks to the software solution, containers can be rented on a daily basis – a clear advantage for customers. Hermanny explains: “In a conventional long-term rental, you often pay for periods when the containers are not used at all. Thanks to the software, both we and our customers know exactly how many days the load carriers are in use.” In addition, Emons Battery offers the option to track the special containers in real-time.

Growing Together

Looking to the future, Emons remains open to further fields of application: “Pooling is a huge field with different requirements. Currently, we are completely focused on batteries, but in the long term, we could also expand the concept to other special containers, such as gas cylinders, contaminated textiles, or other sensitive goods,” explains Hermanny.

In the future, the pooling provider wants to intensify its collaboration with Logistikbude, as there is potential to further automate the management of load carriers – moving away from scanning individual containers to bulk booking. Möller: “In five years, there will probably be thousands of our containers in use. Then scanning with a mobile phone will become too cumbersome.” But the software from Logistikbude grows with the project. “There are already ideas and approaches that we can implement in the future,” says Möller.

Photo: © Logistikbude