Cloud4Log Platform Surpasses 100 Participants

Exchanging delivery notes digitally instead of as paper documents: This is what the online platform Cloud4Log, operated by the Federal Association of Logistics (BVL) and GS1 Germany, is all about. The milestone of 100 registered companies has now been reached, including well-known brand manufacturers and retailers. Company number 100 at Cloud4Log is DMV Diedrichs Markenvertrieb, a full-service marketer for health & beauty products as well as for assortments from the category of washing, cleaning, and hygiene products.

(Köln/Bremen) Among DMV’s customers is also dm drogerie-markt. The retail company is one of the first participants of Cloud4Log and has now completed the rollout of the solution with the activation of the last volume distribution center.

With Cloud4Log, DMV Diedrichs Markenvertrieb aims to take the next step towards digitization in logistics. The company, based in Bad Pyrmont, hopes for more sustainable, transparent, and faster processes. Julia Spiering, team leader of order management at DMV, states: “By using digital solutions, we can reduce paper consumption. Cloud4Log provides us with a transparent platform that allows us to keep track of all logistical processes – from order placement to delivery, we and our partners always have access to current information. And last but not least, the solution enables us to avoid bottlenecks and shorten delivery times through automated processes and real-time data.” Customers include well-known retail companies in Germany, Austria, and Poland from the consumer goods sector, self-service stores, drugstores, and online retail. Initial deliveries from DMV with the digital delivery note to dm are already in planning.

dm-drogerie markt Completes Rollout

Since the launch of Cloud4Log in October 2022, the drugstore chain dm has gradually transitioned its logistics locations to the digital delivery note. The first deliveries with the paperless document arrived at dm in Waghäusel in November 2022. Last month, the last outstanding location in Langenbach was activated, so that now all distribution centers and volume distribution centers can work with Cloud4Log and be supplied with digital delivery notes by suppliers. The manual effort associated with handling transport documents in the form of filling out, handing over, transporting, scanning, and filing is completely eliminated. This relieves employees at goods receipt and dispatch, and not least the drivers who were previously responsible for transporting the documents. Mira Honemann, responsible for logistical delivery management at dm, adds: “The use of the digital delivery note creates completely new possibilities in process design at our ramps. With Cloud4Log, we can close the last significant digitalization gap in our supply chain segment.” A large part of the suppliers has already recognized these advantages and uses the digital process in their dealings with dm-drogerie markt. The goal is to create a network effect to realize the benefits of digital processing for all partners. The activation of additional suppliers is taking place gradually. For this purpose, regular industry partner sessions are organized by dm-drogerie markt to inform suppliers about the new way of digital delivery note processing.

Potential Savings of 180 Million Sheets of Paper

In national goods traffic, the delivery note often takes on the function of the waybill and thus fulfills the receipt function in the transport contract relationship between industry and freight forwarder – almost always still on paper. This leads to high manual efforts in the delivery and transport processes along the supply chain. Deliveries to wholesalers or retail distribution centers are predominantly accompanied by delivery notes in paper form. For the food retail sector in Germany alone, this amounts to at least 20 million delivery notes per year. This results in at least 180 million sheets of paper with multiple copies, equivalent to 1,500 trees with a diameter of 40 centimeters and a height of 25 meters.

Photo: © Cloud4Log/Ansorge, Singen