Press Report

Vorarlberg company TridonicAtco is on top of costs and service with a supply chain execution solution

(Verkehr 06.2008) The lighting component manufacturer TridonicAtco GmbH & Co.KG from Vorarlberg has optimised its worldwide logistics processes. The globally set-up company uses the web-based integration and communications platform logistics-server® from inet-logistics GmbH in Wolfurt for effective transport management and freight cost management at its locations spread across all continents. With this result: over the year, five-figure amounts in Euros are being achieved in savings, the service quality was improved and particularly the transparency in logistics processes was optimised.

More current data

Some 2,000 shipments are sent annually by TridonicAtco as multi-stage air and sea transports across all continents to a total of 12 international associate companies. "We had too few current data available for our sea and airfreight. For this reason, we were looking for an umbrella Supply Chain Execution solution (SCE)," recalls Christian Gmeiner, Logistics Manager at TridonicAtco. "It was the objective at the end of the fiscal year to procure substantially more transparency e.g. concerning the direct connection between transport volume and cost development in certain regions." An efficient transport and freight cost management that automatically takes into account the respective country regulations and laws, customs restrictions and the varying VAT amounts applicable increases customer satisfaction and company profits.

This was also recognised by TridonicAtco, a company within the Zumtobel organisation, and it looked for a software solution in 2007. As a manufacturer of operating equipment for various lighting sources, light management systems, light diodes and connections technology, TridonicAtco sells it products around the world. With over 1,900 employees at 52 branches the company, with its headquarters in Dornbirn, is an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), supplying light manufacturers, architects, electrical and light planners and electricians, as well as wholesalers. 

All participants are connected online within the transport process

A considerable requirement from TridonicAtco was that all supply chain partners were integrated over the Internet using the SCE solution. This is optimally performed by the logistics-server® from inet-logistics in Wolfurt in Vorarlberg. "We have now connected five despatching and 12 receiving TridonicAtco locations, as well as eight transport service providers, who can access the data via a web browser," explains Christian Gmeiner. The agreed tariffs and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are saved in detail on the common platform.

Apart from the functionality, the simple integration with the TridonicAtco ERP SAP environment was convincing. Since the middle of November 2007, the people from Vorarlberg ship their sea and airfreight on the basis of the new SCE solution. "Since then, communication with freight forwarders is upon a completely new basis," emphasises Christian Gmeiner. "Instead of a host of E-mails bouncing to and fro, everything runs across a common platform. Thus the receiving freight forwarder immediately has all appropriate transport information and accompanying documents to hand for the purposes of import declaration. I am convinced that by doing this, we are already able to process many shipments one to two days more quickly."