Material flow analysis and quantitative logistics

There are many good reasons for performing a material flow analysis and carrying out a quantitative optimisation of internal logistics: increased customer requirements, fluctuations in demand, high logistics costs, rapid expansion, lack of transparency and restructuring measures are only a few of the reasons why companies want to improve their internal logistics. Since the material flow represents one of the largest cost drivers in the logistics process chain, analyzing it is highly relevant in terms of economic efficiency.

The objective of the analysis is to identify deficits in the material flow, and to establish and rectify their causes. METROPLAN ENGINEERING supports customers in optimising the material flow of existing and new logistics structures. We reveal savings potentials and adapt the infrastructure and processes to the requirements of the future.

The material flow analysis can be divided into three phases:

The optimisation begins with a material flow analysis and an inventory and assessment of the logistics processes, the available resources and the logistics costs. In close consultation with the customer, we develop a detailed understanding of the internal processes, the special features of the business and the prevalent cause-and-effect relationships at the location.

The analysis also covers the transport processes and workflows as well as the storage locations of all materials. We not only include the layout and specifications of the system, but also analyse the detailed data of every single shipment over a whole year. The future performance requirements and objectives are then established on the basis of the anticipated business development.

Alternative layouts and processes are developed on the basis of the data we obtained during Phase 1. With regard to achieving optimum productivity and flexibility, only the combination of experience, engineering knowledge and mathematical methods enables the development of new processes and systems based on the actual individual shipment data. Our cross-sector expertise and extensive experience in planning manual to highly-automated warehouses guarantees our customers state-of-the-art concepts and process organisation. Our maxim is: Automation only if it is demonstrably profitable.

In this phase, the alternatives are assessed quantitatively. Performance features are made just as transparent as investment volumes and ongoing costs. In this process step, the shipment data allow us to evaluate the performance under real conditions, and at an accuracy level that was previously unachievable. The advantages and disadvantages, opportunities and risks of individual scenarios are made transparent on the basis of real data.

Qualitative aspects are evaluated in the form of a benefit analysis in which jointly defined criteria are identified. The optimum alternative is developed by consolidating the quantitative und qualitative information.