ThyssenKrupp Aufzugswerke exchanges electronic data with Lobster software
Every day, countless volumes of information flows back and forth between ThyssenKrupp Aufzugswerke and their suppliers. In order to ensure reliable communications, the company integrates its data with Lobster_data EDI software.
Employees at ThyssenKrupp Aufzugswerke in Neuhausen produce up to 3,500 lift systems, including all their various components, every year. Throughout the production process, the company has to constantly exchange data with all its suppliers. Components must be delivered exactly as ordered, and were a part to arrive too late or incorrectly, the entire production chain could grind to a halt.
Reliable monitoring
“We chose Lobster_data because it offered us excellent monitoring capabilities”, explains Benjamin Battran, Software Development Project Manager at ThyssenKrupp Aufzugswerke. Employees can see all the ongoing processes via a user-friendly interface. If vendor data was transferred incorrectly, for example, the system would immediately send an error message to the relevant person in IT, who could go in and correct the mistake. That means every piece of information arrives on time with the recipient.
Both national and international suppliers can connect to ThyssenKrupp Aufzugswerke with the help of clearly-structured mappings. “Even if we wanted to extend or modify an interface, it’s all easily done with Lobster_data. The interface change would have no effect on our other processes”, Benjamin emphasises. ThyssenKrupp Aufzugswerke not only communicates with its German partners via electronic data interchange (EDI), but also with its suppliers in Spain and its sister plant in France.
A single tool instead of multiple in-house developments
ThyssenKrupp Aufzugswerke’s complex IT infrastructure was standardised with the introduction of Lobster_data. In the shipping department, for example, there’s a scale that weighs and measures the pallets. The software automatically enters this data into the company’s SAP system.
“In the past, we needed an in-house development for this”, says Harald Schumacher, SAP Project Manager at ThyssenKrupp Aufzugswerke. “It was a similar story for other requirements and, at some point, we simply weren’t flexible enough anymore. Today, we only work with one standardised tool on a single server. It works great”.
“Furthermore, we can simply fill in our database log using Lobster_data”, reports Benjamin. Every step of the way in the ordering process, from commissioning to invoicing, is carefully logged. File names and content are entered into the database, which the in-house orders department can view at every stage via a web interface. “
Because logging no longer runs on a file system but rather on a database, our departments can now access the data they need much more quickly than before”, says Benjamin happily. “This saves the company lots of vital time”.
Simple changeover
ThyssenKrupp Aufzugswerke is now introducing all its various supplier interfaces. “Beginning this process took only a few hours”, explains Harald. IT staff handled most of the reorganisation entirely themselves. “And when any questions arise, Lobster’s support team are always on hand to quickly offer up competent solutions”.
Integrating large volumes of data is becoming increasingly challenging, especially for global companies like ThyssenKrupp. Reliable IT infrastructure is particularly vital. “Our processes run so smoothly with Lobster_data that we sometimes forget the software is even there”, concludes Benjamin.
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