Efficient planning ensures optimal material availability worldwide

Many medium-sized Bavarian companies are market leaders in their respective industries. This also includes the formwork and scaffolding specialist, PERI. Today, the company employs around 7,700 employees worldwide and provides efficient and safe formwork and scaffolding solutions for countless small and large construction projects in more than 100 countries. However, PERI is one of the global market leaders not only in terms of formwork and scaffolding technology. The company is also extremely innovative with its business processes as was recently demonstrated through the presentation of the "Supply Chain Management Award".

"We have shown that PERI is at the forefront in the discipline of logistics networks and were able to win through against well-known companies – naturally, we are very proud of this achievement. With their high level of motivation for everyday improvement of processes, all PERI employees greatly contribute to further expanding our very good position in the market as well as safeguarding jobs," said a highly delighted Leonhard Braig, Managing Director for Products and Technology.

The project core: PERI´s rental business and its challenges

The fact that PERI GmbH not only sells but also rents out its formwork and scaffolding systems has diverse impacts throughout the company. On the one hand, PERI invests worldwide in the provision and maintenance of storage areas and rental equipment. On the other, rental operations involve a wide range of different processes: in addition to the commercial and logistical handling of deliveries and return deliveries, this includes other inbound and outbound deliveries as well as quantity and quality control procedures. Furthermore, materials must always be kept in a defined quality for renting out, i.e. cleaned accordingly and, if necessary, repaired and refurbished. One particular challenge for PERI rental parks around the world is dealing with the unpredictable construction processes and the resulting uncertainty regarding which materials – and in what condition – are actually being returned to the rental facility.

In order to provide an even better supply of materials and delivery capability for customers, the "Closed Loop Supply Chain" project was therefore launched some time ago. As a result, worldwide processes are now firmly established as well as utilizing a range of software solutions which verifiably show how the specific goals have been achieved. One positive side-effect: the production of new materials has also been optimized in terms of energy and resource efficiency. In this respect, PERI has also been closely following the requirements of sustainable development whilst taking into consideration ecologically relevant aspects. In addition to the sustained increase in delivery capability, the project shows that responsible and ecologically-sound action assumes a particularly high degree of importance at PERI.

Project result convinces the high-calibre jury

Already in the run-up to the EXCHAiNGE conference, where the four finalists presented their logistics projects, PERI had won through against more than 100 other contenders. After the presentation of its "Closed Loop Supply Chain" project in Frankfurt in early October, the Weissenhorn-based company emerged as the winner. "PERI convinced the jury in all aspects of the evaluation criteria – strategy, processes, organization and innovation," said jury member and laudator, Johannes Giloth, Senior Vice President of Global Operations, Nokia Solutions and Networks GmbH & Co. KG. Jury member, Dr. Petra Seebauer, editor of the LOGISTIK TODAY trade journal, commented on the award-winning solution: "The detailed description of the processes complete with all relevant data in one software tool has also shown that PERI has laid the foundations for the digitization of its business processes."

Future-oriented business partner

PERI expects further growth in the coming years and is setting the course for the whole company for this purpose – the project described here is just one example of this. The constant search for further improved or new products is central to the strategy. Currently, for example, PERI is investing in a new production plant for the innovative PERI UP scaffolding technology in the neighbouring town of Günzburg. At the same time, however, processes are also regularly scrutinized. All areas of the company are constantly looking for ways to optimize processes along with continuously developing personnel even further – in accordance with the guiding principle of the company founder, Artur Schwörer, in order to provide the best solutions to customers worldwide.

The Head of Supply Chain Management is delighted at the success achieved by the large international team who has worked together on the award-winning logistics solution. "We are very proud of the award which confirms our excellent position in the area of supply chain management in international competition," according to Dr. Bernd Rosenkranz. "In particular, what has been achieved so far shows us that supply chain management is a decisive factor in long-term success of the company. The fact that this was also acknowledged by the jury simply confirms the great work done by the international team."