Held Biker Fashion halved the driving distance per day
Customer case: Held GmbH
For more than 70 years, Held GmbH in Kempten, Germany, has been responsible for innovative motorcycle garments and equipment of the highest quality. Today, the brand and products are represented through a global network of more than 3,000 retailers. Due to the growing demand for its products, Held needed to expand logistically. To make the picking process more ergonomic and efficient, they looked for a solution and found Helge Nyberg AB.
Previously, shelf trolleys were used which were manually driven through the warehouse. But it got way too heavy. Depending on the size of the order, it sometimes could weigh up to 350 kg.
When Robert Sontheim, logistics manager at Held GmbH, was at LogiMat 2016, he saw Helge Nyberg AB's offer and technology in the company's stand. During the initial discussions, various solutions were presented, and it quickly became clear in which direction they would need to go. After that, a relevant and comparable customer reference visit was organized immediately by Helge Nyberg AB to be able to see the products live.
– After that we had a local demo at Held when we could test the products and the solution for a week. We were really satisfied and placed an order immediately, says Robert Sontheim.
"- It is not only the quality of the trolleys and trucks that speaks for Helge Nybergs, but also the pleasant and open discussions throughout the project and in the subsequent phase. Regular talks and meetings show that the sellers are willing to establish and maintain excellent customer contact and that they have a genuine interest in us succeeding and being satisfied.”
Robert Sontheim, logistikchef Held GmbH
Truck- and trolley solution
Held GmbH decided on two solutions. First the classic order picking with a shelf trolley 300 model 12 upstairs. Here, the maximum load on the roof is too low to drive a truck. On the ground floor, they chose the 708 tow truck with a combined towing device.
Helge Nyberg's partner Toyota Material Handling has been involved throughout the project and Robert Sontheim thinks it's nice to have one contact person for his entire logistics center.
The efficiency has increased
Thanks to the tow bar solution, the customer can attach several trolleys to the truck and thereby process several orders at the same time. Due to this effect, the lead time for the individual orders was reduced. It was not only the picking time that decreased but also the personnel's driving distance.
– Each employee drove up to 20 km a day earlier. And now that distance has been halved, says Robert Sontheim.
The employees were skeptical at first, but when they noticed how much the physical effort was reduced, the solution was accepted very quickly. The staff now find it quite fun to drive towing trucks through the facilities.
Full range supplier for motorcycle clothing
Held GmbH has been around as a company for over 70 years and in the 70's the first motorcycle gloves were developed. Since then, further development has led to a complete supplier of motorcycle clothing. high readiness for innovation and continuous improvement paired with the flexibility and passion of a family business in its third generation create the prerequisites for this. The solidarity and loyalty of more than 150 employees and long-term cooperation with more than 3000 dealers around the world, complete the pillars of success.