The new logistics center

Interview: Michael Gräfen, Logistics Center Manager
(The interview was conducted by Martin Schneider from IllusionFACTORY)

MS:
Mr. Gräfen, you have been a member of the Hoka team for 6 years now. Last year, the new logistics center of 1,300 m² and the associated intermediate warehouses of 2,000 m² were refurbished and modernized. What has this changed for you in your day-to-day work?

Gräfen:
The redesign and modernization have enabled us to store all Hoka warehouse products in the logistics center. Where we used to have to make a lot of useless trips to put together deliveries, we are now much more efficient.

With the old structure, we were able to ship 50% of orders on the same day. With the new logistics center, we were able to increase this rate to over 90%, and we notice this clearly in customer satisfaction.

MS:
Isn't it much more complex to manage so many parts in one warehouse than in separate halls?

Gräfen:
Thanks to the better organization, we were able to sort the material even more clearly. A new lighting concept and the new high lifts ensure that we can find parts faster and more reliably than with the previous ladders. The entire hall floor has been replaced - a clear safety plus for me and my employees. We now ship 100 boxes a day from an inventory of 30,000 parts, so every move has to be spot on.

MS:
What impact has the new concept had on employee motivation?

Gräfen:
As the saying goes, "The tools have to be right." This is even truer in an industrial company like HoKa than it is for DIY at home. And dashing between the shelves with the new industrial trucks and assembling deliveries in record time is not only fun but also safer than before. It's a good feeling when you're in charge of your people.

MS:
Thank you very much for talking to us.

Data

• Location volume: 3,300 m²
• articles: more than 800 articles
• most modern picking equipment