The Swiss JURA Materials Group produces around 1 million tonnes of cement every year. Two cement plants (under the JURA CEMENT brand) as well as several landfills, gravel and concrete plants belong to the group. Yard management is a challenging and difficult task that can only be mastered through smart and efficient control. With the introduction of the LOGiQ software solution from Qlar (formerly Schenck Process), the processes at JURA CEMENT have been greatly simplified and accelerated. Among other things, the web-based application enables automated recording of incoming and outgoing goods as well as forward-looking production planning. Various areas of the company are now digitally connected, enabling real-time collaboration regardless of location.
JURA CEMENT is a subsidiary of the JURA Materials Group. Every day, up to 250 trucks and 50 rail wagons are loaded and unloaded on the premises of the two plants. Tracking the bulk goods, weighing the materials and correctly calculating the quantities and prices makes up a large part of the work. The processes should be as quick and simple as possible.
Before LOGiQ, manual labour and telephone consultations dominated
Effective yard management is an essential prerequisite for the smooth transport of goods in the cement industry. Due to outdated software, this was no longer the case at JURA CEMENT before the introduction of LOGiQ. A lot of manual labour was required to track incoming and outgoing goods. Orders and arrangements were mainly made by telephone. The various company divisions and locations were not sufficiently digitally connected. Truck drivers were already able to use scanners to log in and out using an access card. However, all subsequent processes had to be controlled manually. Among other things, this affected the organisation of the warehouse and the creation of delivery notes and invoices. ERP data could not be accessed in yard management - the previous software was too old to implement the necessary interface. The problems were most evident when malfunctions occurred, as these could generally only be fixed locally by a service technician who had to travel to the site.
For these reasons, JURA CEMENT wanted a modern digital solution that would simplify yard management. This needed to be compatible with the existing ERP system. One aim was to significantly reduce the time and effort required to manually track incoming and outgoing goods and organise the warehouse. The software had to facilitate intelligent production planning, freeing up employees to focus on other tasks. In addition, a connection to the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) was required to be able to reserve railway wagon orders and rail capacities precisely. Last but not least, the software was to be used by other companies in the cement industry so that they could benefit from each other's experience.
The company earns money with a digital solution
After a few months with LOGiQ, the experience at JURA CEMENT has been extremely positive: the introduction of the software has significantly simplified and accelerated yard management. Processes have been automated and sites have been interconnected with each other for data exchange in real time ("zero-touch logistics"). Truck drivers can now log in and register conveniently on the touch screen using a QR code. The user interface is intuitive and straightforward. Relevant information such as the licence plate number, the storage location and the target weight of the trucks are already stored in the system so that no manual entries are necessary. The programme is also multilingual (in this case German and French), which was an important requirement for the Swiss company.
The employees are also satisfied: As LOGiQ is a web-based solution, all connected departments can access it from anywhere in the company and remotely. This also applies to the support team, who no longer have to travel to fix a problem. Delivery notes and invoices are now generated automatically. The increase in efficiency is particularly evident in production planning: thanks to LOGiQ, for example, rail wagons and trucks can be pre-loaded when there is free space to do so. The interface with the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) enables convenient track and wagon reservations by mouse click. Thanks to the modular system structure, new functions can be added at a later date.
LOGiQ has exceeded the expectations of the JURA Materials Group. "We wanted a standard product that is also used elsewhere in the cement industry," explains Jürg Hitz, Head of CAPEX at the JURA Materials Group. "Qlar offers everything from a single source." The cement producer's positive experience with other Qlar products was a key reason for choosing the software.
LOGIQ is now also being used at the landfill sites. Five sites of the JURA Materials Group are currently integrated. The smooth introduction of LOGiQ has encouraged those responsible for further digitalisation steps in the future. "The work is much quicker and easier with LOGiQ," adds Hitz. "It's a modern system that fits in with our vision for the future, and we're really making money with it."
