At the end of October 2014, Audi AG officially inaugurated the new Böllinger Höfe logistics center in Heilbronn, Germany, from which DSV now supplies the manufacturer’s nearby plant in Neckarsulm.
German precision
DSV took full control of the operational activities of the 38,000 sqm logistics center and the entire inventory replenishment process at the Audi plant after a six-month start-up period. Every day, across three shifts, 160 trucks of parts are received at the new location. This means nearly 4,500 pallets of components are directed straight to the production lines for the A4, A5 Cabrio, A6, A7, and A8 models, and upon request, the R8 model as well. Approximately 160 employees ensure the highest process standards and delivery punctuality every day. Their efforts are supported by advanced GPS systems installed in the vehicles handling deliveries between the logistics center and the Audi plant.
Step-by-step cooperation
DSV’s achievement of such a massive level of responsibility was meticulously planned, and the entire process was divided into successive stages. Initially, immediately after the building was commissioned in March of this year, 40 DSV Solutions employees began operating the new location. Experts experienced in previously handling Audi’s consolidation warehouse were selected for this role. Over time, the scope of services was gradually expanded to include further aspects of service and additional car models. Previously, the manufacturer’s plant in Neckarsulm was served by five external logistics centers. Thanks to close cooperation with Audi, both the transformation process and the start-up phase of the new location proceeded without disruption, allowing for full-scale operations to begin.
Experience above all
– The automotive industry is an extremely important business area for DSV, developed with great commitment for over a dozen years. The list of clients we have served during this time in various countries includes brands such as: Volvo, Volkswagen, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, Mitsubishi Motors, Hyundai, Honda, Land Rover, Mazda, Subaru, and Suzuki – says Maciej Walenda, CEO of DSV Solutions in Poland. – However, it is the cooperation with Audi AG that currently constitutes one of DSV’s largest contracts for serving an automotive client. The German branch of DSV Solutions began cooperating with the concern in 2011 with a small scope of transport and warehousing services, only to expand the scope of responsibilities a year later to include serving the company’s plant in Neckarsulm, and finally, to take full responsibility for operating the new Audi logistics center.