Harmonization of plant logistics at Lhoist

The decision to adopt VAS as the new standard was made following an internal benchmark comparing the shipping systems of the European plants: „The quick-to-respond, competent support, and the high system availability were the deciding factors“, remembers Waldemar Bischoff, Business Analyst at Lhoist Germany, who accompanied the harmonization project, „since our shipping operates 24/7, the new system had to be absolutely fail-safe.“

VAS Yard Management also impressed with its user-friendliness and the possibility of implementing automation. “Other systems offered significantly less scope in this area,” says Bischoff. Since VAS can be used independently of hardware, both existing hardware and retrofitted systems can be easily integrated.

Another plus point: The recent harmonization of the German plants. „We have done some important groundwork here“, says Philipp Lenz, Team Lead Software Development at Axians IAS, „ and demonstrated process harmonization with VAS in a real-world project.”

The starting point was the development of a customer specific VAS-Template: With uniform specifications, layouts and process definitions, the template provides a common ground for all plants while maintaining enough flexibility to map the individual requirements and processes of individual plants thanks to its modular structure. Further plants can thus be added with minimal effort – regardless of location or size

After the successful initial go-live, the group-wide harmonization began – a process that is still ongoing today: The latest plant was integrated in 2025.

Today, a total of 49 Lhoist plants in 11 countries on two continents are harmonized and benefit from standardized processes and a stable system landscape. VAS Yard Management is constantly adapted to new requirements – an example for this is the train loading module. „Axians IAS is very open to further develop VAS Yard Management and to implement new processes“, Waldemar Bischoff remarks.

This flexibility ensures that Lhoist can act in a future-proof manner: Hindlow was automated with two self-service terminals for check-in and check-out, including entry and exit weighing, in order to cope with the increased volume of trucks and at the same time use personnel resources more efficiently.

After the harmonization of the European and Asian plants, the rollout of VAS Yard Management in Brazil is currently being evaluated. Meanwhile VAS Safety Flow, an application for digital safety training and automated access control and the latest development from Axians IAS, went live in production at the German plant in Flandersbach at the beginning of 2026.

Thanks to the hardware independence of VAS Yard Management, Lhoist was able to not only harmonize its plant logistics but also its hardware infrastructure with components from proven suppliers, thereby further streamlining its processes: Instead of differentiating between plant entry and exit with two terminals, VAS Self Service now runs on one terminal for both processes.

Ten years after the project was launched, Waldemar Bischoff draws a positive conclusion: The harmonization has not only made the plants comparable but has also enabled them to actively learn from and benefit from each other.