Enough bragging, hear what our customers say about us
Two extraordinary teams and their output
„An exceptionally good cooperation and an outstandingly good result.“ Those were Alexander Müller’s closing words when HeidelbergCement AG put its new Logistic Portal into operation.
Alexander is the responsible and leading IAS team member for the entire VAS® roll out project for the Heidelberg Sand and Gravel works in Germany.
Together with the senior HC staff member in charge, the entire roll out team put together a unique project.
Especially in times of COVID 19, such an important go live of such a powerful and centralized logistics solution meant a well thought out and planned execution of the project.
The initial logistics portal created specifically for HeidelbergCement AG went live back in 2015. The project team at that time had created an unprecedented online tool that revolutionized the entire ordering process in the bulk materials industry.
It was not only a relief for HC. It also offered several advantages for the customers.
With the further development of the portal and the new challenges the project team had to face in 2020, they outperformed their former performance many times over.
The team had to deal with three areas in particular:
– Optimization of automation processes especially for sand and gravel for shorter gate to gate times
– Development and implementation of a special “All IN ONE” mask for faster manual handling of trucks
– Development and implementation of a wheel loader application for the online and offline case.
One of the top priorities in that project was to integrate the three challenges mentioned above into the software solution in the best possible way. And above that the harmonious integration, successful synchronization and synergy utilization of the two divisions, cement and aggregates.
This was achieved by means of a VAS ® template.
Due to the highly restricted handling in 2020, the project team had to deal thoroughly with the following challenge:
How can we take all sand and gravel plants into operation without being on site but guaranting that everything runs well at the end?
As part of the further consistent digitization and optimization of HeidelbergCement AG, an integrated material flow management system will be introduced to achieve significant savings in logistics costs throughout the group. Based on this already existing development process, HeidebergCement AG was able to provide a very performant remote access, which enabled a smooth go live of all plants.
Various plants worldwide in the cement, aggregates (sand & gravel) and cement business areas are currently being equipped with the VAS® solution from Axians Industrial Applications & Services GmbH.
Axians IAS GmbH was selected by HeidlbergCement AG as a suitable partner and preferred supplier due to its international experience as a hardware-independent IT specialist in an industrial environment and its flexibility in connecting to SAP.
Today, HeidelbergCement AG not only offers its customers a portal to cover the cement processes. It also has a completely dedicated solution for the entire sand and gravel plants.
VAS wins Cemex Contract for standardisation of logistic processes
As a multinational enterprise in the building materials industry, CEMEX will use VAS on the basis of a tailor-made template solution that is connected to the central ERP system and likewise will be rolled out to several CEMEX plants starting in Germany. The key reason for choosing VAS has been the ability to cover all requirements towards an IT-Logistics solution that have been described in the detailed systems specification provided by CEMEX.
VAS convinces Dyckerhoff
“We conduct a major part of the logistic procresses using SAP. A significant criterionin selecting the new solution was the approved and easy interconnectionto the SAP Sales and Distribution module. In the furture, we moreover want to map incoming raw materials by integrating VAS in SAP® Materials Management, ” says Dyckerhoff AG’s CIO, Wolfgang Peseke, an important reason for deciding in favor of VAS.
Kick-off for LafargeHolcim in Asia
The need to be in full control of shipments that are leaving a cement plant, was the kick-off for LafargeHolcim in Southeast Asia, to add another important feature to their logistical dispatch solution VAS. So far VAS managed the online pre-registration of trucks (iDISPO), the queing management of trucks in the plants parking facilities, the call to entry, the complete entry process incl. registration and truck weighing, the loading process and exit process of the trucks incl. the exit weighing and automated delivery document print-out within a plants truck dispatch process.
VAS becomes an integral part of the „Logistic Efficiency Optimization“ Initiative (“LEO”) of the HeidelbergCement AG
The implementation of VAS will lead to a significant optimization for the dispatch and the related logistical processes, as the increased level of automation will result in a much faster execution of many activities within the plants. In this context Axians has also been announced as a “Preferred Supplier” by HeidelbergCement AG.
Axians extend their Market Position in North Africa: Holcim Morocco counts on the IT-Logistic Solution VAS
After the implementation of VAS in the Holcim plants in the Philippines and Indonesia, the IT-Logistic Solution was implemented successful in Morocco by Holcim for the first time. The pilot installation was undertaken in the cement plant Settat, which is located between Casablanca and Marrakesh. Besides the software and services, Axians delivered the full infrastructure for the project. This includes not only the IT-Hardware like printers or large displays for the control room but also barriers and signal lights for traffic control within the plant.
Al Safwa increases loading operating efficiency with VAS
„With the current migration of the IT-Logistic solution VAS from version 04 to version 05, Al Safwa Cement Company (ASCC) has been different than its competitors by being more customer oriented and by introducing innovative solutions, providing the basis for doubling the capacity of their plant in Saudi-Arabia. This cement plant is located in the western region and is a joint venture with Lafarge” said Eng./ Khaled Jadallah the Commercial Director of Al Safwa.
Ciments de l’Atlas automates processes: IT-Logistic Solution VAS is now also present in Africa
With the introduction of the IT-Logistic solution VAS of Axians IAS, Ciments de l’Atlas (CIMAT) which is located in Casablanca, will continuously automatize the processes in its Moroccan plants. The implementation is carried within the scope of a KPI-Project, in which all processes have been analyzed initially. „For CIMAT this is a big step in the optimization of our processes, as with VAS we have found a system that covers our conceptual, functional and technological requirements best“, as Rachid Lahbara, Direction Performances et Investissements of CIMAT, describes the reasons for the decisions.
PHOENIX Cement Works: VAS in the heart of Westphalia
The PHOENIX Cement Works Krogbeumker GmbH & Co. KG, a long-established company within the Westphalian cement industry, has decided to introduce the VAS IT logistics system by Axians IAS. “Until now, we have had to manage the processes manually and on paper”, said PHOENIX Plant Manager Kai Wagner in explanation of the company’s reorientation. “With the aid of the VAS IT logistics system, the processes within the cement works are now to be automated gradually, and unmanned loading implemented across the plant”.
VAS Template successfully implemented at Lafarge Emirates Cement
With the final acceptance in the Lafarge Emirates cement plant, another key project has started operation in the Near East. The excellent and professional cooperation between Lafarge and the Axians IAS project team made a critical contribution to this fast implementation. “We were able to start the further optimization process with the demonstrably tested and process-oriented software,” the project manager at Lafarge Emirates reported.
A strong partnership with Lhoist
A strong partnership that is in existence for more than 10 years links us with the renowned company Lhoist. The supply of the Axians solution VAS for optimising the plants dispatch processes was carried out in all German plants e.g. at the largest European limestone plant that is located in Flandersbach, Germany. The standardisation project “European Shipping System” that was launched in 2015 continuously helps Lhoist to equip their plants within Europe with a standardised template approach of the logistic solution VAS.
