To optimise its supply chain visibility, Migros Ostschweiz realised a strategic project. The objective is the complete transparency of the supply chain on the basis of RFID technology, the Electronic Product Code (EPC) and a central EPCIS system: These are used to register and process all results in the flows of goods – a seamlessly granular network of information being thereby generated across all movements of goods and process levels.
Thanks to EPCIS, Migros Ostschweiz now knows at all times exactly which object is located where, when, and for what purpose, and can control the processes in the supply chain an accordingly exact and optimised way. With the EPCIS project based on the Microsoft BizTalk Server, which the experts at QUIBIQ implemented successfully, the trading company has laid the foundation for a national rollout of the EPCIS standard.
BizTalk Server serves here as a central data hub. It transmits all RFID events created by read devices during the movement of a product (e.g. during picking or loading) and makes them available in an EPCIS-compliant repository based on the SQL server – and additionally also directly in especially urgent cases (direct push). Peripheral systems in turn can use BizTalk to read out their information as needed from the repository.
"We can handle movements of goods in a much more flexible way – and our order picking is much finer as a result", according to Beat Huber, Division Manager of Goods Logistics at Migros Ostschweiz. EPCIS supplies the required current and exact information for the automatic order system and ensures delivery-dependant stock postings, e.g. when goods arrive at the store.
"This allows us to achieve an optimised utilisation of our automatic systems and truck capacities", adds Daniel Balmer, Division Manager of Transport Logistics. The advantages:
With over 9,000 employees, Migros Ostschweiz primarily operates 92 supermarkets, 46 specialist retailers and 37 restaurants in the cantons of Eastern Switzerland. In 2017 the cooperative achieved a turnover of CHF 2.36 billion.. In logistics, Migros Ostschweiz transports around 135,000 order units (75,000 of these refrigerated) on 4,000 pallets per day.
To achieve RFID-based control while improving transparency in the supply chain, QUIBIQ developed an EPCIS-compliant, central data hub based on BizTalk Server and SQL. This is used as a central storage for RFID events and to supply logistics and BI systems with the information relevant to them.
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