Next-level warehouse productivity with Microsoft Surface.
Bechtle equips all forklifts with a special assembly and modern Microsoft Surface devices. Employees actively involved in development.
Edgard Klein has been working at Bechtle’s logistics hub in Neckarsulm for two years. Every day, he finds space for delivered goods, processing around 100 orders as he does so. A year ago it was far fewer. So, what happened? Edgard Klein was part of a workgroup tasked with reviewing internal processes and making them more efficient. The result of a lengthy creative process that involved plenty of tinkering was a special assembly mounted directly on the forklifts, turning them into fully mobile offices with a Microsoft Surface Pro at their core.
Load the goods, safely navigate through the aisles, search for a storage space, scan the goods and unload them – Edgard Klein could do it in his sleep. It’s no wonder, as he’s racked up unloading several thousand pallets into the numerous high-bay aisles with his forklift. He’s recently been supported in his work by a Microsoft Surface Pro.
Each one of us drivers has a new device mounted on the forklifts. They are much more powerful than the old industrial PCs and more user-friendly, too. They also connect us directly with the ERP system allowing real-time communication.
These are just some of the benefits the team have experienced since the upgrade. Benedict Petzold is Team Lead for the incoming goods to the Bechtle warehouse. On a tour around the 25,000 m2 Neckarsulm hub, he discusses the project:
12 months ago, we were using industrial PCs in the forklifts. They were complicated, inflexible and pretty expensive, too. So at the beginning of 2023, we asked the staff how we could optimise processes, including moving pallets around. It very quickly became evident that the forklift drivers were missing some smart tech and the idea to equip the vehicles with modern touch tablets was born. Microsoft’s Surface Pro proved to be the perfect solution as they are light, robust, flexible and powerful.
While the perfect hardware had been found, the hunt was on for an ergonomic mount. Bechtle commissioned a specialist and within a few months had a prototype to test out.
Since then, there has been a clear improvement in productivity. Pallets are moved around more quickly, errors are kept to a minimum, the devices are much easier to use and we’ve also been able to optimise the flow of information to the forklift drivers. They can always be reached, whereas before if we had a question, we’d have to set out across the warehouse to ask it. If we were lucky, that would take five minutes. If we weren’t, it would be ten. Now we just call using Teams. The drivers also have direct access to the internet.
Tomorrow will see Edgard Klein process another 100 orders and take the new goods to their storage spots with the Microsoft Surface Pro to help him. In his breaks, he can keep up-to-date with company news, chat with colleagues or check out yesterday’s football results. 1:0 to Microsoft Surface.