TUP is optimizing the supply chain for Robert Bosch’s Automotive Aftermarket division to improve performance and synchronize process chains.
A high-performance system is designed to cement Bosch’s strong market position and further expand it practically with the push of a button. The goal is to improve logistics performance through process optimization and the use of control center functions, as well as to optimally manage the state-of-the-art material flow technology planned as part of the distribution center’s expansion.

by Reinhard Irrgang

The Robert Bosch Automotive Aftermarket Division has commissioned DR THOMAS + PARTNER, Karlsruhe, to replace the existing material flow computer and the existing warehouse management system at the distribution center in Karlsruhe with new, more powerful systems. As emphasized by the decision-makers at both companies, this comprehensive project aims to achieve two key objectives through close partnership and cooperation: The goal is to improve logistics performance through process optimization and the use of control center functions, as well as to optimally manage the state-of-the-art material flow technology planned as part of the distribution center’s expansion. All measures of the project—which began in late 2011 and will run through mid-2015—will be carried out without interrupting operations.

Several key figures and performance metrics illustrate the scale and scope of this ambitious project: Bosch’s Automotive Aftermarket division is responsible worldwide for the procurement, sales, and logistics of automotive parts for vehicle service and diagnostics, including workshop equipment. In addition, the division—which manages 24 other Bosch warehouse locations worldwide—is responsible for the Bosch Car Service and AutoCrew workshop concepts, as well as global technical customer service for automotive products and systems. The distribution center in Karlsruhe supplies customers with a range of more than 450,000 different replacement parts. Its customer base includes the headquarters of automotive manufacturers and wholesalers, as well as the approximately 15,000 Bosch Car Service workshops worldwide and the more than 500 AutoCrew locations.

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