Hamburg, June 21, 2023 – Building materials specialist Henri Benthack has been using the opheo truck transport control system since 2011. As part of the successful collaboration with Solvares Logistics (formerly Opheo Solutions), several expansion stages have already taken place, including the introduction of the arrival monitor for the warehouse. Now, automatic notification and route planning, as well as digital signatures, are being added. Since June 2023, Henri Benthack has also been using the software from the cloud.
“opheo is constantly being developed further and always offers us a perspective for additional optimization steps,” says Jens Bielert, who introduced the opheo transport control system as project manager in 2011. This future orientation is not the only thing that is convincing about the solution and the software provider. “The activation of the new locations went astonishingly smoothly and quickly,” reports Dennis Kniebel, who has since taken over project management from Jens Bielert. “Now our ten dispatchers can also cover for each other across locations without having to leave their usual workplace,” emphasizes fleet manager Steven Ludwig.
Cloud-based dispatching software
Since June 2023, Henri Benthack has been using the cloud solution offered by Solvares Logistics. “opheo is the first software we use via a cloud. This allows us to gain experience for further installations and thus reduce our hardware costs in the long term,” explains project manager Kniebel. In total, opheo controls 27 of Henri Benthack’s own trucks.
Even before switching to the cloud, Henri Benthack introduced the arrival monitor. The actual return times of the trucks are displayed precisely to the minute on the arrival monitors, which operate based on the position data reported by opheo. This allows warehouse employees to prepare for reloading for subsequent tours in advance, pick orders efficiently, and minimize vehicle downtime. “Thanks to the arrival monitor, our drivers’ waiting times have been drastically reduced. There is more time to complete the subsequent tour, and the space situation at the ramp has significantly eased,” Kniebel summarizes the advantages of the solution.
Digital Signature and Automated Notification
As further expansion stages, Henri Benthack plans to introduce digital customer signatures and automated email notifications to inform customers about upcoming deliveries. The message is then sent automatically as soon as the truck falls below a certain distance from its destination. The planned implementation of the digital signature primarily benefits the invoicing process, which can then be started immediately after delivery.
Furthermore, Henri Benthack aims to optimize dispatching even further: with the introduction of automatic route planning. For this purpose, the opheo Optimizer, an intelligent planning and optimization algorithm, will complement the opheo transport control system. The Optimizer covers a wide range of transport and vehicle types and is capable of calculating thousands of route plans within a very short time and achieving gradual improvements through individual changes.
Continuous Optimization in the Future
Conclusion: Even after more than ten years, the partnership between Henri Benthack and Solvares Logistics is as vibrant as on day one. The continuously developed transport control system will continue to offer the building materials specialist many further opportunities for process optimization in the future.
About Henri Benthack GmbH & Co. KG
Henri Benthack GmbH & Co. KG is a traditional Hamburg-based building materials specialist with over 300 employees. Founded in 1930, the company operates its own truck fleet of around 30 vehicles and maintains a warehouse assortment of 8,500 products. Operating from six locations in Hamburg, Lübeck, Grevesmühlen, Neumünster, and Syke, the company is active in four North German federal states.
Further information at www.benthack.de
