In the midst of the pre-Christmas mood, there is another reason to celebrate: after around one and a half years of implementation, the "DigiPac" project has been realized at HF in Haldensleben. A very important of several milestones in the digitization of the site has thus been achieved.
For the first time, a digitally packed consignment of goods was sent on its way on the start date and left the dispatch center without a paper receipt in the box. After more than 20 years in which employees in Hamburger Straße had to print out a delivery bill and an invoice and place them in the parcel, this is almost a technical revolution. In future, shipping to bonprix customers will now be digital.
Go live for DigiPac
The fashion brand bonprix is handled exclusively at the Haldensleben site as the main user. As part of this strategic alignment, HF and bonprix jointly reviewed all processes at the site with regard to simplification and standardization. Dispensing with paper receipts saves resources on the one hand and speeds up the shipping process on the other. The digital process will further increase packing efficiency. The project team has only been working on the actual implementation since May 2021. And now it's a reality.
The first parcel without an order form was at the dispatch center's outgoing goods department on Monday. Ready for transportation. "With the DigiPac GoLive, we are taking the first big and important step towards digitalizing and standardizing our shipping processes," says project manager Björn. "It's great to see how we - together with the project team and the employees on site - have taken a 20-year-old process to a new level. And this is just the beginning."
The first sorter line goes digital by mid-January
Thirteen of the 16 sorter lines in the dispatch center have already been converted. By mid-January, all 430 packing stations will have new ergonomic tables, shelving systems and invoice holders. Touch monitors, scanner systems and printers for the shipping labels will then be installed step by step. Almost 170 kilometers of cable were laid in the process - that is the distance between Hamburg and Haldensleben as the crow flies.
In view of the peak phase shortly before Christmas, there will initially be seven digital workstations. The rest will initially continue to work with printed documents. By mid-January, however, the first complete sorter line will go live, where digital packing will be possible. By mid-2023, a quarter of all bins will have been converted. By the end of the year, 50 percent. The aim is to fully convert the two sorting systems by 2025 - depending on the activation of DigiPac capability in other bonprix countries.
Further steps planned for digitalization
More and more bonprix customers will be converted from traditional to e-invoicing customers in the near future. The more there are, the more can be packed digitally in Haldensleben. "On the very first day of production, 1288 shipments were sent without a shipping receipt. DigiPac thus continues to support our path towards sustainability and digitalization," says Alexander Eisert, Project Manager at bonprix.
And further steps towards digitalization are planned. In future, all outbound processes in the dispatch center will be handled digitally. This includes individual shipments and the point of error - a DigiPac 2.0, so to speak. bonprix's introduction of the online returns portal will also mean that the returns label in the parcel will no longer be required.
Roy Smolders praises the team and the involvement of local employees
In view of the ambitious goals, good cooperation across all departments and participating companies will continue to be necessary in the future - a very important success factor for DigiPac 1.0. Roy Smolders, Managing Director Operations at HF: "It was a pleasure to see how well and quietly DigiPac was worked on. This team was absolutely reliable every day." He particularly emphasizes the involvement of the employees in the shipping department. Roy: "When designing the new packing stations, we benefited greatly from the good ideas and many tips from our colleagues on site. People who tackle things themselves on a daily basis are true experts and can give the most valuable tips. Actively demanding this involvement is particularly important to me."
