We maintain long-term partnerships with numerous customers and work together on changing projects with a spirit of trust. We play to our strengths especially when it comes to the implementation of customized solutions or the development and operation of complete logistics centers. But we also provide highly reliable and efficient logistics services day in, day out. Regardless of the type and size of the order, it is crucial for us to understand our customers’ business and respond to their needs right from the planning phase. We also anticipate potential changes within their industry or on the market. For example, we support the transition to electromobility – a key challenge for many of our customers – by continually expanding our services in this area, as well as our expertise. Long-term contracts allow us to be proactive in this way and give us the space and security to invest in sustainable solutions.
Our C3 Bremen logistics center, for example, sends out an important message with its sustainable approach. Since 2023, we have pooled production supply for the global assembly plants of a leading car manufacturer at this center. In addition to customer requirements, the concept also focuses on modern workplaces. With its 9.3 MWp PV rooftop system, energy-efficient cladding and holistic energy concept, the C3 sets a new environmental standard for logistics properties.
Structures and processes ensure quality
We contractually guarantee the quality of our services to our customers and work day in day out to convince them of the value of our partnership. We attach particular importance to long-term relationships, but we are happy when new companies decide to join us too. In the reporting year, we further expanded our partnership with Siemens Energy: in Bremen, we store and handle components for the production of wind turbines in Cuxhaven. In Falkensee, in addition to the existing business, we now also take care of order picking for the shipping of spare parts and additional parts for circuit breakers. Meanwhile, our site in Düsseldorf is becoming a hub for the distribution of various tools needed for the installation and maintenance of industrial steam turbines. For our customer Bosch Home & Comfort, we will manage exports from a new logistics center in Butzbach, Hesse, in the future. In addition, we agreed on a further long-term cooperation in Bremen for the supply of the Mercedes plant there with components from an external sequencing center. In order to optimally support the growth of our existing customers, we have also rented additional space at three other sites.
The continuous reduction in damage rates is naturally also an important indicator of the quality of our performance. We continually check the corresponding possibilities and levers. The “Integrated Management Systems & Sustainability” department is responsible for setting up, developing and finally certifying our quality management systems. It also promotes the integration and implementation of our environmental, occupational safety and energy management systems. Most of our German and foreign locations, including all those in the AUTOMOBILE Division, are certified under DIN EN ISO 9001, while the automotive sites are also certified under VDA 6.2. In addition, customers carry out their own quality audits at our car terminals. In the CONTRACT Division, our services are strongly aligned with, or even closely linked to, the production processes of our customers. Through regular exchange at operational and management levels, we identify potential for improvement, whereby optimizing added-value activities is a particularly decisive factor for success.
Improving with lean management
In order to continually improve processes, systems and thus our overall performance, we organize our processes according to lean management principles and rely on the Six Sigma management system. Lean management was already firmly integrated into our corporate culture at all CONTRACT sites in 2017, and is currently also being implemented at inland terminals. The five associated principles – define value, mapping the value stream, creating flow, establishing a pull system and pursuing perfection – form the basis for continuous optimization. Defining value looks at the customer perspective, while the value stream focuses on processes that create value, and the flow principle tries to eliminate bottlenecks. When focusing on pull, only the service ordered in the downstream process is provided. Finally, the pursuit of perfection is the fifth principle that creates lasting benefits for the entire company through innovative thinking and action. Our production system is constantly moving and developing. It is not only a set of rules for designing, introducing and maintaining processes, but embodies a philosophy by aiming to reduce waste and increase value creation. Continuous maturity measurements create transparency with regard to how much lean management has penetrated the company, from which recommendations for site development can be derived. The maturity results clearly demonstrate progress and impact at the CONTRACT sites. Our employees play a decisive role in the success of lean management. Their active participation and commitment are essential, which is why we encourage them to make suggestions for improvement and actively help shape their working environment. Our managers have the job of supporting and motivating them and thus making the successful implementation of the production system possible.
Well prepared for the future
In order to prepare our customers in the best possible way for what is to come in logistics, we are continually developing new solutions. The Technology department examines the use of meaningful technical innovations both at existing BLG sites and for tenders and new business. The aim is to increase the level of automation and digitalization at our sites in a targeted manner – by using technology that convinces not only in terms of economics, but also in terms of processes. These include driverless transport vehicles with alternative drives, car identification systems or robotics. As the AUTOMOBILE and CONTRACT Divisions draw closer together, the Technology department’s field of activity is now also expanding to AUTOMOBILE and Cargo sites, which allows synergies to be exploited. The Digital Services unit, as part of the Corporate IT department, is responsible for implementing digitalization measures for data strategies, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital workflows.
BLG LOGISTICS is intensively involved in research and development projects in order to develop innovative, holistic concepts together with partners from science and industry. In 2024, the Technology department worked on some of these forward-looking projects. They are part of our ongoing efforts to actively shape the logistics industry of tomorrow through technological innovation and sustainable solutions.
The “Mobility2Grid” project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, BMBF), kicked off in March 2022 with the aim of developing efficient, networked systems for a climate-neutral city by 2027. As part of this, we take a central role in developing concepts for the complete electrification of a logistics site. Comprehensive simulation studies involve both technical framework conditions, such as the available connection capacity, and logistical performance capacity too. A key objective is to test the feasibility of electrification in continuous operation with the logistics/supplier center in Falkensee as an example of application.
The “HyBit” collaborative research project has also been running in parallel since 2022, addressing the question of how local hydrogen hubs can contribute to a sustainable and climate-neutral Europe. In the “Mobility and Logistics” project cluster, we are developing analysis and evaluation methods for hydrogen use. The aim is to identify possible pilot applications and develop initial concepts. HyBit comprises a consortium of 18 partners and will run for 4.5 years. The collaboration makes it possible to gain comprehensive insights into the integration of hydrogen technology into existing logistics processes.
Another important project is the “MEXOT” research project supported by the Innovative Port Technologies (IHATEC) funding program, which was launched back in January 2022 with BLG AutoTec GmbH & Co. KG as a practical partner and successfully concluded at the end of the reporting year. It aimed to ensure the holistic, ergonomic design of a technical workstation, including the picking work that comes before. For this purpose, passive exoskeletons with measurement sensors were further developed and coupled with driverless transport vehicles. An incentive platform with an integrated gamification approach gave employees feedback on the relief provided by the exoskeleton and gave some additional motivation. At the end of the project, practical tests were carried out to validate the solutions developed. The project showed that the exoskeletons used, especially in the warehouse, contribute to an ergonomic improvement of the working situation and reduce physical stress. The direct feedback to employees on the support provided through recorded ergonomic data was also well received. The testing of driverless transport vehicles with follow-me mode was also successfully developed and operationally tested.
The “Resource Development in Service Work – ResourceE” project tests innovative solutions for health-promoting work design and competence development. BLG LOGISTICS is involved as an application partner with the Bremen Logistics Center and C3. An initial pilot phase using various exoskeleton models was supported scientifically. Based on the results obtained, preferred models are now being evaluated over a longer period and examined with regard to procedural and human-centered factors, such as efficiency or user-friendliness and influence on work motivation. In addition, software tools are being developed for assistance technology selection. The project started in July 2023 and will run for five years.
In addition, more progress was made with the “PortSkill 4.0” project. In 2024, BLG LOGISTICS was involved in collaborative projects with a total volume of EUR 59.2 million.