Text: Magnus Carlsson | Photos: Anna Sigvardsson Högborg
With the help of Solar's Smart Supply services, PV Systems knows exactly what they have in stock, where each item is and when stock needs to be replenished. Since they first used Solar's SmartKit service, logistics has also been raised to another level.
PV Systems is one of the Nordic region's leading players in industrial automation. Based in Tidaholm, Sweden, the company manufactures customised automation solutions that streamline small and large companies.
PV Systems has long been a customer of Solar, and in recent years, the collaboration has grown further with the implementation of Solar's Smart Supply services. This means that Solar has installed a shelving system at PV Systems' storeroom, where the products are delivered in identical boxes, marked with name, picture and barcode.
- This means that we always have order on the shelves. We probably have 300 items in stock, so it quickly becomes messy if we don't have a good system, says Roland Wikström, designer and purchaser at PV Systems.
Saves time in the storeroom
When Roland or his colleagues need an item, they scan the box's barcode with the Solar app. That way, they know which items are being used, while also keeping track of what they have in stock. As soon as you see that the items are running out in one of the boxes, you just order more.
- We have been using this solution for some time now, and are very satisfied. The big gain is that we spend significantly less time in the storeroom. Instead of walking around looking for materials, each thing has its place. It's incredibly nice, he says.
- The solution used by PV Systems is part of Solar's Smart Supply concept, which is designed to optimise customers' material flow. Inquiries show that Smart Supply reduces tied-up capital of the stock by up to 30% for the customer. In addition, they can clearly improve profitability, says customer manager for PV Systems, Jonny Ferdinius.
- When it comes to profitability, a lot of it is about reducing downtime. With the help of our Smart Supply solutions, you always have the right materials in stock, when you need them. Then you never have to stop. And that makes a difference on the bottom line, he says.
Smoother projects with SmartKits
Another Solar service that PV Systems uses is SmartKit. This means that you order the items needed for a project, these are then delivered in boxes marked with the yellow SmartKit label. On the yellow label, the customer can easily see which items the box contains, as everything is specified on the label.
It ensures that the box or boxes contains all the items required for the project, and that they are in the right amount – and that all items are delivered at the same time.
This means that the time you would otherwise spend on receiving goods, checking items and counting quantities can now instead be spent on manufacturing.
- We expect that we will be using SmartKit more in the future. Above all, it's nice to know that the materials we need is there, we don't have to open and check, says Roland Wikström at PV Systems.
Earmarked packages
By ordering parts for the projects in SmartKits, PV Systems also does not have to stock materials unnecessarily. The SmartKit boxes are ordered for a project and the yellow label states which project the box is earmarked for.
- It's a great advantage that each SmartKit box is for a specific project. In this type of purchase, it is otherwise easy for someone to borrow something from a box, and when you stand there you realise that that item is now missing. With SmartKit, that problem cannot arise, says Roland Wikström.
- PV Systems is not alone in using SmartKit. More and more companies are opening their eyes to the service, says Jonny Ferdinius.
- The benefits of SmartKit are so many. On the one hand, it's profitable not to have the materials in your own warehouse until you need them, but above all, you get control over the purchases and save time. You don't have to think about order confirmations and backorders. This means that you spend your time on value-creating work – instead of on unnecessary work, he concludes.
