Digitalisation of production logistics at EHRLE GmbH

Production Optimization

The digitalisation of logistics opens up new possibilities for increasing efficiency in production and thus offers an entry into the Industrie 4.0. EHRLE GmbH connects four locations in Germany and Great Britain via a central warehouse management system where it also integrates a newly established production facility, which is oriented towards the most advanced production principles. Reply extended the Click Reply Warehouse Management solution with decisive functions to support the lean processes in production.

Ehrle GmbH built a new production facility, which is designed in accordance with the principles of lean manufacturing. In designing the new production processes, the focus was on co-ordinating production with intra-logistics. In addition, warehouse management at several locations in the UK and Germany was to be optimized by introducing a central system.

EHRLE GmbH

EHRLE is one of the world's leading suppliers of innovative solutions for vehicle washing and cleaning technology. Since it was founded, the company has relied on sophisticated technology, innovative ideas, the best possible quality and impeccable service.

Integrated production with Click Reply WM


Reply supported EHRLE in redefining the processes in warehouse and production whilst implementing the proven Click Reply WM solution. This not only allows to have several warehouses at locations worldwide but through specific extensions, Click Reply also takes over a central role in production.

The connection of the Click Reply WM warehouse management system with the ERP system creates an integrated production: the ERP informs the WMS which orders are pending. Using a sequencing functionality specially developed by Reply, Click Reply WMS calculates which parts and components are needed at which point in time on the five central production lines and in the 14 assembly departments. The WMS knows the location co-ordinates of the components in the warehouse, within the Kardex shuttle systems and whether a part is in the front or rear position within the Push Back racks used. Click Reply uses this information to calculate the routes of the semi-automatic forklift in order to carry out guided picking for production with optimised routes and to avoid empty runs of the forklift. The data from the WMS controls the semi-automatic forklift and ensures that the required parts are available just-in-sequence at the respective production location. Efficient production does not only require high-performance systems: the integration of human employees is crucial for smooth production processes. Reply has installed Andon displays in the production area as an interface between intelligent systems and human employees; these monitors inform employees via a dashboard specially developed by Reply for EHRLE. This makes Click Reply WM a central component of modern and highly efficient production.