SUCCESS STORY
Manufacturing and production

DEBATIN

DEBATIN is one of the leading packaging experts in Germany. The company has been producing innovative transport and packaging solutions for almost 100 years.

35%

More efficient handling of all inbound goods

90%

of all registered deliveries via TradeLink

95%

less waiting time for trucks

>€50m
Annual turnover
225
Employees
3
Generations in the family
100
Years of experience

Inefficient yard processes

DEBATIN was founded in 1923 and has been family-owned for three generations. For a good century, it has stood for innovative spirit, reliability, pioneering products and stable customer relationships. Together with its French subsidiaries DEBATIN SARL in Hoenheim and L.E.S.S. France in Chelles, the DEBATIN Group is now one of the market leaders in the industry and sets standards in the development of secure and individual packaging solutions for transport, shipping and logistics.

For some years now, the company has been focusing in particular on sustainability along the entire supply chain - from climate-neutral products to the optimization of yard processes. Until the beginning of 2021, these were rather suboptimal: The small yard became cramped even when two trucks were maneuvering. At peak times, up to seven trucks with raw materials for production were waiting to be unloaded at the same time.

This led to waiting times of at least 30 minutes up to four hours, annoyed employees and overall unloading processes that were as hectic as they were inefficient. This only changed when TradeLink came into play in the first quarter of 2021.


We have shown TradeLink to our suppliers and they have reacted very positively because the tool is wonderfully simple - especially compared to some other platforms on the market.
Hans-Walter Trepper
Head of Materials Management

Smooth transition to TradeLink

"At first I wondered whether we really needed such a portal for raw material suppliers," recalls Florian Klonig, Dispatch Manager at DEBATIN. "But then we saw what TradeLink can do."

The initial concerns on the part of DEBATIN as to whether TradeLink would be accepted by the suppliers and forwarding agents as well as by the employees were quickly dispelled. The implementation of TradeLink was initially started with the largest suppliers.

The smooth transition was supported by TradeLink's Roll-Out Manager Anne Listemann, who was always available for support requests. In the meantime, the largest suppliers are on board and have also committed their forwarders to use TradeLink.

Both inside and outside the company, TradeLink is very popular because of its simple and clear handling. Compared to older or "home-made" software solutions, one of the advantages of TradeLink is that the platform is constantly being further developed with the inclusion of customer wishes.

TradeLink grows with its customers!

The packaging experts: DEBATIN is a leader in the production of innovative packaging - from document pouches to mailing bags for laboratory samples.

Delivery peaks successfully smoothed 

Through the successful implementation of TradeLink, the yard-processes in particular became more predictable:

Having up to seven trucks at the same time at yard waiting to be unloaded is a thing of the past . By spreading deliveries over several days, delivery peaks have been smoothed out and waiting times reduced from up to four hours in the past to almost zero.

"Our processes have become much more efficient and the ability to plan has improved fundamentally," says Hans-Walter Trepper happily. "And even if there are postponements, it is now possible to implement them quickly in TradeLink".

Another sustainable effect of the cooperation between DEBATIN and TradeLink is the digitalisation of many office processes. The paperless office is no longer a fiction at DEBATIN, because delivery notes and labels that no longer have to be printed out in the future will avoid a lot of paper waste.

Through TradeLink, the supply chain has become transparent and delivery peaks could be smoothed.

Even more sustainability with TradeLink

According to Focus Money, DEBATIN is one of the 500 most valuable companies in Germany - not measured by market capitalisation, but by the social and societal responsibility in the area of sustainability that the company assumes.

"An important point in sustainability is, of course, digitalisation," Hans-Walter Trepper knows, "and TradeLink can strongly support us in this in the future as well."

In order to implement the goal of a sustainable procurement organisation (for which DEBATIN was certified by the German Association of Materials Management, Purchasing and Logistics in 2021), TradeLink will digitalise the entire supply chain processes - for example, also integrating production and purchasing into the platform - and thus make sustainability even more measurable. Furthermore, it is planned that all delivery notes will also be available digitally in TradeLink in advance.

After the deliveries, the two partners will soon also fully digitalise the outbound transports and further optimise the yard processes together. There are also plans to roll out TradeLink to the company's French site in Hoenheim.


Challenge

Due to the very limited space at Anton Debatin GmbH's yard , there were constant traffic jams for raw material deliveries. Trucks had to wait up to four hours for unloading.

Solution

  • Suppliers, forwarders and incoming goods were connected via TradeLink
  • Deliveries are now evenly distributed throughout the week
  • Waiting times of registered transports have been reduced from up to four hours to almost zero

Key figures

  • 30-240 minutes less waiting time for trucks
  • Up to 5 fewer trucks waiting to be unloaded
  • 35% more efficient goods inward processing


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>€50m
Annual turnover
225
Employees
3
Generations in the family
100
Years of experience
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The Finecom logoOutfittery LogoDenner logoThe Traveco logo
Lillydoo LogoInternet Stores LogoThe logo of PhoenixThe Neumarkter Lammsbräu logo.

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